For sports director Hasan Salihamidzic (45), the headwind will now be much stronger.
After the embarrassing end against Villarreal in the premier class (0: 1, 1: 1), his transfer policy is more than ever in the criticism.
This season showed again clearly: most of his purchases brought nothing. Players like Roca, Sarr, Richards or Sabitzer don’t help Bayern any further, and they were far too expensive for that. The so-called second row is too weak.
Significant in the Villarreal second leg: With Gnabry, Bayern only had a real offensive star on the bench, plus an ailing Choupo-Moting (after Corona and a knee bruise). Not enough if you want to go to the semifinals!
Coach Julian Nagelsmann (34) has long been worried that Bayern will lose touch with the top European teams. He has already mentioned several times internally that the squad lacks quality across the board. During the winter break, he publicly wished for new stars for the first time.
Immediately after the humiliation on Tuesday evening, he renewed his concern: “FC Bayern’s claim will remain the same next year. It is important that you put in what you want to come out on the other side. And if the claim is the same, then we will have to look around (on the transfer market; editor’s note) – like other top clubs.
A very clear announcement from the trainer: Brazzo and the bosses have to go full throttle on the transfer market if you want to play for the handle pot!
The team was hardly strengthened last summer. Even top-expensive purchase Upamecano (for 42.5 million euros from Leipzig) still needs time. And in the new season, after Alaba last year, Bayern loses the next defensive star free of charge in Süle (to BVB).
Salihamidzic urgently needs to deliver a cracker transfer. With the current top candidates from Ajax, six-man talent Ryan Gravenberch (19/transfer of around 28 million euros plus bonus payments) and right-back Noussair Mazraoui (24/free transfer), it is not certain whether they are immediate reinforcements…
