Karl-Heinz Rummenigge outlines Bayern Munich’s upcoming transfer plans

With several players at Bayern Munich approaching the final year of their contracts, there’s a lot for the front office to ponder in this summer’s transfer window. In a recent interview with Münchner Merkur (via kicker), Karl-Heinz Rummenigge roughly outlined Bayern’s plans for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Manuel Neuer, Javi Martinez, Thiago Alcantara, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, and Thomas Muller all have contracts that expire in 2021, so the club needs to decide what they want to do with them. Figuring out the contract situations for those veteran players that have been with the club for quite some time, Rummenigge said, will be a top priority this summer:

We have some players who still have a year and a half on their contract. The first thing we will do is have talks. These players have done great service for FC Bayern — regardless whether it is David Alaba, Thiago, Jerome Boateng, Javi Martinez, Thomas Müller, or Manuel Neuer. Of course will conduct talks with these players with great sensitivity before we make any decisions.

For each player, the case is different. Neuer has already voiced his unwillingness to share playing time with new signing Alexander Nübel, and Boateng has been unhappy with his role for the past season and a half. For Müller, Alaba, Thiago, and Javi Martinez, the club really needs to decide what the future hold for the four players — if there is, in fact, a future for all of them at the club.

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It’s no secret that Bayern wants to sign Leroy Sané and Kai Havertz this summer. In light of the high transfer fees and wages that both players would require, it is more than likely to be a record-breaking summer for the Bavarians if both transfers materialize. But Rummenigge said that Bayern does not want to set any transfer records in the current market if they don’t have to:

It is not in FC Bayern’s interest to set a new record. But there is no transfer market just for FC Bayern, but rather a transfer market for all soccer. And we know from experience that this transfer market knows only one direction with respect to prices and pace: up. What I am much more concerned about than the development of transfer fees is the development of wages. It is dizzying.

Naturally, Rummenigge was specifically asked about Sané, who per the Manchester Evening News has just resumed full team training. Ostensibly out of respect for Sané’s current contract with Manchester City, Rummenigge declined to comment directly on the matter. His statement was diplomatic in the extreme:

Should we, in principle, still have interest — which I will not rule out — we will first speak with the club to create a friendly atmosphere for discussion.

Photo by Tom Flathers/Manchester City FC via Getty Images