Why Bayern Munich Should Target a New Center-Back This January

Just days before the Bundesliga's traditional winter break begins, Bayern Munich look to be in fantastic shape. They're alive and in contention to win a treble of trophies in May, and only a select few sides have been able to keep them from winning.

At the same time, Bayern could use a bit of insurance heading into the spring, particularly in the form of a qualified center-back. This and recent seasons have shown their options, the brilliant Jerome Boateng aside, are just not reliable. And that could make all the difference between an expected double and a historic treble.

On paper, Bayern have several excellent options to pair with Boateng. Mehdi Benatia is an absolute colossus at the back with outstanding man-marking ability and near-flawless tackling technique. Javi Martinez and Holger Badstuber are also excellent defenders.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

What all three have in common, however, is a distinct propensity to be injured. Badstuber isn't the same player he was prior to a pair of cruciate ligament tears and some other nasty injuries and, in truth, hasn't been fit for three years.

He deserves credit for his never-say-die attitude, but the fact of the matter is he physically isn't at the level that Bayern need to compete at the highest level. That much was shown when he was sent off against Olympiakos after being beaten easily for pace. A year on loan in a place where there is less pressure would probably do him well; in the meantime, he's not the kind of player Bayern will want to rely upon in crunch time.

Benatia has become more injury prone as of late. He missed two months earlier in the season with a thigh-muscle injury and recently picked up a similar ailment that will keep him out until 2016. He also had a few muscular injuries last season that, according to Transfermarkt, accounted for approximately two months on the sidelines as well.

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

That leaves Martinez, who has generally been fit as of late, having recovered from successive knee injuries that saw him miss nearly all of last season and most of the 2015-16 preseason. The Spaniard may be more reliable these days in terms of his fitness, but even so, he may be needed more in midfield.

Arturo Vidal hasn't been the player he was expected to be, and Bayern may thus need Martinez to play the role of workhorse in midfield. Europe's elite clubs in the Champions League will have genuine quality looking to find space between the Bayern midfield and defense, and the German giants will need a player more defensively qualified than Xabi Alonso or Thiago Alcantara to keep things tidy in midfield.

Earlier this season, a spate of injuries forced Guardiola to use David Alaba in central defense. And in fairness to the Austrian, he did quite well. However, when faced with Europe's best attacks, Bayern will want to have the world's best left-back playing in his natural position. It's not ideal for the undersized Alaba to be wrestling with physical strikers while Juan Bernat, or worse, Rafinha, has to take on Lionel Messi.

As it stands, more likely than not, Bayern will have enough defensive options available for the big Champions League matches. Whether they will be fully fit and have had enough time to build a good run of form, however, is questionable. And if they indeed are short of staff when they need it, the situation will have been avoidable.

A good insurance policy would be to invest in a reliable center-back in January—a short-term solution who will help ensure they have two fully-fit center-backs ready to take on the challenges that await in Europe's strongest teams.

@Mr_Bundesliga