Bayern Munich’s Champions League elimination by Paris Saint-Germain sparked an expedited interest in the club’s summer transfer plan, which has to be targeted to helping the squad get to the next level.
The Bavarians are not far away, but some tweaks are needed with personnel.
According to a report from Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), the Bavarians will focus on an left-wing to compete with Luis Díaz and a central midfielder to replace Leon Goretzka. As of now,
there is no plan to bring in a center-back, a right-back, or a backup striker:
Bayern are not planning a very busy summer. Last night’s Champions League exit does not change that. The top priority remains a ‘challenger’ for Luis Díaz at left wing. The second priority is a midfielder (#6, #8) to replace Leon Goretzka, with Kennet Eichhorn as the top target. Other positions such as centre-back, full-backs, backup striker are not a priority. Serge Gnabry is seen internally as someone that can cover the backup striker role, especially with Jamal Musiala and Lennart Karl covering the position behind the striker.
It is not as if it is a bad plan, but it might not get the team to that next level. What became obvious against PSG was that Bayern Munich needs a center-back, who can both challenge and compliment Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah. Head coach Vincent Konpany’s insistence on riding Upamecano and Tah throughout the season, ended up hurting the squad.
While Upamecano was fine vs. PSG, Tah looked overmatched, if not weary. Granted, PSG’s attack can have that effect on any center-back, but without a No.1-level third option, it will likely be the same story next spring. Bayern Munich cannot rely upon Kim Min-jae next season, despite his massive salary. The second he became okay with accepting a bench role, his worth the squad became null and void.
As for right-back, Bayern Munich could use one, but could be planning to ride out Konrad Laimer’s contract until it ends in 2027. At that point, Bayern Munich could be in a better financial position to get a top-tier player for the position.
No backup striker is one of those positions where it only matters if your starter gets hurt. Knowing how physical Harry Kane plays, it seems like a calculated risk. Can Gnabry really fill that void?
Adding a starting-level attacker and a versatile midfielder, who could be a key cog for the future are also important moves and need to be in the mix. The plan that Plettenberg revealed is not wholly suffice and does not address some of the team’s most glaring issues for next season and the long-term future.
Let’s hope there is more to come in that respect.
Song of the Week: “Feed the Tree” by Belly
After going hard for so many songs in a row and with the Bayern Munich’s loss to PSG, we need to decompress with some vintage 90s alt rock. Let’s reboot with this one, which I have not heard in quite a while. This was on a pretty consistent rotation on the legendary Philly alt-rock station 103.9 WDRE.
Released in 1993, this is part of the sound at the time. What a great period for music overall:
Entertainment Rundown
Invincible — Season 4, Full Season
Admittedly, it has been a grind to actually watch any streaming shows of late, but I did slog my way through Invincible. Let’s break this down bullet style:
- The Viltrumite War is at the forefront (and also the background) of many of these episodes and while it is the main plot point, the season still continues to deal with PTSD as its main theme. It was great to get the context this season of why the Viltrumite population was so decimated and what their end goal was. That part of the show’s storyline was actually the highlight and gave the full picture on why things were the way they were and also gave the background on Nolan’s initial motivation for coming to Earth.
- The episode involving Hell was…maybe not necessary? It felt kind of forced in and surely it is setting up a future storyline, but the timing and placement of it was odd to say the least.
- Nolan, Mark, and Oliver’s jaunt to Talescria really sets off the primary plot of the season and fully dives into it after meandering through some episodes that — while decent — felt like a little too much set (if not time killing).
- The storyline with Mark and Eve was probably meant to be something powerful, but it just did not hit for me.
- Similarly, I know the Paul storyline is supposed to really humanize the characters in the show, but, I don’t know…it feels like the show tries a little hard to mix in being a teen drama with a cartoon super hero show. Maybe it’s just my broken brain not appreciating it.
- Knowing the Viltrumites are on Earth and seeking to reproduce to rebuild their population is one of the most where you can see how conflicted the show’s heroes are. Even with the compromise in place, the specter of the virus potentially wiping out everyone loomed large over the show.
- Overall, Invincible lost a few MPH off its fastball, but it is not yet dead. Is the show past its peak? Probably, but it was a decent watch. I don’t feel like I wasted my time, but one way to gauge a show is to see how much it makes me want to watch the next episode and how excited I am for it. I would say that Invincible felt more like an obligation than entertainment at times, which is a bad sign for my long-term viewing. While it is not anywhere near as bad as the mess that The Boys has become, it still has flaws with pacing and storytelling.
Season Rating: 6.75 / 10.00
In reality, I try to watch every show to be entertained and I hate coming here to p*ss all over the stuff I am watching (I swear this is not a hater zone), but I am on a bit of a tough run with Invincible and The Boys.
Predictions
This game goes one of two ways for Bayern Munich — it comes like a machine and smashes an overmatched Wolfsburg…or it lacks motivation and scuffles its way through a lackluster match. It would be a shock and a disappointment if Bayern Munich did not maintain its focus, but a UCL elimination can have lasting effects on a team (just ask Real Madrid). That said, this is the game where we learn a little about just how tight Vincent Kompany is with this team.
Prediction: Wolfsburg 0-5 Bayern Munich
Other Bundesliga predictions:
- Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
- Hoffenheim 3-1 Werder Bremen
- FC Augsburg 2-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
- VfB Stuttgart 2-3 Bayer Leverkusen
- RB Leipzig 3-0 St. Pauli
- Hamburger SV 1-1 SC Freiburg
- FC Köln 2-2 Heidenheim
- Mainz 05 1-1 Union Berlin
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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