Jurgen Klinsmann anticipated Bayern Munich would need a replacement for Robert Lewandowski

His tenure as Bayern Munich manager earlier in his career might not have been covered in glory, but Jurgen Klinsmann’s name is synonymous with German football. He was in Washington DC for Bayern’s Audi Summer Tour and spoke to Transfermarkt about the tactical changes he anticipates for Bayern this upcoming season as well as the club’s striker search.

(Editor’s note: Klinsmann’s statements were prior to the news of a Mathys Tel transfer breaking.)

Klinsmann for his part never doubted Bayern’s sincerity in their pursuit of another striker. Despite Julian Nagelsmann having previously said he plans on using both Serge Gnabry and Sadio Mane as center forwards this season to make up for the loss of Robert Lewandowski, he fully expected Bayern to make a play for another nine.

“It will be a little bit of a tactical change for Bayern. I think over the next couple months, or so they will observe the market and perhaps bring in a no. 9, even just as a backup even if Nagelsmann is a coach, like many of the younger generations, who likes to play without a true center-forward. Ultimately, they will be able to solve it. But we will all miss Lewandowski. I am pretty sure they will sign a new number 9 in the next couple of weeks,” Klinsmann explained.

Of course, 17-year-old Mathys Tel is now on his way from Stade Rennais, though his younger age and inexperience would suggest that he would not be thrust into Bayern’s starting eleven, and could even be a candidate to get loaned out elsewhere for a season or two.

Despite a relatively sour taste to Lewandowski’s departure to Barcelona, Klinsmann feels the the Polish international’s move was justified in the sense that it was his last chance to try to experience something outside of Germany and the Bundesliga. For that, he has a lot of sympathy for Lewandowski’s decision to leave Bayern for La Liga in this transfer window.

“Lewandowski proved himself and delivered every year. And there might be a moment in which you say, you know, give me another crazy experience. I am running out of time here; I am 33, and what if I could play for another top club in Europe? So now he gets that experience,” Klinsmann remarked.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane has even been linked with a potential move to Bayern, more so for next summer as opposed to this summer. Even still, it’s hard to imagine Kane deciding to leave the Premier League limelight for Bayern, but Klinsmann sees it as an avenue for the England captain to win some silverware — including maybe a Champions League trophy? — before his career starts to diminish.

“Harry has that situation where he says: ‘I want to win the World Cup in Qatar, and I got to win something with Spurs. This year is decisive for him; otherwise, you never build that confidence level. But going to Germany would definitely give him that opportunity right away. But I think the way I see it from the outside, he committed now. He went through all this last year [when he was linked to Manchester City], and then came the commitment from Conte, and they had a strong year. This upcoming season they have a point to prove. I doubt he would move right before Qatar,” he explained.