Hasan Salihamidzic delighted to have Daley Blind join Bayern Munich

Earlier this week and out of the blue, Bayern Munich announced the signing of Dutch international Daley Blind from AFC Ajax on a free transfer.

The move adds some much-needed defensive depth to the squad. Lucas Hernandez is out long-term due to suffering his ACL tear at the World Cup with France and Noussair Mazraoui has also been diagnosed with pericardium inflammation and it is not yet clear how long he will be out for. Blind brings experience and versatility to Die Roten.

“We’re delighted that Daley is joining our team. Daley is a versatile defender, capable of playing on the left or in the center,” said club sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidzic — often the chief architect behind Bayern’s transfers — via the club’s official web site. . “He has great international experience and leadership qualities. I’m sure he’ll help us.”

During his playing career with separate tenures at Ajax, Manchester United and FC Gronigen, Blind has collected a total of 7 Eredivisie titles, 2 Dutch cups, 1 FA Cup, 1 Carabaro Cup, 1 UEFA Europa League title, and a UEFA Super Cup. At the international level, Blind was also apart of the Dutch squads that finished as the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League runners-up and third at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He was also named Dutch Footballer of the Year back in 2014 when he was playing with Ajax and then Manchester United.

Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images

With Blind, Bayern has added a player that’s got experience on the biggest of stages both in club and international football. He’s also got the ability to play as a left back, center back, right back, or even as a central defensive midfielder. That versatility could be worth his weight in gold for manager Julian Nagelsmann in terms of the adaptable depth he adds to the squad. With Bayern having a match every 3-4 days for most of the Ruckrunde across all three fronts, Nagelsmann will need all of the depth he can get in every department of the pitch.