It has certainly been an interesting transfer window so far for Bayern Munich. After acquiring the services of Eric Dier, the German champions have put their focus on signing further defensive reinforcements.
Despite interest in PSG’s Nordi Mukiele and Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier, it appears as though Bayern will now sign Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey. However, whether Der Rekordmeister will stop their January business there is yet to be seen.
Thomas Tuchel has made it clear that he hopes for more bodies to come through the door at the Säbener Straße, and most notably, a number six. Speaking to Sky Germany, former chief scout at Borussia Dortmund, Sven Mislintat, spoke about his thoughts on Tuchel, publicly airing his opinions on potential signings:
“It’s definitely smart. You shouldn’t always make your interests known. On the other hand, the club from which you want to buy a player will find out about it at some point anyway, and then the negotiation is one way or another. It’s the same thing. So yes and no.”
“It’s a bit too excited given the quality of the squad that is already there. Also, the work that was done in advance. There is of course a lot of money for the positions that are currently being discussed,” commented Mislintat on Bayern’s transfer dealings since the summer, before adding, “Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka in the central midfield may not quite correspond to Thomas Tuchel’s wishes, but they have undeniable quality, even in the national team. I think this is a luxury problem at FC Bayern. They have one of the top two squads in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and are also, without any new additions, certainly competitive if they do a good job.”
While Bayern have not been able to lure in a defensive midfielder, they appeared to be having the same issues regarding the signing of a right-back. With offers for players stalling and being rejected, however, it does now seem as though Galatasaray’s Boey will join the club, to which Mislintat remarked:
“Boey is not in the squad for Galatasaray Istanbul this evening and has an alleged foot injury. Of course, we would still have to know whether he trained yesterday or how the training week was in general. But it certainly suggests that something could get hot. It’s also a player that Bayern should know very well from the group stage of the Champions League. He played conspicuously in Munich and is also younger than Kieran Trippier. So definitely an exciting number. A player with a lot of speed and at least a good challenger for the position.”
With Noussair Mazraoui currently on international duty at the African Cup of Nations, it is expected that Boey will come straight into the Bayern starting XI and then offer the Moroccan competition when he returns. Whereas their only signing of the winter window so far, Eric Dier, was signed as a fourth-choice defender, Mislintat argued that there is nothing wrong with the business controlled by the record champions:
“With Eric Dier, you have to know what role he should play. Bayern have signed three top central defenders for a lot of money each. It makes sense to add Eric, who has a lot of experience and also accepted the role as number four, but still has enough quality.”
It was always clear as to what role Dier would play when he joined the club, and while Bayern will undeniably look to add further quality to their backline in the summer, the Englishman offers Tuchel the perfect cover for the short term. However, Mislintat would finish by suggesting that the reason Bayern may be hunting down Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga table is because of the unorganised way they have gone about conducting their business:
“It’s never optimal. At Ajax Amsterdam, it was extreme because every top performer was up for sale due to the lack of income from missing out on the Champions League qualification. In general, winter transfers are more like repairs. I think the sooner a team is together, the better. The best example is Bayer Leverkusen. It’s less stressful, but not always reality.”
GGFN | Will Shopland