The winter transfer market will open in a little over a month, and Bayern Munich has been connected to a number of players in recent days. Die Roten will be in action during the winter transfer window, as confirmed by Christoph Freund and Thomas Tuchel. Freund has also disclosed the main topics on which they plan to concentrate in January.
Bayern needs to sign a defender during the winter transfer window. Since Benjamin Pavard was not replaced in the summer, they only have three senior central defenders in the lineup. Due to his commitment to represent South Korea in the Asian Cup, Kim Min-jae will be absent from a number of games in January. Obtaining a center defender is necessary because Matthijs de Ligt is currently undergoing treatment.
Sky Sports in Germany had revealed Bayern’s interest in Manchester United defender Raphael Varane. The French defender has been discussed by the club hierarchy, but he is unlikely to be a financially feasible option for the Bavarian club in January. According to SportBild, Varane is currently not an option for Bayern. The Bavarian club wants to sign a defender that will be in line with their long-term plans. Moreover, Varane also earns significant wages at Manchester United, which are unlikely to be offered by Die Roten.
Along with financial reasons, Varane’s signing will not make sense from a sporting point of view. The former French international is a quality defender, but he consistently faces injury issues. Since he is 30, the injury problems may not subside, so he will not solve Die Roten’s problems in the heart of defense.
In an ideal scenario, Bayern should look to get a versatile defender. They need a defender who can play in the right-back position and provide cover in central defense. Pavard played this role to perfection, which makes his exit a major blow for Bayern.
Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu is also attracting interest from Die Roten. The 25-year-old Japanese defender can play in multiple defensive positions, which makes him a much smarter signing than Varane. However, Arsenal are not looking to sell the Japanese defender in the winter transfer window.