The first half of the Bundesliga came to an end this week. Bayern Munich ended Hinrunde with a gritty 2-1 win away at Wolfsburg. The Bavarian club made it two league wins in a row after an embarrassing 5-1 defeat away at Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday 5.
Bayern finished 2023 in second position in the Bundesliga points table. Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen remains at the top of the table with a lead of four points. The Bavarian club does have a game in hand over Leverkusen.
The defeat away at Saarbrucken in DFB Pokal is the lowest point for Bayern in the first half of the season. Apart from the early cup exit, it has been a fairly decent first half of the season for Bayern. Tuchel’s philosophy is slowly and steadily more visible on the pitch as Die Roten score goals for fun. They have also regained resilience on the pitch, which has helped them to grind out results when they are not at their best.
Despite good results, Bayern urgently needs to strengthen the squad in the winter transfer window. Tuchel and sporting director Christoph Freund will work on transfers during the winter break. While talking to the media this week (via iMiaSanMia), Tuchel admitted that he would like Bayern to sign two players in January.
“Maybe we'll need two players, or if it's someone that can play several positions, then maybe one would be enough if we are spared injuries. There's also the Asian and African Cups. If Korea reach the final, Minjae would only be back a day or two before the Champions League game.”
Tuchel is aware of the difficulties clubs face to get top targets in the winter transfer window. The German coach is cautiously optimistic about improving the squad in January. Freund had also previously insisted that the winter transfer window would be eventful.
Bayern are primarily looking to strengthen the defense in January. As things stand, Tuchel will only have Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano as senior center-back options in January. The Bavarian club didn’t replace Benjamin Pavard in the summer, which has led to a lack of numbers in central defense.
In an ideal scenario, Bayern ends up signing a defender who can play in central defense and right-back position. Noussair Mazraoui is currently out injured, but he has not been completely ruled out by Morocco for the AFCON. If he ends up going for the AFCON, Bayern will need cover in the right-back position.
Apart from a versatile defender, Bayern may also explore the possibility of signing a defensive midfielder. The Bavarian club came close to signing Joao Palhinha in the summer. It remains to be seen if a move for the Portuguese midfielder will be revived in January.