Where does Bayern Munich need reinforcement in the squad? Part 1 — The Attack

All this movement in the transfer window has seen players come and go, but sometimes these players can’t fill in the gaps left behind by their predecessors. That made us wonder, “Does Bayern Munich have the players for the positions that need replacements?” In this three-part series, we go through each part of the team and see what needs to be done or what can be done. We will discuss what places need reinforcement, which players can be the reinforcement (current players first, then transfer targets), and the solution we think will be the most ideal.

Notes:

1. Some players will appear in two categories because they are versatile enough to play in both areas.

2. The formation to be used is the 4-2-3-1.

3. Youth players aren’t included because they are relatively unproven, and because the article might be too long. Instead, feel free to suggest in the comments which youth players should be included.

---

The Attack

Let’s begin the series at the top of the team, the attackers. Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry are showing no signs of relenting, so we decided not to include them. The players that fall in this category are Thomas Müller, Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, and newcomer Sadio Mané.

Obviously, the most glaring hole is the striker position left behind by Lewandowski, who has been linked to FC Barcelona. Replacing a 60 G+A striker is no easy feat, and if the person to be replaced happens to be someone like Lewandowski, the job just got way harder. The club is already looking around for his replacement, and the most notable one will be discussed later.

---

Replacements (Current Players)

Photo by Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images

The club already has a couple of players that can play in the middle, whether as the main striker or as a False #9/CAM behind the striker. Let’s see who we’ve got:

---

Sadio Mané

Photo by S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images

The newly minted Bayern player from Liverpool has excited fans and pundits alike (well, maybe not all pundits) who are eager to see him in action. The Senegalese mainly plays as a Left Winger, but can also play on the other side or up top as a Striker or Second Striker (False 9. In some cases, the CAM).

---

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

Photo by M. Donato/FC Bayern via Getty Images

A fan favorite at the club and the best back-up striker in the world, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has proven that he is a dependable back-up to Lewandowski. “Choupo” can play as the striker or drop down and become a CAM or CF; he has good hold-up play, a decent dribble, and stands at a respectable 6’ 3” or 1.91 meters which means he can head in crosses.

---

Thomas Müller

Photo by Thomas Hiermayer/vi/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

The Bayern legend and the bane of Barcelona’s existence, it’s none other than Thomas Müller. Normally a CAM, Müller is another player who can chip in to fill up the Lewandowski sized hole in the team. The self-proclaimed Raumdeuter and his specialty of finding and exploiting spaces is a valuable asset that Bayern simply can’t do without. Müller is also a pressing machine and makes the whole team functional. Müller has experienced playing further up than he normally does and can theoretically play there. The downside of making Müller the Striker is that you lose his creativity, coupled with the fact that he works best playing behind someone. Probably not worth the sacrifice.

---

Replacements (Transfer Targets)

Saša Kalajdžić

Photo by Roland Krivec/vi/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

The player that Bayern have been after for some time. Standing at 6’ 7” or a whopping 2 meters (!), the towering Austrian target man from VfB Stuttgart has been the club’s most sought-after replacement for Lewandowski. Although the club wants Kalajdžić to be the new striker up top, things have cooled down and talks have turned to silence. What was at one point an almost guaranteed transfer became a doubt. Will we ever see Kalajdžić in Bavarian red soon?

---

Wingers

Photo by Julian Finney / UEFA / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The wingers are pretty much set in stone: Mané and Coman are guaranteed starters, while Sané and Musiala are there to rotate with them (if Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann ever does so).

---

Most ideal situation

We believe that the most ideal situation would be to play a front three of Mané and Coman on the wings (they can switch over) and have a proper striker up front, which means someone like Kalajdžić is needed. Müller will resume his usual activity playing behind Kalajdžić.

---

That wraps up Part 1 of this series. Thank you very much for reading, and now we want to hear it from you. Do you agree with our assessment? Have we missed someone? Would you suggest something else? Let us know in the comments! Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series!