Assessing 6 Recent Bayern Munich Transfer Rumours
With the 2014-15 season nearing its end, Bayern Munich are already making preparations for next season's squad. The German giants will end the campaign having won the Bundesliga, but having disappointed in the DFB-Pokal and Champions League prior to their elimination from both competitions.
Bayern have been struck with a blight of injuries this season and have an aging core that sooner or later will reach the point of natural decline. This is especially a concern as the likes of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger have become rather injury prone.
Sporting director Matthias Sammer even admitted that the club would have to recruit new faces to replace the likes of the aforementioned, as well as Xabi Alonso and Philipp Lahm, telling BT Sport (via Daily Mail), that Bayern needed to "make plans for the future before it's too late."
It's not yet time to call it the end for Bayern's aging core, but this summer will certainly see the club begin to make changes. They need to freshen up the squad and bring in some stars to build for the future, and international media has already begun to report on a wide range of transfer news pertaining to the Bavarians' squad-building.
Click "Begin Slideshow" for B/R's take on several of the top rumors.
Ilkay Gundogan
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Bayern typically look nearby when recruiting stars. There is an array of talented Bundesliga players to choose from who are proven in the German top flight, and they will not have to deal with the challenges of adapting to a new culture.
Bayern also enjoy supreme financial dominance over the rest of the league and can offer far higher wages than any other club in the German top flight, making it generally easier to recruit.
One area where Bayern could use some fresh ideas is in the center of midfield, where Lahm, Schweinsteiger and Alonso offer too similar qualities on the ball, are rather slow and are all on the wrong side of 30 years of age.
Thiago is a good option, but he is not a holding midfielder and is very injury-prone in any case. Although Javi Martinez is another top-class candidate for a central midfield role, Pep Guardiola has played him almost exclusively in defense.
Ilkay Gundogan would be a natural choice for Guardiola. The Dortmund man has the touch of a playmaker and is able to dribble through defenses, pass over short and long distances and create in the final third. He is also great at tackling and using his body to shield the ball.
He's a real all-round player, the kind that can thrive in Guardiola's system. As Bayern apparently aim to rebuild the best parts of the Dortmund team that reached the 2013 Champions League final, he has a proven record of operating well with Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski.
Dortmund recently confirmed that Gundogan has declined all offers of a contract extension, via Eurosport, and will leave the club by 2016, when his current deal expires.
However, it would be hugely surprising if BVB were to let him leave on a free transfer next season. More likely, they'll aim to sell this summer to a foreign team, ensuring that he does not become yet another Dortmund player to move to the Allianz Arena.
ESPN recently reported the player intends to leave BVB this summer, with Bayern, Juventus and Manchester United interested.
BVB will surely do everything possible to avoid selling yet another star player to Bayern, but for the right price and if other clubs do not give concrete offers, a move could yet materialize.
Kevin De Bruyne
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At this point, there's little arguing that Kevin De Bruyne is the best player in the Bundesliga this season. The Belgian has been consistently magnificent all year long, and it would be a surprise if Bayern were not eager to do anything possible to sign him.
Fact: De Bruyne set a new record for assists in the Bundesliga, breaking former Wolfsburg man Zvjezdan Misimovic's tally as he set up his 21st goal of the season against Borussia Dortmund. All that with a game to spare.
There's a common saying in the Bundesliga that the league's best players should play at Bayern, and the club enforce that by snapping up other domestic talents. De Bruyne's quality has become too high to ignore.
Fact: De Bruyne masterminded Wolfsburg's defeat of Bayern in January, scoring twice and assisting a third goal in a 4-1 rout. Bayern love a player who scores against them.
Fact: Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben are 32 and 31, respectively, and due to injuries, they played just 53 games combined this season. De Bruyne alone played 49 and is approaching the prime of his career—he turns 24 in June. A six-year contract would see him spend his best years in Munich and perhaps hit even greater heights. We have, in all likelihood, already seen the best of Ribery and Robben.
Wolfsburg will try to avoid selling to a domestic rival and appear ready to play hardball in order to keep their crown jewel, who has a contract valid until the end of June, 2019.
German magazine Kicker (h/t ESPN) reported that since De Bruyne has no release clause, Wolfsburg would let him go only for €80 million (€20 million per year left on his current deal). Last week, the player's agent revealed, via TalkSport, that Bayern, as well as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, had made informal contact regarding a possible transfer.
Although agents often bend the truth to promote their clients, in this case, it's a real stretch to imagine Bayern not joining the race for the Bundesliga's best player.
