Grades for business done by Bayern Munich in summer
After enduring a trophyless last season, major changes were targeted over the 2024 summer transfer window at Bayern Munich. Although the planned squad overhaul didn’t quite turn out as expected, Bayern bosses- Max Eberl and Christoph Freund- did manage to make some significant personnel changes which, on the surface, strengthened the squad in every department.
Whilst Bayern chiefs managed to do an excellent job in securing important loan deals for younger players to get more top-level playing time and experience at various clubs, they weren’t quite as successful in terms of offloading a few senior players to make room for further additions. However, that scenario has resulted in the Rekordmeister starting the 2024/25 season with a very deep squad.
After the end of transfer windows across Europe, it is the right time to grade the work done by Bayern in the summer. There were three major acquisitions over the summer along with three major departures. To begin the grading, we first look at the acquisitions.
Arrivals
Hiroki Ito (Defender)- Grade A
The signing of Hiroki Ito from VfB Stuttgart to bolster the defensive department has been described as shrewd business and possibly even being the best piece of business that Bayern Munich did over the summer.
Despite the 25-year-old Japanese defender suffering an unfortunate injury during pre-season which has so far prevented him from suiting up for a competitive match, opinions have not changed. Ito was acquired from Stuttgart at the beginning of July for €30 million when Die Roten decided to trigger his release clause.
Upon his return from injury, if he can replicate his performances from last season which helped Stuttgart finish second in the table, whilst conceding just 39 goals, then he could be considered a successful signing. The naturally left-footed defender can operate proficiently as either a center-back or a left-back. With Bayern showing early season fragility in defense, along with the uncertainty over the future of Alphonso Davies, Ito’s signing can potentially be A+ by end of the season.