Bayern Munich monitoring young Serie A defender
Bayern Munich is reportedly keeping a close eye on Lazio’s Brazilian defender Luiz Felipe.
There was a complete defensive revamp at Bayern Munich last summer. Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard arrived at the club for big transfer fees while Mats Hummels left the club for Borussia Dortmund. Rafinha also joined Flamengo after being released by Die Roten.
The new signings have not exactly succeeded due to various reasons. Pavard has been solid throughout the campaign, but he has mainly played in the right-back position. Meanwhile, Hernandez has struggled with injuries in the past 12 months.
Rekordmeister may have to bolster their defense once again in summer as the future of few players is uncertain. Jerome Boateng may finally get a move away from the club while Javi Martinez will also enter the final year of his contract.
In such a scenario, the record German champions may have to look for another central defender. According to Tuttosport (via Sport), Bayern is interested in signing Luiz Felipe from Lazio in summer. This report insists that Die Roten will face competition from Barcelona for the Brazilian defender.
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Felipe has been one of the best defenders in Serie A this season, propelling Lazio to the best defensive record in the league. The Brazilian is good on the ball as he boasts a passing range close to 90% in the league and also managed to chip in with one goal and one assist across 18 league games. (Stats Courtesy: Whoscored)
As per Transfermarkt, Felipe’s contract at Lazio is set to expire at the end of the 2021/22 campaign. Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport) has previously reported that Lazio is keen on extending his contract. If the Brazilian doesn’t agree on a new contract, then the Serie A side will have to listen to offers for him in summer to stop him from leaving on a lesser fee next summer.
Since there is also uncertainty surrounding the future of David Alaba, Rekordmeister will be forced to look for a center-back. A new center-back will allow Hernandez to play in the left-back position if Alphonso Davies is going through a rough patch of form or suffers an injury.
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Having said that, Die Roten have more important areas to address in summer. The club will benefit from promoting Lukas Mai to the first team than investing heavily in another center-back. Felipe has been a top defender in Serie A this season, but he will command a big fee in summer. Bayern will be better served by focusing on other areas than spending big on a defender in two successive summers.