Bayern Munich are currently weakest in the central defense department. The quality of central defenders is not in question, but they have limited personnel in this position. Kim Min-jae, Matthijs de Ligt, and Dayot Upamecano are quality defenders. However, De Ligt and Upamecano had injury problems this season, which has left Bayern short in the heart of defense.
De Ligt is still on the sidelines, nursing a knee injury. The Dutch defender is not expected to play again this year. Meanwhile, Kim Min-jae will not be available for selection in January since he will be playing for South Korea in the Asian Cup. In such a scenario, Bayern are expected to sign a defender in the winter transfer window.
Along with keeping tabs on defenders across different leagues, Bayern are also closely following the situation of one Bundesliga defender. According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern are keeping a close eye on VfB Stuttgart’s Waldemar Anton. The Bavarian club has been impressed by Anton’s performances.
A move for Anton is not imminent, but he could become an interesting option in January. His current deal at Stuttgart comes to an end in 2025. Stuttgart wants to extend his contract. The German defender is also settled in Stuttgart.
Anton is a versatile defender who can play in central defense and right-back positions. The German defender will be an ideal replacement for Benjamin Pavard. The French defender provided quality and depth in two positions for the last four years. He parted ways with Die Roten in the summer to join Inter Milan. Bayern’s failure to replace Pavard in the summer has caused problems for them this season.
Sky Sports in Germany also reported Die Roten’s interest in FC Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan defender can also play in two positions, but Barcelona are not interested in selling him anytime soon. Araujo is expected to sign a new deal at Barcelona sooner rather than later.
Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu is also a potential target for Die Roten. However, a move for the Japanese defender in January is looking unlikely. Manchester United’s Raphael Varane has also been linked with a move to Munich, but his wage demands and age rule him out as a target for Die Roten.
The next few weeks will give more clarity on Die Roten’s plans for a new defender in the winter transfer window. Along with a versatile defender, Rekordmeister are also looking to sign a defensive midfielder in January.