Douglas Costa opens up about late move to FC Bayern Munich
Douglas Costa speaks about his return to FC Bayern Munich in the summer.
FC Bayern Munich were looking to improve the attacking options during the summer transfer window. The German champions moved quickly to land Leroy Sane from Manchester City after missing out on him last summer due to an injury.
After the arrival of Sane, Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Perisic left the club as their one year loan came to an end. The European Champions were eager to sign Perisic permanently from Inter Milan, but the two clubs couldn’t reach an agreement regarding the transfer fee.
Hansi Flick kept on insisting that he wants another winger to have quality and depth in that position. Die Roten decided to explore a deal for Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi. They saw a loan bid rejected for the young winger as the London based club was not eager to sell their academy graduate.
The German Champions eventually gave up and decided to pursue alternative targets. In the final days of the transfer window, Bayern managed to bring Douglas Costa back to the club on a one-year loan deal from Juventus. In an interview with Bild (via Gianlucadimarzio.com), Costa reveals how the transfer went on, and his desire to return to Munich played a big role.
"“The contacts were never interrupted, but they intensified three weeks ago. I’ve wanted to return to Munich for a while because here I felt most comfortable.”“I’ve always stayed in contact with Neuer, Boateng, Muller, and Kimmich. I am very happy to be here again. Last year I cheered for Bayern in the quarterfinals. I wanted them to win this cup. Now I want to win many titles, I’d especially like to repeat the Champions League victory.”"
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Costa had a very good debut campaign under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich in 2015/16. The Brazilian couldn’t emulate the same performances under Carlo Ancelotti, so he left for Juventus on loan. The Italian club eventually took up the option to sign him permanently.
The 30-year-old winger has struggled with injuries in the past 12 months. The Italian club was looking to offload him to make space for Federico Chiesa in the squad. Eventually, Bayern managed to get him on a dry loan, covering his wages for a year. The German Champions will definitely try to sign a young winger next summer.
On his day, Costa is unplayable. He will provide genuine width on the right flank. However, Costa’s work ethic is not similar to Perisic. As a squad player, Costa is a fine addition for the time being. If he manages to contribute to 10+ goals this season, then it would be a successful transfer for Die Roten.
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Apart from Costa, Bayern can also use Jamal Musiala in wide areas. The young winger has enjoyed decent playing time in the Bundesliga this season. Since it is going to be a congested campaign, Flick needed more options in the attack. Costa will provide experience in this role, while someone like Musiala will also chip in with vital contributions.