On Friday night, reigning German and European champions Bayern Munich kickstarted their 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign with an emphatic 8-0 win over FC Schalke. The Bavarians were utterly dominant against the Royal Blues, who struggled to find their footing and produced a dismal defensive performance throughout the course of ninety minutes.
However, Hansi Flick will not be happy with his side’s depth, following the departure of a few key players including Thiago Alcantara. In this article, we will discuss three areas Bayern Munich need to strengthen this summer despite a promising start to the Bundesliga this season.
Central Midfielder
Among all the other departures, the sale of Thiago has raised a lot of eyebrows this week. The Spaniard was one of Bayern’s key players throughout the past seven years, but his transfer to Liverpool now creates a massive void in the midfield department.
At the moment, Bayern Munich have two surefire midfield starters in Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka. However, other options include Corentin Tolisso, who hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations due to injuries while Javi Martinez likely has no future under Flick. The young Michael Cuisance may also struggle to make a breakthrough into the starting lineup, leaving FCB with just two reliable options.
That is where the arrival of an experienced central midfielder could come in handy. Bayern have been linked with Marcelo Brozovic earlier this summer, and the Inter Milan star might not be a bad option given his pedigree at the highest level of football. Alternatively, the Bavarians could also go for PSG’s Idrissa Gueye.
Winger
The departure of both Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho, following the end of their respective loan spells, has now put Flick in a delicate situation. Not to mention, Bayern have also shipped young prodigy Oliver Batista-Meier on loan to Heerenveen.
The addition of Manchester City ace Leroy Sane has added real quality into the side. But, aside from him, FCB have only two other wide-attacking options in Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman, with the latter often struggling with injuries.
Therefore, the Bundesliga champions must look for a new winger this summer, in order to provide cover for the expected starting duo of Gnabry and Sane, much like what Perisic and Coutinho did last season.
Bayern Munich have reportedly revived their interest in Callum Hudson-Odoi in recent weeks. So it will be interesting to see whether or not the Chelsea starlet could finally make his move to Bavaria this summer.
Right-Back
It was always going to be a close call between a striker and a right-back due to multiple reasons.
Bayern Munich still have a potential alternative for Robert Lewandowski in Joshua Zirkzee. However, they will have no such options available when it comes to finding an alternative for right-back Benjamin Pavard, especially following the return of Alvaro Odriozola to Real Madrid.
Kimmich is always an option at RB, but him shifting into a defensive role could leave Bayern Munich vulnerable in midfield, even if the club signs a new central midfielder. So the best option for Flick is to invest in a right-back.
The German champions have already been linked with a move for US international Sergino Dest while Arsenal superstar Hector Bellerin also became a hot topic earlier this summer. Dest, in particular, could be a massive coup for Flick.
