Bayern Munich has been hit with a myriad of injuries and illness. The defensive unit in particular has suffered the biggest blow with five absentees, including Dayot Upamecano, Konrad Laimer, Josip Stanišić, Raphaël Guerreiro and Sacha Boey. To make matters even worse, Bayern will travel to Eindhoven to take on PSV without Kim Min-jae, who received a one match suspension after his red card against Union Saint-Gilloise—taking the tally of unavailable defenders to six.
Considering Bayern’s latest injury
crisis, one would think the German champions would be tempted to dip into the transfer market, which closes at 8pm CET on Monday, 2 February. However, in contrast, Bayern Munich Board Member for Sport, Max Eberl, is prioritizing the “internal transfer” opposed to external recruitment.
Eberl touched on the matter in an interview with Sport Bild when questioned about the potential signing of 26-year-old Nico Schlotterbeck from rivals, Borussia Dortmund.
“I don’t have much to say about that,” eluded Eberl (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “I’ve always said that the ‘internal transfer’ [extension] of Dayot is our absolute priority, in addition to Serge, with whom we’d like to extend as well. Those are our priorities right now. As for everything else, that would be the second step – we’re not thinking about it right now.”
One can appreciate the leg-work put in to extend the contracts of Upamecano, Gnabry and even Harry Kane—if rumors are to be believed. However, football is dynamic and priorities change. Bayern’s situation has changed drastically. The Bavarian outfit could certainly do with a defensive reinforcement. Besides, majority of the work required to extend Upamecano and Gnabry has been done. All that’s left is for the players to accept or reject the offer. Although, if Bayern do bolster the back line with a signing, how do they manage the roster congestion when everyone is fit? Such are the complexities of football.
It remains to be seen how Eberl and Bayern navigate the rest of the transfer window, but to anyone holding thumbs for an incoming transfer, prepare to be disappointed.
