Choupo-Moting picked Bayern to win the Champions League and turned down an offer from PSG

Bayern Munich introduced forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting at a press conference today alongside fellow newcomer Bouna Sarr and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic (FCBayern.com, Sport1). The Hamburg native is excited to be a part of the reigning Champions League winner.

“I’m super happy,” he said. Bayern contacted my agents, everything went very quickly. It is a great honor to play for such a great club.”

Valuable depth

Choupo-Moting showed that he is perfectly at peace his role as an option at forward behind Robert Lewandowski that provides depth in a brutally dense schedule. “I think to have the greatest amount of success possible, you need a deep squad.”

“We had very fierce competition up front in Paris. In my opinion, Robert Lewandowski is the best striker in the world, but no striker can play every game. I’m confident enough to say that I can help the team with my qualities,” he said.

Salihamidzic added, alluding to Choupo-Moting’s heroics against Atalanta, “We saw in Lisbon how important Maxim can be. I know from first hand experience how important it is to have many good strikers. We need many good offensive players and we know what a good guy Maxim is.”

Why Bayern?

The decision to sign with Bayern Munich hinged in part on Choupo-Moting’s positive conversation with head coach Hansi Flick. “Of course there were talks with the coach,” Choupo-Moting said. “He indicated clearly to me that he’d be happy if I came. We’re not talking about a direct role. Everyone knows that FC Bayern has Lewandowski up front. But with the schedule, every player is important. The coach signaled that there would be minutes.”

Bayern was not the only club interested in signing Choupo-Moting. “I’ll be honest, there were other inquiries — including very interesting ones,” he said. “But when I heard from FC Bayern, it was clear. That was a great honor, the reigning Champions League winner.”

Choupo-Moting revealed he had even tipped Bayern to win it all before the knockout round: “I talked with the boys at PSG and even told Neymar that Bayern was my favorite.”

Choupo-Moting declined an offer from PSG

Although reports have stated that PSG declined to offer Choupo-Moting a new contract, he stated that he in fact declined: “Paris wanted me to say — but I didn’t accept.”

One reporter noted that Choupo-Moting has never cost a penny in transfer fees. Does that bother him? “It was never a big deal for me. I’m just happy to be here,” he said.

It is definitely PSG’s loss. In a profile about him, SZ describes Choupo as the “social glue” in their locker room. He is close friends with Neymar and also on excellent terms with Kylian Mbappé. An anonymous source in their locker room said, “He gets along with everyone. He’s stayed a Hamburg youth, but he speaks several languages and has the easiness of a many of the world.”

A happy guy with roots in Hamburg

“It’s not important to me that everyone thinks great things about me,” Choupo-Moting said about himself. “I’m a happy-go-lucky guy, and you can never forget where you come from. You have to have joy in your life, and I’d like to share that with people. I’m very proud to be where I am now.”

Choupo-Moting is returning to Germany after several years abroad in the United Kingdom and France. “I always wanted to come back to Germany. I’m a Hamburg boy, now I’m in Munich. It’s a very pretty city,” he said. “It wasn’t that I absolutely had to play for Bayern in my childhood. But now it’s super, Munich is a super city, and Bayern is a super club. I’m proud to be here.”

Many believe that Choupo-Moting may soon receive his first start in a Bayern jersey on Thursday, when Bayern takes on FC Düren on Thursday. “The coach has not yet told me whether I’ll play. You have to wait for the first week of training, but I’d be thrilled to play my first game,” he said.

Me too, Choupo.