Bayern Strikes
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Bayern Munich and the Robert Lewandowski dilemma

By Tim Richards

MUNICH, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 12: Robert Lewandowski (C) of Muenchen celebrates with his team-mates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League group B match between Bayern Muenchen and RSC Anderlecht at Allianz Arena on September 12, 2017 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 12: Robert Lewandowski (C) of Muenchen celebrates with his team-mates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League group B match between Bayern Muenchen and RSC Anderlecht at Allianz Arena on September 12, 2017 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images) /
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Lyon’s French forward Nabil Fekir shoots and scores a penalty during the Ligue1 football match Olympique Lyonnais against Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace, on August 5, 2017 at the Groupama stadium in Decines-Charpieu near Lyon, southeastern France. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE DESMAZES (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)
Lyon’s French forward Nabil Fekir shoots and scores a penalty during the Ligue1 football match Olympique Lyonnais against Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace, on August 5, 2017 at the Groupama stadium in Decines-Charpieu near Lyon, southeastern France. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE DESMAZES (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images) /

Nabil Fekir

Debuting in the 2013/14 Ligue 1 campaign and playing as a center-forward, right-or-left-winger, secondary striker or attacking midfielder, Nabil Fekir has a very healthy return of 38 goals in 118 games.

At a rate of 0.32 goals a game, he is just shy of Claudio Pizarro’s rate of 0.3 and ahead of James Rodriguez’s 0.26 from the same time frame. Add to this a total of 30 assists across all competitions for a team that did not have a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Lionel Messi and you are looking at an impressive offensive talent.

While statistics can be misleading, these are not numbers to ignore. Debuting in the same season, Corentin Tolisso played 160 games for Lyon, scoring 29 goals and making 17 assists. A goal rate of 0.18 and an assist rate of 0.106 do not really mean a great deal considering Tolisso plays further away from goal than Fekir. But it is worth questioning why Bayern bought Tolisso, a central-midfielder instead of Nabil Fekir, the ideal touch-to-touch forward.

I would not say that buying Tolisso was a mistake. I would say, though, that Tolisso is a player that Bayern did not need. From the 2013/14 season, Arturo Vidal averages a goal every 0.16 games and an assist every 0.1 games, meanwhile Thiago has reached an average of scoring every 0.14 games and assisting every 0.18 games.

The difference between these three players is not significant enough to consider Tolisso a definite upgrade on either of them. If there was one area of the pitch that did not need to be altered in any way, central midfield was it.

The depth that Bayern have in that position is arguably amongst the best in Europe. Bayern’s downfall comes from the lack of appropriate options for the four positions up front. These four problems could be solved exclusively by Nabil Fekir.

Failing that, Bayern have the pulling power to get talented players such as Keita Balde… who has gone to Monaco. Or Gabriel Barbosa… who has gone to Benfica. Fekir stayed at Lyon, though, receiving their captaincy at the beginning of this season.

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On top of this, he has also said that he would enjoy a move to Bayern. Not having him, or even a player of his ability, in the squad this season or next has potential to be problematic once again. Bayern can control the midfield of any game they play, but if they struggle with options up front again, not buying Fekir — or a player in the same vein — will be where it all went wrong.