The last few weeks have highlighted the need for a striker for Bayern Munich. They created chances against Manchester City in both legs of the Champions League quarter-final but didn’t have a number nine to finish those promising moves. A similar trend has been observed in most games under Thomas Tuchel over the past few weeks.
Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and President Herbert Hainer have confirmed that a number nine will likely be signed in the summer. The Bavarian club wants to get a player that can guarantee 35-40 goals like Robert Lewandowski did for eight seasons.
The market for a number nine in the summer is intriguing. The quality options will not be cheap while promising younger players will also command a significant fee. Bayern has been strongly linked with a few prolific strikers in Europe, but they are reportedly exploring several options ahead of the transfer window.
According to Bild, Bayern chiefs are set to hold talks with Thomas Tuchel six weeks later to discuss summer signings, particularly the arrival of a new number nine. Napoli’s Victor Osimhen tops the list for Die Roten, but the Bavarian is looking at several options for this position.
Herbert Hainer confirms Bayern will go for a striker this summer: "It was obvious we didn't have a #9 who would change things up front. You can assume that we'll strengthen our squad to be able to compete in the league and Champions League"
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 19, 2023
Bild has also confirmed that Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund, and Frankfurt’s Randall Kolo Muani are other strikers on the shortlist for Bayern. The likes of Niclas Fullkrug and Dusan Vlahovic are not on Bayern’s radar for this role as of now.
Kane has been heavily linked with a move to Bavaria throughout the summer. The English forward has just over 12 months left on his current deal. He is yet to sign a new contract, which does give hope to Bayern. However, they will face intense competition from Manchester United for his signing.
Hojlund and Kolo Muani have enjoyed very productive campaigns with Atalanta and Frankfurt, respectively. Both strikers have several years left on their contracts, so Atalanta and Frankfurt are in a good position to demand a significant transfer fee. Both young strikers are attracting interest from several clubs across Europe.
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The most likely signing for Bayern at this point is Victor Osimhen, but he will cost something close to €130-140 million. Napoli is known for being tough negotiators, so Die Roten has their job cut out to secure Osimhen’s signing. Other options on the list are also expensive, and the likelihood of them happening is much slimmer than the signing of Osimhen.