Calling True or False on 3 Recent Bayern Munich Transfer Rumours
The summer transfer window may have closed a month and a half ago, but rumors linking star players to top clubs have not subsided.
Coaching changes and developments with certain players have led to media speculation, and Bayern Munich have been quite prominent in the headlines.
Bleacher Report has scoured the international press in search of the latest rumors, and run the rule over all the recent reports of players who might move to or be released from the Allianz Arena.
Click "Begin Slideshow" for a rundown of the top rumors with analysis of the possibility of them coming to fruition.
Robert Lewandowski to Liverpool
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Liverpool’s recent replacement of head coach Brendan Rodgers with Jurgen Klopp has come with a slew of speculation as to whether the German trainer will raid the Bundesliga for some of the stars he worked with at Borussia Dortmund.
Robert Lewandowski is the most in-form and in-demand player Klopp once trained, and the Sunday Mirror ran a report that he is keen to sign his former protege. That report has since been picked up by sources around England, even more well-regarded ones like the Independent.
The Sunday Mirror article is laced with misinterpretations, however. The headline claims Klopp "seeks [a] blockbuster signing," yet cites the trainer in a press conference discussing precisely why he isn’t so interested in splashing cash on an expensive superstar. As he was quoted in the article: “The biggest satisfaction you can get is when you take a player from Poland, from a small club and watch him play like he does today.”
Sure, Klopp would love to be reunited with Lewandowski just as Pep Guardiola wouldn’t mind bringing Lionel Messi to Bayern. But the issue of feasibility can’t be ignored.
The Sunday Mirror report also claims Lewandowski’s agent has hinted that his client will seek a move elsewhere. Yet that is highly unlikely for a player at one of Europe’s very best clubs who is in goalscoring form that puts even Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to shame.
It’s much more likely that Lewandowski’s agent will use the possibility of a move to leverage a pay raise for his client.
Verdict: Bayern more likely to spend a fortune on Lewandowski's salary than to sell.
Thomas Muller to Manchester United
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In August, the British press was rife with rumors linking Thomas Muller to Manchester United, with Louis van Gaal apparently desperate for a reunion with the Germany international he helped develop into a superstar at Bayern.
The German press corroborated the narrative of Van Gaal’s interest in Muller, with the ever-reliable Kicker (h/t ESPN) reporting in September that Bayern had turned down a €120 million (£88.6 million) bid for the 26-year-old, with the player offered a five-year contract worth a net annual wage of €12.5 million (£9.2 million).
Bayern shrugged off United’s interest, per ESPN, with CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claiming that despite a "very high offer," any attempts to sign Muller were “useless,” per ESPN.
This week, the British press jumped at a quote from Muller that suggested he might be interested in a move to England, with the attacker stating (per Welt am Sonntag, h/t the Guardian) that wages in the Premier League were “very tempting.” This was part of a greater discussion on money in football, however, and not particularly indicative of a desire for the player to leave Bayern.
Muller extended his contract until 2019 last June, and with over three-and-a-half prime years left on his deal, it’s hard to imagine the player leaving.
With Philipp Lahm aging and the Bavarians having sold Bastian Schweinsteiger, Bayern need Muller not only as a player, but as a symbol of a top performer who came from the academy. No price can be put on that, and those on the German champions’ board of directors are fully aware of that.
Verdict: Bayern turned down a record transfer fee this summer, and Muller's stock hasn't since fallen by even a penny. He is, apparently, priceless.
Shkodran Mustafi to Bayern Munich
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Although most recent reports involving Bayern transfers have been with regards to interest in their players, one rumor has linked a star with a move to the Allianz Arena.
Spanish newspaper AS (h/t talkSPORT) reported last week that Bayern are keen to sign Shkodran Mustafi. Soon thereafter, the player’s agent told Gestiona Radio Valencia (h/t Daily Star) that “it’s true that Bayern have gone to see him.”
The AS report also claims Mustafi has a €50 million (£36.9 million) release clause, but Valencia may be willing to let him leave for around €30 million (£22.1 million).
Bayern currently have some very qualified options in central defense, with Jerome Boateng and Mehdi Benatia well-established stalwarts. Javi Martinez and David Alaba are other options in interior defense.
However, Mustafi could be a good option for the Bavarians for a number of reasons, and it’s understandable why Bayern may be watching him.
The first issue is that Holger Badstuber remains injured, and it still is unclear as to whether he’ll ever return to fitness and become a reliable first-team player after spending the majority of the last three years on the sidelines with various ailments.
Martinez is also very injury-prone, and Alaba isn’t exactly a natural center-back, so it could be useful to have another qualified and reliable option, especially given that Bayern didn’t sign a replacement in defense after Dante was sold to Wolfsburg.
Another factor that could be influencing Bayern to keep an eye on center-backs is Benatia’s situation. Roma have been continually linked with a move for their former defender, and earlier this week, Calciomercato’s Fabrizio Romano reported that Benatia misses Italy.
Whether or not Benatia is sold and Badstuber rediscovers his fitness and form, though, it’s understandable that Bayern may be watching Mustafi.
The 23-year-old is still young, a World Cup winner, a native German speaker and one of Europe’s most coveted center-backs. If the Bavarians make a move for a new center-back, he’ll probably top their wish list.
Verdict: If Bayern decide they need a center-back, Mustafi is most likely the top choice. A transfer depends primarily on the situations of Badstuber and Benatia.
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