The current transfer window could begin a new era at Bayern Munich. The early signs suggest that there could be significant changes in the squad. Robert Lewandowski will most likely become the biggest departure at Die Roten. The Polish forward has rejected a new deal from the club as he eyes a move to FC Barcelona.
The departure of Lewandowski will bring significant changes to Bayern’s approach in the final third. The Poland international has been the focal point of the attack since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2014. If he ends up sealing a transfer in the next couple of months, Lewandowski’s record at Bayern will read a staggering 344 goals in 375 appearances across all competitions.
Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly planning life without Lewandowski. According to Sport1, Nagelsmann will be playing with a false nine instead of a traditional striker from next season if Lewandowski manages to leave the club.
The German coach will follow the path of Pep Guardiola of making the most out of the attack by using a false nine. The Spanish coach has effectively used this approach at Barcelona and Manchester City. A false nine allows the front three to be fluid, causing more problems for the opposition.
In the current Bayern squad, Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry can effectively play as false nine. Both players can drop deep to help in building attacking moves. The German duo is also good in terms of making runs in the final third.
If Nagelsmann plans to use a false nine, Bayern’s interest in Sadio Mane makes sense. He is a flexible forward that can play anywhere across the front three. The Senegalese forward has been successful for Liverpool this season in the false nine position on several occasions.
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Along with playing a false nine, Julian Nagelsmann will have to extract even more goals from wide players from next season to compensate departure of Lewandowski. The Polish striker currently guarantees at least 40 goals per season. It is going to be a monumental effort to fill the void left by him.
As things stand, Bayern is planning two signings to replace Lewandowski. Liverpool’s Sadio Mane is the top target for the Bavarian club. The Senegalese forward will operate as number nine. Along with Mane, Bayern is also working on a deal to sign VfB Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdzic. The Austrian will be a more traditional number nine, giving Bayern variety in the attack. Julian Nagelsmann will have to create the right conditions to keep the team explosive in the final third and extract more goals from all forwards.