Analysis: The transfer policy of FC Bayern Munich

The Bundesliga club has completed some exciting deals in the past seasons.

An overhaul at FC Bayern Munich was long due. But ever since the iconic duo of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben decided to move on from Bavaria at the end of 2019-20 season, it became inevitable. The squad was ageing and the Rekordmester needed some young reinforcements whilst winning the Bundesliga and doing well in Europe. Fast forward a season, the Bavarians are in good stead right now and it is mainly due to their astute scouting network and decisiveness in the transfer market.

Over the past few years, Bayern have also used the loan strategy with aplomb, loaning players like James Rodriguez from Real Madrid and Philippe Coutinho from FC Barcelona. Both have not been exceptional but have added a lot of dynamism in attack during their stay.

The transfer strategies of the German champions have been hit or miss in the recent past. Sporting Director Hasan Salihamidzic was criticised for his approach with some of the targets. While simultaneously the team was struggling to eke out results under Nico Kovac.

But with more experience, Salihamidzic (Brazzo) has learnt how to deal with these things. From missing out on Hakim Ziyech and failing to persuade Callum Hudson-Odoi, he has now brought in talents like Alphonso Davies, Chris Richards, Jamal Musiala, Sarpreet Singh, Tanguy Kouassi and lastly the big fish- Leroy Sane. Brazzo was patient in dealing with Manchester City who were reluctant to sell one of their prized assets. But he dealt the situation with maturity and understood the contract issue and what the player wanted whilst waiting for the perfect time to put the bait. They snapped the former Schalke winger for £55m, which is less than half of the asking price which the Citizens set earlier.

Bayern's Global Scouting Network

This is an area where the club has flourished a lot in recent years, the Rekordmeister have built strong scouting networks all around the world and are reaping rewards from this strategy. The Bavarians through their scouts in the Major League Soccer realized the talent in Alphonso Davies and roped him in from the Vancouver Whitecaps for €18.75m. It was a record MLS transfer fee and a lot of people raised their eyebrows in uncertainty but looking at it today, one may feel it was a great business.

Davies, since joining the club, has been a vital cog in Hansi Flick's side after shifting to left-back. The Canadian who bagged the 'Rookie of the Year' award this season, is currently valued at €45m according to Transfermarkt and at 19, that is surely going to skyrocket much higher in years to come.

The club also scouted another player from the MLS, Chris Richards who has not been at par with Davies in terms of development but the former Dallas centre back has shown great promise for Bayern II in the 3. Liga. The 18-year old defender has been monumental in his team's success this season and has attracted interest from clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea. However, the Bayern management feels that Richards has taken some big steps towards joining the first team and is currently in contention for the next season.

The attention to detail has been such that the scouts at the club have monitored several leagues across the globe along with the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup that took place in Poland. The player that impressed Bayern's scouts was New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh, who also had a breakthrough season for the Wellington Phoenix in the A-League. They had no second thoughts about the signing and Singh joined FC Bayern Munich and since then, he has featured mostly for the reserves. The 19-year old earned his first Bundesliga start this season and manager Hansi Flick believes in his abilities.

Just like the aforementioned players, the scouting team has snapped up talents like Jamal Musiala, Jeong Woo-yeong, Jan Fiete Arp, Kwasi Okyere Wriedt and Leon Dajaku for their reserves and U-19 teams. The club is providing these young players with a platform to prove themselves and earn a place in the first team.

FC Bayern Munich recently roped in another young talent in Tanguy Kouassi. The French centre back was with PSG before he decided not to extend his contract with the French champions. While there were a horde of clubs interested in him, Brazzo convinced the youngster to join the German outfit. According to various French media, the 18-year-old is considered as the next big thing in France.

Amid the global scouting, they have also brought in players from the Bundesliga like Leon Goretzka and Niklas Sule, and over the years they have been integral in the overall development and rebuilding process. This summer, Alexander Nubel has joined the club from Schalke on a free transfer. The young German custodian is considered a long term replacement for Manuel Neuer.

The Patient Strategy for Leroy Sane

FC Bayern Munich were in desperate need of wide players to carry the great legacy of Robben and Ribery. While they were successful in testing their hand with Serge Gnabry, they still needed someone who can add depth and compete with Kingsley Coman. However, Gnabry's chances at Bayern only came after he was successful in his two loan stints at Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen.

The club targeted several wingers but only were serious about Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi and finally Leroy Sane when none of the transfers materialized, Bayern, unlike others, did not press the panic button.

They looked at alternatives and brought in Ivan Perisic on loan from Inter Milan. The veteran Croatian had previous Bundesliga experience and his playing style suited the management's short term plan perfectly.

The Perisic loan move turned out decently at the end of the season as he chipped in with important performances, keeping the roster fresh for crucial matches.

While one can argue that the plan was a success only because Hansi Flick took charge and changed the dynamics and eventually inspired them to another Bundesliga title. It is partly true but Flick deserves a lot of credit for turning things around, as the Bavarians were as low as seventh on the points table when he joined. He developed a great level of understanding with his players and always brought out the best in them.

Now a season later, Bayern's game of patience has paid off as the club has signed Leroy Sane from Manchester City for a fee of around £55m.

The Setbacks

In scouting, there are a lot of uncertainties as the job is mostly based on analytics and sometimes statistics don't show the true story. A club cannot have a 100% positive ratio in this sector and Bayern weren't any different.

The last two times when Bayern broke their record transfer fee for a player, both of them have been more of a miss than hit. While it is still early to pass judgement on Lucas Hernandez, as there is no doubt in the Frenchman's abilities but his incessant injury problems are turning out to be a worrying sign for the German Giants.

Same has been the case for Corentin Tolisso, who joined the club in 2017 from Lyon for €41.5m which was then the club-record fee. The midfielder has shown glimpses of his brilliance but in these three years, he has not lived up to expectations and the promise that he once showed at Lyon. Just like his compatriot, he has also been marauded with injuries over the past three seasons.

The Future

There are rumours of David Alaba and Thiago Alcantara leaving the club for greener pastures. If it goes that way then it will be a big setback for Bayern. It is not that they do not have players to replace the duo but they have been a part of the core for years and now when the club is looking ready to challenge for the Champions League, they would not want two of their first team players to leave.

However, if it happens, there are alternatives within the team. Apart from Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich, there is Adrien Fein who is on loan at Hamburg in the 2.Bundesliga and has impressed the club officials with his consistency and work rate and may get a call up next season. He can be a long term replacement for Thiago.

While there is also the French midfielder Mickael Cuisance who joined the club from Borussia Monchengladbach and has been only a fringe player this season. Cuisance has shown that he has the technique and the skills required to succeed at this level and the club won't go too wrong with the Frenchman.

There is a lot of versatility in defence mainly with players like Benjamin Pavard, Lucas Hernandez and David Alaba who can play in multiple positions with aplomb. This season, Alaba has slotted in as a makeshift centre back and has been a metronome for the club. However, the Austrian has lost his primary left-back position to Davies and considering the big bucks that Bayern have spent on Lucas Hernandez, he is ought to feature in the starting lineup more often putting Alaba's position in jeopardy. Niklas Sule is also regaining fitness and most likely will take Jerome Boateng's first-team spot next season.

If things get even more intense, there are youngsters like Richards, Mai and Kouassi waiting for their opportunities.

All in all, after a long time, FC Bayern Munich have returned to their golden days of producing top talents. This time they are simply reaping the rewards of their shrewd scouting policies. Therefore the future looks exciting for the Rekordmeister as they finally look to carry forward their continental charge against the big boys in Europe.

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