Bayern Munich had a very chaotic end to the summer transfer window in September. Even though all of their outfield signings have been a big success this season, they failed to fulfill Tuchel’s desire to sign a defensive midfielder.
Rekordmeister made a late move for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha. They had agreed a fee with the Premier League club. Palhinha completed the medical in Munich, but the transfer collapsed after Fulham failed to get a replacement for him. The dejected Portuguese midfielder went back to London despite doing all the photoshoots in the Bavarian colours.
Palhinha went on to sign a new deal at Fulham, but Bayern were consistently linked with him. The Bavarian club was expected to come back with a new offer for him in the winter transfer window. However, plans have changed in Munich regarding the midfield department.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern have decided against lodging a new bid for Palhinha. The Portuguese midfielder is expected to stay at Fulham. Die Roten believed that the deal to bring Palhinha to Munich would be a very expensive deal.
The Bavarian club had agreed a deal worth €65 million for him in the summer. Fulham would have requested a similar fee in January. Thomas Tuchel recently admitted that a midfielder is not the priority for Rekordmeister during the winter transfer window.
Tuchel on his priority on the market: "If you look at the lineup today, there's no shortage of central midfielders, considering Konni is still coming back and Leon played centre-back and Josh is also a midfielder. We rather need someone who can help out at right-back and who can…
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) January 6, 2024
Moreover, the emergence of Aleksandar Pavlovic has also made sure that Bayern have more options in the center of the park. The youngster has looked sublime for Die Roten whenever Tuchel has started him in the Bundesliga this season. He is expected to get more playing time during the second half of the season.
Raphael Guerreiro is also an option for Bayern in central midfield. The Portuguese defender struggled with injuries during Hinrunde. However, he played well in central midfield in December. Guerreiro may potentially play in midfield regularly during Ruckrunde.
In terms of arrivals, Bayern agreed a deal with Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday to sign Eric Dier. The English defender is already in Munich to put the final touches to the transfer. If all goes well, Dier is expected to be part of the squad for Friday’s league game against Hoffenheim.
Tuchel is also hoping to sign a new right-back before the end of the winter transfer window. Since Noussair Mazraoui will play for Morocco at AFCON, Bayern need another option in the right-back position. Paris Saint-Germain’s Nordi Mukiele is the top target for this position. The record Bundesliga champions are in talks with PSG to sign Mukiele on a loan deal until the end of the season.