Biggest Issues Facing Bayern Munich in Final Month of 2015 Transfer Window

The 2015 summer transfer window is in its last month, and with time ticking, Bayern Munich still could use some adjustments to their squad. The German giants have forked out some €79 million in order to sign Arturo Vidal, Douglas Costa, Joshua Kimmich and Sven Ulreich, while Bastian Schweinsteiger, Claudio Pizarro, Mitchell Weiser and Pepe Reina have left the club.

Bayern have considerable depth in many areas of the pitch, especially given how flexible many of their players can be. Vidal, Philipp Lahm and David Alaba, for example, can play either in midfield or defense. And their forwards are generally quite versatile.

However, there is one position in which Bayern's depth has actually decreased over the course of the summer. With Pizarro's sale, Bayern are down to just one natural center forward.

Pep Guardiola has been known to operate without a traditional striker in the past; he made Lionel Messi famous as a "false nine." At Bayern, however, there is no Messi-type player available. Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller have played in the center-forward role, but not to particularly great effect: There's a reason Guardiola very rarely plays with a natural attacking midfielder in the striker role. Against top opponents, Bayern will need a qualified scorer who can offer physicality and, above all, a good nose for goal.

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Robert Lewandowski scores the game-winner in the #AudiCup2015 final! http://t.co/9rsJw34Mne https://t.co/XroSWtMaDP

— World Soccer Shop (@worldsoccershop) August 5, 2015"

The 2015-16 preseason has shown quite well how important such a player can be for Bayern. There were two games, against Valencia and Inter, in which the German giants had no trouble running up the score: They hit the target seven times combined in those fixtures. But against Guangzhou Evergrande, Inter, Real Madrid, in the DFB-Superpokal with Wolfsburg and in the Telekom Cup against Augsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern's finishing left plenty to be desired.

Lewandowski scored three goals during the preseason, and in rather limited minutes, with all three coming following his second-half introduction in three separate matches. He was decisive in the Telekom Cup against Real Madrid, and whenever he was on the pitch, the Poland international helped his team look substantially more dangerous.

Lewandowski is indeed a very rare kind of player, and no-one in today's game plays quite like him. Bayern would need to be wary not to sign cover for him that would not at all fit into the current team. On the other hand, Bayern ought to at least try to put together some kind of like-for-like cover for their star center forward. It's a big gamble to assume that Lewandowski, after playing in 235 club-level games in the last five years, will not, at some point, need some rest or perhaps take a knock.

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Thunderous volley from Robert Lewandowski! https://t.co/HQUsFxwxUc

— Sport Vines (@SportVlnes) August 5, 2015"

Bayern have had adequate replacements for players like Holger Badstuber, Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara when they have missed lengthy spells on the sidelines, but a similar injury to Lewandowski could essentially dump the Bavarians out of contention for the Champions League trophy or more.

The alternative is to hope for the best, that Lewandowski is perpetually fit and eligible to play. The Poland international has in his career been fortunate enough to avoid any serious injuries, and he is a great athlete. He also has a generally calm temperament that makes him less likely to be suspended. Yet even he was suspended for the first leg of Borussia Dortmund's Champions League tie with Real Madrid in the spring of 2014. His absence in that fixture potentially made the difference in a tie that could have gone either way until the very last moment. With this in mind, Bayern could truly do with an insurance policy. As the summer transfer window enters its final stages, the clock is ticking.

@Mr_Bundesliga