Bayern Munich have enjoyed a fine defensive record in the Bundesliga this season. They have conceded 15 goals in 18 league games. Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae hae have forged a formidable partnership in the heart of defense. The center-back pairing has defended well individually and collectively for Bayern this season.
However, Die Roten don’t have depth in central defense this season since Hiroki Ito has struggled with injuries. Ito is yet to make his competitive debut for Bayern since arriving from VfB Stuttgart in the summer.
Eric Dier has been the fourth-choice center-back for Bayern this season. He has made a handful of starts for Die Roten. It looks certain that the English defender will leave Bavaria at the end of the campaign on a free transfer.
Ito may come good later in the season, but Bayern will have to strengthen their defensive options in the summer to have a squad competing on all fronts. The Bavarian club has identified two players to strengthen the defense in the summer.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern are keenly following Ousmane Diomande (Sporting Lisbon) and Christian Mosquera (Valencia). The interest in Diomande is more concrete and he sits ahead of Mosquera in the list of transfer targets. Die Roten have inquired about Diomande to know the conditions of a potential transfer. The Ivory Coast defender has been linked with Bayern in the past.
Considering the two names revealed by Sky Sports, it does look like Bayern are planning to sign a young center-back instead of established central defenders. It makes perfect sense since all other center-backs in the squad are at the peak of their careers.
Contract extension of Davies gives Bayern more scope for spending in other defensive areas
Bayern's long-term squad planning received a significant boost earlier this week. The Bavarian club is close to reaching an agreement over a long-term contract with Alphonso Davies. There are still things to iron out, but Davies have never been so close to signing a new deal in the last 18 months.
Since Davies will sign a new deal, Bayern will not have to spend big money on a left-back in the summer. They had identified AC Milan's Theo Hernandez as a replacement for Davies. With the money saved on the left-back front, Bayern can divert the allocated funds to a center-back signing. It would be a big surprise if Die Roten doesn't sign a central defender in the summer.