Bayern Munich were expected to be busy in January to strengthen the squad for Ruckrunde. They have struggled to land first-choice targets as clubs are reluctant to lose key players midway through the season. Courtesy of the difficult nature of the winter market, Bayern have to settle for short-term targets. The Bavarian club has strengthened central defense by signing Eric Dier from Tottenham Hotspur.
After the signing of Dier, Bayern are focussing on signing a new right-back to provide cover and competition for Noussair Mazraoui. The record Bundesliga champions have identified Paris Saint-Germain’s Nordi Mukiele as the top target for this position. However, negotiations with the French club for a loan deal have been far from straightforward.
Bayern are also exploring other options since time is running out in the winter transfer. According to Sky Sport Italy’s Gianluca Di Marzio, Bayern are interested in signing Kieran Trippier from Newcastle United to strengthen the right-back position.
Sky Sports in Germany and The Athletic have also confirmed Die Roten’s interest in Trippier. Newcastle United may have to reluctantly sell their senior right-back to strengthen their squad with new signings. They need to sell to buy players in order to comply with the financial fair play rules in the Premier League.
Trippier has been one of the best right-backs in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons. Along with contributing at both ends of the pitch, Trippier is also good at taking set-pieces. The 33-year-old defender will add a lot of experience to Bayern’s squad.
The former Tottenham Hotspur defender will most likely take up this challenge since he has previously left England to play for Atletico Madrid in Spain. Trippier also has been pivotal for the English national team in the past three big tournaments, making him a valuable player to have in the squad.
Despite the pros of signing Trippier, it is a very short-term expensive signing. Newcastle United will only entertain permanent offers, so a loan deal is not possible. Die Roten will have to pay a fee for an ageing full-back and submit a good contract offer for the player to leave Premier League.
As things stand, Konrad Laimer is playing in the right-back position since Mazraoui is away with Morocco at the AFCON. The Austrian midfielder has done a decent job in the right-back role. However, Bayern miss a much more natural right-back than Laimer in some games. Thomas Tuchel would like the Bavarian club to eventually strengthen the position in the next ten days.