Bayern Munich spent this summer £129.15m on new players and brought in some talented players for the future, but also men who should help them immediately in this season. However, the team of Niko Kovač currently sit in the third position behind Borussia Monchengladbach and VfL Wolfsburg. Besides, four other teams also have 14 points, but Bayern is ahead of them due to their good goal difference.
We will now look at the six signings which the Bavarians made in the last transfer window and examine how they performed so far in the first seven Bundesliga games.
Philippe Coutinho
It’s questionable if Bayern have bought him when they would have been able to get Leroy Sané. Since this move was short notice as Sané got injured, the Brazilian is just on loan at Bayern but they have the option to buy him at the end of this campaign. This will depend on his performances in this season. However, Coutinho never really fit in at Barcelona and wasn’t able to perform on such a high level as he did when he played for Liverpool.
One of the main reasons for that was likely, that he had to play on the left-wing in Barcelona’s 4-3-3 although he prefers to be an offensive midfielder. Kovač seemingly knows that and considering this, Coutinho was in all of his six appearances in this season the number 10 behind Robert Lewandowski.
The Brazilian was in four of the seven Bundesliga games in the starting eleven and got substituted in twice. He already scored twice and also provided two assists what is a nice record. It’s noticeable that he still needs some more time to settle in, but that he feels way more comfortable in the offensive midfield. We’ll have to wait if he can continue to perform like this or if he can even get back on his old level and become more important for Bayern.
Lucas Hernández
The Frenchman is one of the most promising players in world football. He is just 23 years old, but already made 110 appearances for Atletico Madrid and was part of the French squad which won the FIFA World Cup in 2018. In the light of this, he is still young and has certainly the best time of his career ahead, but already gained a lot of experience. Due to that, it seems as it was the right moment for him to join the German champions.
One of Hernández’s greatest strengths is his versatility since he can play as a centre-back, but also as a left-back. He has the physical strength to be part of the central defence, but also the speed to play as a full-back. He played in this season in five games and was each time part of the starting eleven. He didn’t play in the remaining games due to little injuries. However, in these five games, he was three times the left-back and in two games Kovač lined him up as a centre-back.
He showed in every game a good and solid performance even though he can surely be better when he doesn’t have to fight against little injuries. Considering this, there’s surely more to come and he’ll be very important for the Bavarians over the next few years.
Benjamin Pavard
It’s almost the same case for Pavard. He’s a 23-year old Frenchman who won the FIFA World Cup last year and can play as a centre-back or full-back, however, he prefers to be the right-back. With Niklas Süle and the two Frenchmen, Kovač has got three defenders who are already on a high level, but none of these three is older than 24. Considering this, Bayern’s defence could become within the next years one of the best in European club football.
Pavard was in every single minute in the Bundesliga on the pitch. He was five times the right-back, in one game he played as a centre-back and in one came he was the left-back. The great benefit when he plays as right-back is that then Joshua Kimmich can play in the central midfield in front of the back four.
The Frenchman already scored and assisted respectively once. Besides, he already settled in well and showed that he immediately can help Bayern with his qualities. Although it’s the same as for Hernández that he surely will develop his skills in the future and become even more important for the Bavarians.
Ivan Perišić
The Croat already played in the Bundesliga between 2011 and 2104 for Borussia Dortmund and VfL Wolfsburg. He joined Bayern in the last transfer window on loan from Inter and it’s in this case also questionable what would have happened, if Bayern would have been able to buy Sané. Anyways, with Perišić they have now a third winger in the squad besides Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman.
This allows Kovač to rotate more and give one of the three wingers a break. Besides, the 30-year old already showed good performances in this season as he played 220 minutes and scored in this time two times and provided one assist. In the light of this, until now it worked out as Bayern probably planned it since because of him Gnabry or Coman could have a break and when he played, he showed good performances.
Mickaël Cuisance
The move of Cuisance was probably one of the strangest in this year’s transfer window. He left Borussia Monchengladbach and joined Bayern. As the Manager of Gladbach, Max Eberl told the press, Cuisance wanted more time on the pitch and the Frenchman wasn’t happy anymore at Gladbach. Due to that, he moved to Bayern, but it was already back then questionable if he would play much at Bayern.
And until now it’s exactly how it was expected. The 20-year old got subbed on two times and was combined 30 minutes on the pitch. He’s surely a great talent, but it’s questionable if this was the right transfer for him since a young player as he is needs time on the pitch to develop their skills. We’ll have to wait and see how he’ll develop and if he can help his new club in the near future.
Fiete Arp
Nobody expected from the young German striker to help his new club in this season since he’s just 19 years old. The goal of this transfer was to have in a few seasons a player who can be the back-up for Lewandowski or even replace the Pole. In this season, Arp was once on the bench and in the other games not even in the squad due to illness or an injury. It’s too early to rate the move of Arp to Bayern since the 19-years old will need more time to settle in at the German champions.
