BFW Analysis: Matthijs de Ligt, Gleison Bremer, or Kalidou Koulibaly for Bayern Munich?

Bayern Munich has already had a decent start to the summer transfer window with their trio of signings in Noussair Mazraoui, Ryan Gravenberch, and Sadio Mane. There’s been no direct indication, either, from Bayern’s board or front office that they’re done with their business for this summer. They could yet make more signings before August 31st, and ideally, they’d want to bring in any other signings as soon as possible.

Per information from Abendzeitung (via @iMiaSanMia on Twitter), Julian Nagelsmann still sees a need for Bayern to bring in more talent to his back line. We looked into this briefly in last Monday’s Daily Schmankerl, but there is plenty to unpack.

Bayern Munich has lost Niklas Sule to Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer this summer and there is an understanding that Benjamin Pavard will now start to transition to more of a center-back’s role now that Bayern has Mazraoui in the ranks — a right-back by trade.

Specifically, Nagelsmann is looking for a center-back with good leadership qualities that can help be a commanding presence in Bayern’s back line. Lucas Hernandez could already be one of those players, but Dayot Upamecano still needs time to mold into a true defensive leader. The club hasn’t exactly filled the veteran void left behind by David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, and even Javi Martinez.

There are three names that Nagelsmann and Bayern has on the top of their defensive wish list. SSC Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Juventus’ Matthias de Ligt, and Torino’s Gleison Bremer. As it stands, De Ligt, who has already been linked with a move to Bayern in the past, would likely be too expensive right now, as he would likely cost between 70 and 80 million euros. For both Koulibaly and Bremer, they would not cost as much and, as such, either option could be more realistic than de Ligt. We do know, however, that Bayern Munich has at least made contact with Juventus to get a feel for how a deal for De Ligt might work.

Koulibaly’s contract at Napoli is set to expire next summer while Bremer’s contract at Torino is set to expire in June of 2024. While Koulibaly’s market value has been decreasing in recent years, per Transfermarkt, Bremer’s has been increasing. Because of this, Koulibaly could wind up being a cheaper option for Bayern, assuming they would want to further pursue potentially signing him. They’re both currently valuated at a little over 36-million pounds, but knowing that Koulibaly could leave Napoli on a free transfer next summer, Bayern could easily bring that to the negotiating table if they wanted to.

Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images

Who would you take for Bayern Munich?