Bayern Munich sporting directors Christoph Freund and Max Eberl have been busy this summer making drastic changes to improve the squad while also being tasked with cutting the wage bill by roughly 25%. It’s still unclear if they duo will be able to succeed but they’ve certainly made positive strides.
In June, Bayern flew under the radar and quietly stole Hiroki Itō from Stuttgart for a relatively cheap fee (€23.5M). In July, Bayern doubled down and acquired French winger Michael Olise, who has already shown very promising returns. Four days later, Bayern ended the João Palhinha saga that stretched back to last summer.
In a Bundesliga interview (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern captain Manuel Neuer acknowledged that “Palhinha is very communicative and he tries to be very present on the pitch. He always wants the ball and is constantly on the move. I’m very intrigued about what he will give us. We have very high expectations because he is a strong player and has proven himself in the Portugal national team and also in the Premier League. It was definitely a good transfer for us.”
Neuer also expects that “Itō will come back stronger and we will then definitely be able to count on him.”
It’s fantastic to hear high praise for the two newcomers from the team captain. The team’s cohesiveness seems to be accelerated this summer under new manager, Vincent Kompany. Hopefully this leads to a new streak of Bundesliga titles.
Poll
Which Bayern Munich signing are you most excited about?
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27%
João Palhinha
(45 votes)
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9%
Vincent Kompany
(16 votes)
164 votes total
Vote Now
Looking for more thoughts on Bayern Munich’s transfer window, plus our takes on Manuel Neuer’s retirement from the German national team? What about some predictions on how Bayern Munich will do this season? Great, then check out our Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
