Bayern Munich need a complete squad overhaul says Dietmar Hamann
Dietmar Hamann believes that Bayern Munich will need to make some big changes over the summer to compete with Europe’s top clubs.
Bayern Munich have been Germany’s lone flag-bearer in the latter stages of the Champions League for most of the past decade. They have reached the semifinals of this competition four times since winning the trophy in 2013. Prior to this campaign, Carlo Ancelotti’s first season at the club was the only time they were knocked out by the quarterfinals of the competition.
Die Roten have been struggling to compete with the biggest European clubs both on and off the pitch. This season they hit a new low as they were knocked out by Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16. The result was not the problem so much as the manner in which the Bavarians made their exit. They were humbled at the Allianz Arena, as Jurgen Klopp’s men clinched a comfortable 3-1 victory.
Bayern Munich refused to spend big last summer, deciding instead to stick with their veterans for one more season. This decision was wrong in the first place, as Niko Kovac deserved more backing in his first transfer window at the club. In his column for Sky, Dietmar Hamann insisted Bayern will need a complete overhaul in the summer to rejoin Europe’s elite. The former Germany midfielder believes that five to six signings are the minimum Bayern should target in the summer.
"“I think they need five or six new ones to really make the transition and get close to these top teams.“These will be interesting weeks, months and years for the Bavarians, because the times when Bayern called and the players came are over. Now you have to convince people with arguments, and at the moment other teams probably have more than Bayern. And that’s not just about the money.”"
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Die Roten have already made their first summer transfer official, announcing in January that Benjamin Pavard will arrive from Stuttgart over the summer. Bayern are also reportedly very interested in signing Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid. The Frenchman has an €85 million release clause, and it’s unlikely Atletico allow him to leave for anything less. These two arrivals will mark the beginning of the end for both Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng.
Arjen Robben has already announced that he will leave Bayern at the end of the season, while Franck Ribery is also very close to the exit door. The German champions should be looking to add at least two players in attack due to the injury concerns of Kingsley Coman andinexperience of Alphonso Davies. They are going to move again for Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi in the summer, but Lille’s Nicolas Pepe is reportedly another option if their move for Hudson-Odoi falls through.
The club should also try to improve their options in central midfield, as Javi Martinez turns 31 next season. A backup option for Robert Lewandowski will also be an area to address, but Bayern can probably wait till 2020 to sign Timo Werner on a free transfer from RB Leipzig.
Hasan Salihamidzic has a tremendous job on his hands this summer. He has already been subjected to heavy criticism this season. His job will be under threat if he fails to deliver in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Next. Bayern Munich contact Ajax for Hakim Ziyech. dark
Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have regularly insisted that there will be huge investments this summer. Bayern are likely to spend big money on four or five players due to Europe’s inflating transfer fees. It remains to be seen whether a managerial change is also needed along with the influx of young talented players in order to go head to head with other European giants.