How Bayern might look if they sign Man Utd target and Tottenham hitman
With reports suggesting that Bayern Munich have made their interest in Tottenham’s Harry Kane clear by submitting a bid of €70m plus add-ons for England’s all time top scorer and having secured the signatures of; Konrad Laimer, from RB Leipzig and Raphael Guerreiro, from rivals Borussia Dortmund, both on free tranfsers; we take a look at how the Bavarians could start the 2023/24 season.
Manuel Neuer faced a massive setback in the 2022/23 season after breaking his leg whilst skiing and was forced to sit out the second half of the season. The Bavarians were forced to bring in Yann Sommer from Borussia Monchengladbach to fill the void for the 19 league games on the way to their 33rd title.
However, Neuer is close to recovery now and will be fit and ready to go come the start of the next season and with him contracted to Bayern until the end of June 2024 you would expect him to return as Tuchel’s number one.
At Right-Back, Bayern are likely to stick with Benjamin Pavard and why wouldn’t they after his performance last season? Not only did he feature in the Bundesliga Team of the Season but he was also present in Europe’s Top 5 League’s XI.
He is a versatile defender which Tuchel can deploy at both Right Back and Centre Back without concern and the Frenchman ranked as the third highest rated defender in Europe, whilst also ranking fourth in the Bundesliga last season for passes (2232).
The first potential newbie is Kim Min-Jae with the Napoli man reportedly on his way to the Allianz Arena. He has been a beast at the back for the Serie A champions and has caught the attention of a few European sides, including Manchester United, but looks set to join Bayern.
Of all outfield players to register 3000+ mins in Europe's Top 5 Leagues last season, Kim Min-Jae was dribbled past (4) the fewest number of times. On average last season Kim Min-Jae was dribbled past every 763.8 minutes in Serie A, he will be a very shrewd signing and a great addition to an already astute defensive line.
Completing the Centre-Back partnership is Matthijs De Ligt. The Dutchman joined Bayern last summer and has been a staple for them having played in all bar three games in the Bundesliga last season.
He proved pivotal throughout the season and was a mainstay in the strongest defense in the league only conceding on 38 occasions. He also ranked highest of any Bayern player in the league for clearances (80) and shots blocked (20).
Alphonso Davies will likely keep the left-back spot in this side despite the arrival of Raphael Guerreiro, and with a rating of 7.14 last season it’s hard to argue. Throughout last season he demonstrated his competence at the back, and also going forward, ranking sixth in the league for successful dribbles (70) and metric topped by Jude Bellingham (86).
This Bayern side wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of Joshua Kimmich. He finished the season as Bayern Munich’s highest rated player with a rating of 7.47 which, in the Bundesliga, could only be topped by Jude Bellingham.
He demonstrated throughout last season that he is an animal in the midfield; ranking fifth in the league for successful tackles (78) and topping the charts for possession won in the attacking third (38) and thanks to that, his place in this side is pretty secure.
Goretzka finished the season with the lowest rating of any player in this XI with 6.89 which just goes to show the strength of this team. Throughout the campaign, he showed his ability to break up play and be a nuisance in the middle of the park last season, with no other Bayern player blocking more passes, in the league, than Leon Goretzka (37). He also chipped in with three goals and provided two assists from midfield.
Another new arrival for Bayern is Raphael Guerreiro who has made the jump from Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer. This is an exciting signing for Tuchel’s side with the Portuguese international providing more assists, with a total of 12, than any other player in the Bundesliga last season.
He spent the majority of the season playing at left back but he has proven his versatility by playing in midfield in a handful of games last season. Tuchel could well look to utilise him a little further forward, particularly with his record of three goals and four assists in the six league games he started last season in Midfield.
The first of a front three is Kingsley Coman who continues his streak of winning a league title every season as a professional. However, the season just gone was the 27-year-old’s most prolific so far with a total of eight goals and five assists. He also picked up four man of the match awards which is at least double the amount that he has received in any previous season.
Bayern are blessed with a few options out wide with the likes of Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane available but Coman has proven last season that he is the man for the job and is most likely to get the nod come the start of the season.
Kane had another stellar season in an underperforming Tottenham side in the Premier League last season. The England hitman bagged 30 goals and became only the second player in Premier League history to score 30+ on more than one occasion. If Bayern can secure the signing of the Englishman then you can be sure he will score goals for The Bavarians as they hunt down their 34th Bundesliga title and their twelfth in a row.
Completing the strikeforce is Jamal Musiala. The youngster had his best season on record in 2022/23, scoring 12 goals, a total only Serge Gnabry could top, and providing 10 assists, more than any other Bayern player. He is an exciting talent and will likely have another big season for Bayern in 2023/24.
