One Summer Transfer Rumour Bayern Munich Fans Do Not Want to Come True

By now, Bayern Munich's search for a new attacking midfielder is no secret. The Bundesliga champions cannot be fully confident in Franck Ribery's long-term value after the 32-year-old's injury-ravaged 2014-15 campaign, especially as he spends the majority of the next two months with his ankle immobilized.

Bayern are faced with two options: 1. Sign a ready-made superstar like Angel Di Maria or Antoine Griezmann for a small fortune; or 2. Bring in a lesser-known, rising talent on the (relatively) cheap with hopes that he will adapt quickly and deliver at the highest level.

To date, Bayern have yet to make a "Galactico" signing; their highest-ever transfer fee paid was €40 million (for Javi Martinez), and to sign Di Maria or Griezmann would probably require at least 50 percent more. There are serious doubts as to whether they would join the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United in paying absolute top dollar for a new player, regardless of his quality.

A more typical signing would be a shrewd addition in the €25 million range. Ribery himself was just that, joining from Marseille after playing well but never truly hitting it big in France or Turkey before. But such a signing would be a significant risk.

In the case of Douglas Costa, whom Bild (h/t Express) recently reported was on Bayern's list of candidates, there is cause for concern among fans that the club would be taking far too great a leap of faith on the 24-year-old.

Costa is a talented player, but to date he has not made much of his potential. He scored just five goals and gave seven assists for Shakhtar Donetsk last season, far from the output expected of a big star. And as he approaches his 25th birthday, one has to question exactly how much more potential he has waiting to be tapped.

Ribery was only signed by Bayern aged 24 as well, but he had a brilliant World Cup with France the previous summer and should be considered an exception in any case. Few attacking midfielders that haven't "made it" by 24 experience a burst of quality. Those who do, require, among other things, an exceptional work ethic.

When Costa left his native Brazil, it wasn't for the big stage. He chose a fat paycheck courtesy of oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, ahead of the fame that could have come with a move to play at a higher level. Before him, Henrikh Mkhitaryan left Shakhtar for Germany having lit up the Ukrainian league. In two years for Dortmund, the Armenian has been a complete flop.

Even as team-mate Luiz Adriano played heroically in the Champions League last season, Costa was largely ineffective. He scored an add-on goal in a 7-0 hammering of BATE Borisov but was utterly anonymous in two legs against Bayern and did precious little in helping his side survive the group stage. At this point he's earned just over a handful of caps for Brazil, but even with the Selecao being the weakest they've been in recent memory, his prospects of ever being a starter for his country are questionable at best.

If Costa isn't good enough to start in the current Brazil team, he certainly isn't the right man to replace Ribery, a former Ballon d'Or finalist and the heartbeat of the Bayern attack over the last eight years.

Costa may develop into a world superstar, but a betting man would call his signing a gamble. Barring a sudden stroke of genius at the Copa America, he'd come without having convinced at the highest level, and having exceeded a tally of 15 goals and assists on just one occasion during his career. He still has a lot to prove, while Bayern need a ready-made star who can deliver from day one. And that's why Bayern fans are hoping for Di Maria instead.

@Mr_Bundesliga