Uli Hoeness says the Bayern Munich squad is “too big”

Per a report by Bild, Bayern Munich club President Uli Hoeness says that the club definitely need to sell a few players by the winter transfer window as the current squad is “too big.” Bayern are currently in the United States as a part of their pre-season Audi Tour without their World Cup stars, but Hoeness still feels as if the squad could use some trimming:

The squad is too big at the moment. That means we’ll have to give up one, two, [or] three players at least by Christmas, because otherwise we will have unrest. That’s why we certainly will not make big incoming transfers but rather, if possible, make fairly big transfers away from us.

There’s a number of players who’ve been linked with a potential summer move away from Bavaria in recent months. Jerome Boateng to Paris Saint-Germain, Kinglsey Coman to Arsenal (recently denied), Thiago Alcantara to Barcelona, and Arturo Vidal to Inter Milan or Manchester United have been the most heavily circulated rumors since the transfer window has officially opened. While some of those links may have more substance than others, Hoeness suggests that the club has not received any concrete offers from any of the interested clubs thus far:

I do not know whether there are concrete offers. Somebody would have had to ask us for a conversation. I can only assure you that no such conversations have taken place.

Despite the transfer rumors surrounding some of Bayern’s more valuable assets, many fans will certainly take solace in the fact that Hoeness confirmed no offers for James Rodriguez would be entertained this summer, despite rumors suggesting he might be interested in a return to Spain with Real Madrid:

He has a valid contract with us until 2019, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has already stated that we wanted to keep him.

Even with the possibility of Bayern making a few sales due to the squad being “too big,” Hoeness still feels that they possess enough talent under new manager Niko Kovac to compete on all fronts this season. Asked whether the remaining squad would be enough, Hoeness replied,

More than enough. Bayern always fights first and foremost for the German championship and the DFB-Pokal. You can’t plan plan the rest. That’s how we are also going into the new season.