Marco Verratti
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Another option in central midfield is Marco Verratti, should Bayern prefer the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder over Gundogan or if the BVB man proves unattainable. Of course, the Italian himself is in high demand and has a long-term contract (valid through June of 2019) at a wealthy club, so he also could be difficult to acquire.
Still, the 22-year-old Verratti is surely on Bayern's radar. He's still young and has some upside, but he has already proven himself repeatedly in the Champions League. His technical quality is exquisite, and he's the kind of complete central midfield player who, like Gundogan, Thiago Alcantara and Toni Kroos, would thrive under Pep Guardiola's tutelage.
The print-only edition of Sport Bild reported earlier this month (via FussballTransfers.com, in German) that Bayern are keen to sign Verratti, which should be no surprise considering the player's quality as well as the age of Bayern's midfield.
The problem for Bayern is, PSG have Verratti on a long-term deal, and the player appears to be happy in Paris. He recently told Telefoot (h/t Goal) that he has no intention to leave the Parc des Princes, so Bayern face an uphill battle if they are to sign the highly rated Italian star.
Antoine Griezmann
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The same Sport Bild report that linked Verratti with Bayern also claimed interest from the German giants to sign Antoine Griezmann. Like the Italian midfielder, the Atletico Madrid attacker would be very difficult to obtain, but he would fulfill a very obvious need in the Bayern team.
If assist king De Bruyne is Bayern's best possible replacement for playmaking winger Ribery, the goalscoring winger and supporting striker Griezmann is a great option to take over for the very direct Robben.
The France international has recorded 25 goals in his first season in Madrid and still has some talent that is yet to be tapped. With compatriot Ribery in the Bayern squad, it may be easier for him to adjust to life in Germany.
The fact that Griezmann is so versatile is a huge bonus for Bayern, who could shift him around the attack in his early time at the club as they begin to phase out their aging stars. It's a delicate procedure, but the Atleti man's ability to play nearly anywhere in attack will make the process easier. He could even be a secondary option as a lone center forward, should Robert Lewandowski ever be unfit.
The problem for Bayern is that Griezmann has a contract valid until 2020, and Atleti can offer him competitive football at both domestic and continental level. It would most likely require an enormous bid to Atleti and wage package to the player for a move to materialize.
Alexandre Lacazette
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With Claudio Pizarro set to leave Bayern this summer, the German champions' squad depth in the striker position will be reduced to just one: Robert Lewandowski, the starter.
In order to avoid the Poland international from being overexerted, and in case he's injured, they will need another center forward. That's where a player like Alexandre Lacazette could fit in.
The France international has scored 31 goals for Lyon this season, but he is not just a poacher. He's a Guardiola-type striker, with blistering pace, fine dribbling skills and great finishing ability that allow him to play center forward effectively despite his diminutive (5'9") stature. As an alternative or even to complement Lewandowski, he'd be a great option to have.
Lacazette recently admitted, via Metro, he's unsure as to whether he'll be at Lyon next season, but Bayern will face some hurdles if they are to sign him.
According to the Guardian, he is wanted by Manchester City and Liverpool as well as Bayern. Neither club can offer the international competitiveness that Bayern can, but they will be able to offer attractive wages and a genuine chance for the player to start.
As he approaches his 24th birthday, Lacazette will want to start on a regular basis. Thus, if Bayern get into a competition with City for his signature, it may be a very difficult one to win.
Raheem Sterling
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Bild (h/t ESPN) reported in December that if Marco Reus proved unattainable, Pep Guardiola would target Raheem Sterling, with the coach's brother, Pere, having made contact with the Liverpool winger.
On Wednesday, Bild reported that Bayern had stepped up their pursuit of Sterling, with the 20-year-old meant to be a replacement for the aging Franck Ribery.
With Reus having extended his Dortmund contract and De Bruyne and Griezmann under long-term deals, Bayern's only option without breaking the bank may be Sterling.
The England international recently stated clearly, per Daily Mail, that he intends to leave Anfield, although a report from the Guardian claims that Fenway Sports Group (FSG) intends to hold him to his contract, which expires in 2017, for at least another season.
The Guardian report states that FSG adopted a similar approach to Luis Suarez when the Uruguayan striker demanded a transfer in 2013 and are prepared to play hardball again with Sterling.
However, Bayern are in a special negotiating position due to not being direct rivals to Liverpool. The longer the Reds wait, the more likely they are to be forced to sell to another Premier League side. So they may go with the safe option and sell to Bayern if an offer is tabled.
It's all a matter of power dynamics now, and we'll soon see where Bayern, Liverpool and Sterling stand in terms of relative standing.
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