Bayern Munich: Areas to address in the winter transfer window

Bayern Munich can improve these areas during the winter transfer window.

An intriguing but successful year for Bayern Munich is coming to an end this week. The German Champions have established themselves as the best team in Europe by lifting the Champions League in August. Hansi Flick’s men are not resting on their laurels as they are eager to defend all their titles.

Flick has been tactically spot on in most games this season. There have been few bumps in the road, most notably the staggering 4-1 defeat against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, but Die Roten are well placed to lift trophies across different competitions.

The treble winners were strengthened during the summer transfer window. Flick wanted five players, and the club managed to grant his request. However, they didn’t manage to get first choice targets. In the current campaign, the squad needs to be deeper due to fixture congestion.

The winter window generally involves opportunistic deals, but teams have struck gold during this time of the year. Bayern has announced heavy losses recently due to a lack of matchday revenue. They are unlikely to be active in the winter transfer window, but in a hypothetical situation, here are two areas that the team should look to strengthen next month.

Central Defense

David Alaba looks certain to leave Bayern next summer, while there is a lot of certainty surrounding the future of Jerome Boateng. Nianzou Kouassi has endured a difficult start to life in Bavaria due to injuries, so a center-back will be top of the list for Die Roten next summer.

The center-back market is difficult now due to the big fees paid for defenders in the past few years. Chris Richards is an obvious candidate for a role in the first team, but the departure of two senior central defenders will have to be done with one transfer.

Possible candidates:

Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan), Sven Botman (Lille), Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)

Midfield

The midfield department was well stacked last season, but it was significantly weakened during the summer window. Thiago Alcantara left for Liverpool, while Mickael Cuisance is unlikely to have a future at the club despite joining Marseille on loan. Adrian Fein also left for PSV Eindhoven on loan with an option to buy.

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Corentin Tolisso’s form has been up and down. The German Champions may decide to cash in if a big offer comes for him next summer. Marc Roca will need time to adapt to the new environment, and Javi Martinez will be leaving next summer, so Die Roten needs a midfielder that can do a good job as number six and eight. It doesn’t have to be a star name, but a young player that can fill in for Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka. Along with Roca, the new midfield recruit will provide an ample amount of cover in the midfield department.

Possible Candidates:

Renato Sanches (Lille) [Yes! Bring him back], Boubakary Soumare (Lille), Yves Bissouma (Brighton)