Bayern Munich are the most successful club in Germany. They are the record Bundesliga champions and have also had a fair amount of success in the champions league. But the Bavarian giants are currently not in good form. They are struggling in Bundesliga as they sit at the 5th place in the league while in the champions league, they have shown vulnerability too.
The new coach, Niko Kovac, has come under fire in recent weeks. After the frustrating 3-3 draw against Fortuna Dusseldorf, the pressure mounted more on Niko Kovac. However, a strong showing in the champions league game against Benfica would definitely have boost up his confidence. While the coach is getting his share of criticism, the players are also blamed by the fans for their poor performance on the pitch.
Bayern might make a heavy investment in their squad for next season as many players are in the last year of their contract and might leave Bayern. Here we take a look at the 5 players Bayern could sign for next season.
#5 Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey will be a free agent next summer if he does not sign with Arsenal. Many clubs are fighting for his signature. Non-English clubs like Bayern can get him in January while the English clubs will have to wait till the summer to get his services.
The Arsenal midfielder is great at passing and link up play. He is very comfortable with the ball at his feet and has a great knack for goals. However, he is injury prone and has remained on the sidelines for a long period of time.
Despite having a plethora of midfielders at their disposal, Bayern could still go after Ramsey as they will be able to get a fantastic player for free.
#4 Benjamin Pavard
A report from Bild claimed that Bayern Munich will most likely sign Benjamin Pavard next season for a sum of 35m euro. However, Pavard himself declined that no such deal has taken place. But there is a strong possibility that he might end up at Bayern next year as Pavard is exactly the kind of player that the German champions are looking for.
The world cup winner had a fantastic year with both his club and country. His performances in the world cup especially garnered the attention of everyone. He eventually won the world cup with France and also scored the goal of the tournament.
Pavard is a central defender who can also play as a right back, as he did with his national team in the world cup. He is only 22 years of age and has a very bright future ahead of him.
#3 Timo Werner
Bayern Munich has an extraordinary striker in Robert Lewandowski. The Polish international has the task of scoring plenty of goals for Bayern and he is fantastic in doing that. However, just like many players on the team, Robert Lewandowski has turned 30 and Bayern are looking for a long-term replacement for him. Enter, Timo Werner.
Werner has quickly become one of the most feared strikers in Germany. He is currently plying his trade at RB Leipzig but has been under the radar for most of the top European clubs and might be looking for a transfer away from the club in order to make his name.
The German striker is very clinical in his finishing and moves at a rapid speed with the ball. He uses his pace to beat defenders and is also good at dribbling. Werner can also play on the wings.
#2 Matthjis de Ligt
Bayern plays a dominant style of football, they start the attack from the back. The defenders play very high up the pitch and often contributes in goals or assists. However, this also results in many counterattacks which the team has to deal with. Bayern has world class defenders in Hummels and Boateng, but they have started to slow down and as a result, Bayern's defense has been leaky in recent times.
Bayern Munich signed Niklas Sule from Hoffenheim last summer and he has been a fantastic signing for the team but with the recent dip in the performances of Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels, Bayern is looking for center back options to pair with Sule.
Matthjis de Ligt is a young central defender and plays for Ajax. He is only 18 years old but is a very mature defender. He is fast and strong and is good in the air. De Ligt has a very hefty price tag but if he might be the answer to Bayern's poor defensive form.
#1 James Rodriguez
In an unexpected move, Bayern Munich signed James Rodriguez from Real Madrid in the summer of 2016 on a 2-year loan deal with an option to buy. The Colombian international came to Bayern with very high expectancy and settled in very quickly. He soon became one of the most lethal creative midfielders in Bundesliga and finished the first season with a bang.
However, the 2018-19 season has not been very good for both James and Bayern. James has often struggled to make the starting XI for the team as the coach Niko Kovac has preferred to rotate his squad in order to keep the players from injury.
James is currently injured and is vying to make his comeback. Bayern can buy him for 42m Euro next summer before he goes back to Madrid. He is still 27 years of age and is in his prime. There is a very high chance that he will keep playing in the Allianz Arena beyond this year.