transfer coup
Mané to FC Bayern – it will be uncomfortable for some stars
Sadio Mané will change the hierarchy at Bayern Munich
© Phil Noble / DPA
FC Bayern managed a transfer coup with attacker Sadio Mané. Should Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry stay in Munich, coach Julian Nagelsmann will have to manage a tough competition.
One should congratulate FC Bayern: With the signing of attacker Sadio Mané from Liverpool FC, the German record champions have achieved a real transfer coup. Mané is a superstar, his sporting quality is beyond all doubt and he is an asset to the Bundesliga. He shouldn’t have any problems getting used to Bayern. Mané has spoken German well since his time at RB Salzburg, knows the region and is said to like Germany, as the football magazine “Kicker” writes.
That was certainly one of the reasons why Mané and Bayern quickly came to an agreement, while the clubs needed several rounds of negotiations. It was finally agreed on a transfer fee of 32 million euros plus later bonus payments of a maximum of nine million euros. Mané’s salary should be in the top group of Bayern professionals and the contract has a term of three years.
Sadio Mané is the central transfer of FC Bayern
For sports director Hasan Salihamidzic and CEO Oliver Kahn, it is the central transfer of Bayern this summer. After both had to take a lot of criticism within the club, but also from the media and ex-professionals in recent months, they have now delivered impressive proof of their work.
Allegations that Salihamidzic and Kahn would be too cold and impersonal with the Bayern pros and not give them enough warmth will fade into the background in view of the outshining Mané transfer. And the claim that the players would run away from Bayern (Süle’s move to BVB, Robert Lewandowski’s request for a change, expiring contract with Gnabry) can no longer be maintained.
So everything is great at FCB? Not quite. Because the new superstar will shake up the hierarchy in the Bayern offensive. And it doesn’t automatically mean farewell to Robert Lewandowski, who would like to go straight to FC Barcelona. Mané’s strengths are less in the central attacking position, as is the case with Poland, and more in the position as a hanging point or as a winger. From this point of view, he was brought in more as a passer for Lewandowski to raise the Bayern offensive back to the highest level. As a successor to world footballer Lewandowski, Mané is only suitable to a limited extent, even if the scenario is not ruled out.
Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané have new competition
Bayern’s offensive stuttered badly in the second half of the season. Professionals like Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané played under form, things didn’t go well for Kingsley Coman either and Thomas Müller’s passes found their way to the record scorer less and less often. Lewandowski complained internally that he was no longer getting enough balls, and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer urged the squad to be strengthened when he extended his contract. That’s what happened. The result will be increased competition, which may force Gnabry’s departure.
So Salihamidzic’s work is far from over. In addition to the open construction sites Lewandowski and Gnabry, there are a few others that are not so important: what happens to Marcel Sabitzer and Buona Sarr?. In addition to Mané, the additions of full-back Noussair Mazraoui and midfield talent Ryan Gravenberch are fixed, Marc Roca and Fiete Arp have said goodbye, both played little or no role.
For coach Julian Nagelsmann, the situation is initially pleasant. He gets a significant boost on offense but has to manage the competition depending on what the team finally looks like. Of course, that’s the normal business of every coach, but if Gnabry stayed, he would have to make painful decisions. Nagelsmann, one mustn’t forget that, is under a lot of pressure himself before his second season as Bayern coach. In the Champions League in particular, he has to deliver results, which means he can’t afford another quarter-final elimination like last season.
Sources: “table football“, “Southgerman newspaper“, Sky sports.