Despite already signing Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez, Bayern was linked with yet another centerback Ozan Kabak. With Hummels’ departure to Borussia Dortmund and Jerome Boateng’s likely exit, it does seem like Bayern need another centerback in order to acquire depth in their defense.

Bayern has been linked with both Mathijs De Ligt and Ozan Kabak. Today the latter joined Schalke 04 while the former is reportedly only a signature away from signing for Juventus. Schalke 04’s head of sport Jochen Schneider confirmed that the Royal Blues had to compete against other clubs for the 19-year-old Turk’s signature:

“We are delighted to secure the signing of one of the current biggest young talents in Europe. Despite interest from several other noteworthy clubs, Ozan Kabak has opted to join us. Head coach David Wagner and technical director Michael Reschke deserve a lot of credit in convincing Ozan that joining FC Schalke 04 was the right step for him to take.”

Expectations for Kabak will be high in Gelsenkirchen, as he was the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season during the 2018-19 season. An impressive accomplishment considering he played for a team that got relegated, and he only joined Stuttgart this January. Despite only playing 15 games for Stuttgart, Kabak managed to score three goals.

BFW Analysis:

I can understand why Kabak decided to join Schalke instead of Bayern. As a 19-year-old, playing time is the most important thing, something that would not have been guaranteed in Munich. With new coach David Wagner, Kabak will most likely be a starter for the team and can develop even further.

Whether Bayern needed him is also debatable in my opinion. Bayern already has signed two talented, yet, not fully developed centerbacks this transfer window. I think it would be for the best to focus on developing both Pavard and Hernandez, while maybe signing another more experienced centerback who has no problem sitting on the bench.