Bayern Munich’s Disappointing Performance at the Club World Championship
Although the competition may not be of great interest to many football fans in Germany, Bayern Munich’s loss against Paris Saint Germain in the quarter-finals is a disappointment, especially since it represents another defeat against a top European club. In the Champions League last season, the German champion lost to Aston Villa, Feyenoord, and Inter Milan. Bayern lost to Benfica at the Club World Championship before bowing out to PSG.
The Impact of Jamal Musiala’s Injury
Jamal Musiala’s serious injury during the match against Paris Saint Germain came as a shock, and he will be out for months after suffering an ankle injury following a collision with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite this, Bayern were winning against the latest Champions League winners, but in the last third, there was a lack of flair, and Harry Kane did not come into play. Musiala’s long-term absence means that head coach Vincent Kompany will be missing a central figure in his system.
Financial Boost from the Club World Championship
At least Bayern’s trip to America was a financial boost, with the team earning around €53 million (62 million US dollars), which will be added to their account.
The Consequences of Musiala’s Injury for Bayern Munich
Musiala’s injury makes Bayern’s unsuccessful attempts to lure Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz to Munich even more significant. Wirtz chose to join Premier League champions Liverpool instead, which sets the lack of willingness to extend the contract of attacker and club legend Thomas Müller in a different light. Sports director Max Eberl will now strengthen the campaign for Stuttgart’s 23-year-old German attacker Nick Woltemade, the top scorer at the recent European Championship U23.
Bayern Munich’s Struggles with Transfers
So far, the current transfer window has been less than ideal for Eberl. After the failure to extend Leroy Sané’s contract, which has since signed for Galatasaray, reinforcements are required, especially on the left side of the attack. Wirtz was the preferred candidate, but the German midfield star said Bayern that he wanted to leave the Bundesliga and go to the Premier League, and in his opinion, Liverpool was one of the top three clubs in the world.
Transfer Targets and Challenges
After Wirtz, the club would have liked to sign Spanish winger Nico Williams, but he extended his contract with Athletic Bilbao. The transfer fee that Bilbao had in mind would have probably been too high for Bayern, and the player might have preferred to move to Barcelona. The attempt to bring Rafael Leao from AC Milan to Munich did not come to fruition, reportedly because the player was too expensive and not everyone at Bayern was convinced of his qualities.
The Future of Bayern Munich’s Transfer Strategy
Other candidates, such as Bradley Barcola from PSG and Luiz Diaz from Liverpool, have shown willingness to move to Munich, but their clubs have rejected a transfer. This leaves Woltemade as an option, but Stuttgart is reportedly asking for a transfer fee of up to 100 million euros, which has prompted Eberl to question whether Woltemade is worth it. There are also questions about whether the young striker is ready for Bayern after just one good season in Stuttgart.
The Pressure on the Management Team
The conclusion is that Eberl continues to appear empty-handed and cannot strengthen the squad as needed. So far, he has only signed central defender Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen and 19-year-old midfielder Tom Bishop from Hoffenheim. The sports director is under pressure because the board of directors instructed him to achieve outstanding additions to the squad and to generate significant income through sales. However, he has been unable to achieve this, as shown by Sané’s free transfer to Galatasaray.
The Decision-Making Process at Bayern Munich
It is also unclear how much decision-making power Eberl actually has, since he has been repeatedly thwarted in contract negotiations by CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen. In the case of Müller, the club legend and former President Uli Hoeneß publicly contradicted Eberl, highlighting the challenges faced by the management team in making key decisions. For Coach Kompany, the focus will be on achieving success with the team on the field in his second season, despite the challenges posed by the transfer window and the pressure from the management team.
