Hasan Salihamidzic remains under pressure at Bayern Munich
Ahead of a crucial summer transfer window, the spotlight at Bayern Munich will be on Hasan Salihamidzic. The former Bayern midfielder has a lot of work to do as there are major doubts over the future of star forwards- Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry. The latest murmurs in the German media have also raised questions over the future of Salihamidzic.
According to SportBild, Bayern chiefs are not happy with the recent work done by Salihamidzic in the transfer market. The reported failed late approaches for Antonio Rudiger and Nico Schlotterbeck have not gone down well with the club hierarchy. Rudiger ended up joining Real Madrid, while Schlotterbeck sealed a move to Borussia Dortmund.
Rudiger was heavily linked with a move to Bavaria at the start of the season, but the German defender’s wage demands scuppered a move. Meanwhile, Schlotterbeck was also linked with Die Roten after enjoying a good season with Freiburg. Die Roten needs a center-back to sign Niklas Sule, who is set to join Borussia Dortmund in the summer on a free transfer.
Previously, it was reported in Germany that Salihamidzic made a last-ditch attempt to sign Rudiger after the Champions League defeat against Villarreal. However, the interest in Schlotterbeck never looked concrete, so the report from SportBild can be taken with a pinch of salt.
As things stand, Julian Nagelsmann wants an experienced center-back to fill the void left by Sule. The Bavarian club has lately not been linked with any center-back, so it remains to be seen how Salihamidzic plans to address this situation.
Hasan Salihamidzic also faces a big test in resolving the future of Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker has publicly confirmed his desire to leave Bavaria in the summer. Lewandowski is eyeing a move to Barcelona. Salihamidzic has shut down the transfer talk by saying that Lewandowski will have to honour his contract that expires in 2023.
The former Bayern midfielder is currently holding talks with the representatives of Sasa Kalajdzic. The 25-year-old striker from Stuttgart could partly replace Lewandowski. Salihamidzic is also reportedly eyeing an ambitious move for Liverpool’s Sadio Mane. If Die Roten manages to pull off these two signings, then Lewandowski might leave in the summer.
Next. Will history repeat with Robert Lewandowski?. dark
Want your voice heard? Join the Bayern Strikes team!
Apart from sorting the situation of Lewandowski, Hasan Salihamidzic also needs to resolve the future of Serge Gnabry. The German winger has only one year left on his contract. He may have to be sold in the summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal. In terms of positives, Salihamidzic is close to completing deals for Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch. The former Bayern midfielder retains support from Uli Hoeness and Herbert Hainer, so his future at the club is not completely under threat. However, he needs a strong summer window to win over fans and other chiefs at the club.