Vincent Kompany is now the new manager of Bayern Munich and he is ready to hit the ground running, looking to improve upon the club’s underwhelming 2023/24 campaign under Thomas Tuchel. Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund has said that a busy summer transfer window can be expected for the club, and no time has been wasted in terms of the transfer rumors already churning up for the Rekordmeister.
In the latest round of rumors, it is now understood that there is a chance Joshua Zirkzee could make a return to the club in what would also be a reunion with Kompany, as per Sport1’s Christopher Michael (via @iMiaSanMia). The striker worked under the Belgian manager during his tenure with RSC Anderlecht in the Belgian Pro League. That was Zirkzee’s second loan destination after Bayern had initially loaned him out to Parma in Italy.
The young striker is currently with Bologna in Serie A and he played a massive role in helping the club qualify for the Champions League under manager Thiago Motta. He tallied a total of 12 goals and seven assists en route to the club qualifying for Europe’s most prestigious club competition for the first time since 1964, when they had won the Scudetto. His performances this season have not gone unnoticed, either, as both Juventus and AC Milan have shown a keen interest in wanting to sign the Dutchman during this summer’s transfer window, but Kompany’s arrival at Bayern has thrown a spanner in the works for those plans from the Italian giants.
While VfB Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy has been one of Bayern’s striker targets for this summer, Sport1’s Christopher Michael suggests that Zirkzee is a prime target for them, and not just to be predominantly a backup to Harry Kane. Kompany has often used a system that deploys two out-right strikers and Zirkzee could, in theory, wind up lining up alongside the England skipper if and when Kompany would utilize such a system. Bayern could also sign Zirkzee for a fee of around €20-25m and also attach a sell-on clause so that they could see some financial return if he winds up getting offloaded elsewhere.
With the player’s current delight in Serie A, Kompany and Bayern’s front office will be tasked with trying to convince the player to make a return to Munich if they get really serious about signing him this summer. The young striker might not want to disrupt the good he has going for himself with Bologna, but the prospect of working under Kompany again could have bear massive weight in his decision-making process.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s hiring of Vincent Kompany, the front office fallout, the expected roster turnover, and which players might have one eye on how things are going at FC Barcelona? Good — then we have you covered with our latest edition of the Weekend Warm-up Podcast! Check it out on Spotify or below: