Bayern Munich found a breakthrough in talks with Bayer Leverkusen for the early release of Jonathan Tah. The German defender has already completed a free transfer to Bayern, but his contract at Leverkusen was ending on June 30. Die Roten have agreed a fee with Leverkusen, allowing Tah to play at the Club World Cup, which starts on June 15 for the German Champions.
Vincent Kompany will be relieved to see Tah available for selection in the Club World Cup. The Belgian coach has limited options in the heart of defense due to injuries. Tah can slot in the defense straightaway and play alongside Josip Stanisic in the game against Auckland City on June 15.
Bayern have not completely closed the door to further additions in central defense this summer. According to L’Equipe (via iMiaSanMia), Bayern have shown interest in Burnley defender Maxime Esteve. The 23-year-old defender has been one of the standout performers for Burnley as they got promoted back to the Premier League. Vincent Kompany rates him highly, as he has worked closely with the young defender during his time at Burnley.
Die Roten will consider a move for Esteve only if they manage to part ways with Kim Min-jae. The South Korean defender is facing an uncertain future in Munich after a difficult second half of the season.
The Bundesliga champions will face competition from the likes of Crystal Palace and Everton for the signing of Esteve.
Bayern may move for another center-back late in the window
The Bavarian club is not expected to make a move for the center-back in the coming days. Max Eberl and Christoph Freund are currently focusing on strengthening the attack for next season. Meanwhile, Kim Min-jae is expected to travel with the squad to the USA for the Club World Cup despite concerns over his fitness.
The opportunity to sign a center-back may come up later in the window. It is a matter of balancing the books in this position for Die Roten. If they get an offer for Kim Min-jae, they will quickly accelerate to sign a replacement.
It remains to be seen if Esteve will be available in the transfer market late in the transfer window. Nevertheless, it looks certain that Bayern will look to sign a young center-back if they decide to sign one more defender this summer.
The next few weeks will be dominated by Bayern’s search for a new winger. They want to add more quality on the left flank since Kingsley Coman is expected to leave this summer and Leroy Sane is yet to sign a new deal.