Bayern Munich hold talks with Borussia Dortmund defender
After winning the Bundesliga title, the focus turns to the transfer window for Bayern Munich. The Bavarian club will look to strengthen the squad that will help them to compete on all fronts under Thomas Tuchel next season. The key positions for Bayern as of now are holding midfielder and striker.
In terms of departures, Bayern is parting ways with Joao Cancelo early in this window. They have decided against taking up the option to sign him permanently for €70 million. Cancelo is expected to leave Manchester City permanently in the summer, but he is unlikely to make a return to Bavaria. Arsenal and Barcelona are much better placed than Rekordmeister to sign Cancelo.
It does look like Die Roten has identified another Portuguese full-back to replace Cancelo in the squad. According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Bayern held talks with Raphael Guerreiro in the past few weeks. The Portuguese full-back is leaving Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer.
The talks with Bayern have been productive, but it remains to be seen if the new management will continue to pursue the signing of Guerreiro. The 29-year-old left-back had rejected a contract from Dortmund and confirmed his departure on Sunday.
Guerreiro will be a value-for-money signing for Die Roten. He has been the standout left-back in Europe this season. The Portuguese defender scored six goals for Dortmund across all competitions this season. In terms of creativity, Guerreiro ended the season with 13 assists for Dortmund.
Along with being a standout left-back, Guerreiro also provides versatility. He can play in the left midfield role, and if needed, he can operate on the left flank. The Portuguese defender cleverly uses his pace and crossing to create chaos in the final third. The former Dortmund full-back is also a threat on set-pieces.
Guerreiro will not eat up the transfer budget for Bayern this summer. He will provide strong competition to Alphonso Davies and tactical flexibility to Thomas Tuchel. Moreover, he has experience of playing in the Bundesliga. It will be a win-win situation for all parties, as Guerreiro also gets the opportunity to win the Bundesliga if he seals a move to Die Roten.
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The next few days will give more clarity on Bayern’s transfer targets for the summer. They have already completed one transfer. Konrad Laimer will arrive from RB Leipzig on a free transfer in June. It remains to be seen if Laimer will be the only free agent that Die Roten ends up signing this summer.