The winter transfer window is set to open on Monday. Bayern Munich need reinforcements in defense to give Thomas Tuchel the best possible chance to win the Bundesliga and Champions League. The German coach may turn to one of his former players to add depth in the defensive positions.
According to Footmercato, Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel is set to hold talks with Thilo Kehrer about his availability for transfer in January. West Ham United is ready to make Kehrer available for transfer since he is no longer a first-choice option in defense for David Moyes.
Monaco and Rennes are also interested in the German defender. Bayern will become favourites to land him if their interest in Kehrer becomes concrete. The German defender can operate in full-back and center-back positions, a profile Bayern need in January when Noussair Mazraoui and Kim Min-jae are away with their national teams.
Kehrer has previously worked with Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain. He will need very little time to get used to Tuchel’s system, which makes him a very solid option for Bayern in the winter transfer window.
The German defender has more than two years left on his contract at West Ham United. He has made only four appearances for the Premier League club this season. Die Roten should look to get him on loan instead of a permanent transfer. A loan deal with an option to buy in the summer will be a smart deal for Bayern.
Tuchel and Bayern have FC Barcelona’s Ronaldo Araujo as the top target for defense, but a transfer in January has been ruled out by the player. They can pursue a deal for Araujo in the summer and bring in Kehrer as a stop-gap option for the ongoing campaign.
Kehrer needs to play regularly in the second half of the season to make a case for selection in Germany’s Euros squad. West Ham United will also get a loan fee for a player who is no longer in their current manager’s plans. It will be a win-win deal for all parties if Bayern make their interest concrete.
Bayern will resume training after the winter break on Tuesday. In an ideal scenario, Bayern have a defender in the squad for the training camp in Portugal. Apart from a defender, Tuchel is also keen on signing a defensive midfielder to bolster his midfield options. Bayern sold Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool on deadline day in the summer without replacing him.