Despite being a center-back during his illustrious career, Vincent Kompany’s biggest question mark in his first year at Bayern Munich is at the same position. Last season, center-back went from a position of strength to a weekly head scratcher.
Partnered with Matthijs de Ligt’s departure, it’s unclear who will provide the best fit under Kompany’s leadership, but this position group will be hungry to establish its presence and find its mojo.
#3 Min-jae Kim
2023/24 Stats: 36 matches, 30 starts, 2,765 minutes, 47 tackles, 63 interceptions
Financials: €45M market value, €12M salary, 4 years remaining on contract
Origin Story: €50M transfer from Napoli in 2023
Scheme Fit: Guaranteed Starter. Before the AFC Asian Cup, Kim started his first 16 Bundesliga matches under Thomas Tuchel, yielding seven clean sheets and only a single loss. Bayern’s highest-paid defender, his second act will need to be just as productive. He provides invaluable leadership skills, physicality, and experience.
#2 Dayot Upamecano
2023/24 Stats: 33 matches, 26 starts, 2,351 minutes, 50 tackles, 27 interceptions
Financials: €45M market value, €10M salary, 2 years remaining on contract
Origin Story: €42.5M transfer from Leipzig in 2021
Scheme Fit: Starter. Upamecano will be the likely choice at starter to begin the season. His raw athleticism gives him an edge over the rest of the group, but he will need to find a way to avoid the reckless challenges and other mistakes that have plagued him. He has the highest ceiling, but will need to turn in consistent performances to lock down the second center-back spot.
#15 Eric Dier
2023/24 Stats: 20 matches, 18 starts, 1,616 minutes, tackles, interceptions
Financials: €12M market value, €5M salary, 1 year remaining on contract
Origin Story: €3.5M loan with (officially exercised) option-to-buy from Tottenham in 2024
Scheme Fit: Solid Contributor. What a steal for Bayern. After nearly a decade in London, Dier was languishing on the bench at Tottenham. A cheap loan deal brought him to Munich, and he went more than 500 minutes without being dribbled past. As the elder statesman, Dier adds great depth and will most likely yield some minutes to the young bucks, but he’ll play his role well when called upon by Kompany.
#21 Hiroki Itō
2023/24 Stats (with Stuttgart): 29 matches, 28 starts, 2,498 minutes, 19 tackles, 33 interceptions
Financials: €30M market value, undisclosed salary, 4 years remaining on contract
Origin Story: €23.5M transfer from Stuttgart in 2024
Scheme Fit: Solid Contributor. Itō was instrumental in Stuttgart’s 2nd place finish last season. He is more of a finesse player than the other center-backs, but that versatility will allow him to fill in at left-back if the situation arises. Unfortunately, he fractured his metatarsal in the pre-season friendly against Düren and will be out until October or November.
#28 Tarek Buchmann
2023/24 Stats (with Bayern U19): 21 matches, 1,654 minutes
Financials: €500K market value, €150K salary, 2 years remaining on contract
Origin Story: Academy product; promoted from FC Bayern U19 in 2023
Scheme Fit: Prospect. Last season, Buchmann dealt with a nagging injury, so he arrived early to preseason training to put in the extra work. It’s unlikely that he’ll see time this campaign, but he’s been a recurring youth player for the German national team and will continue to grow into his larger frame.
