Bayern Munich’s attack is blowing hot and cold in 2022/23, and with it, the discussion around whether the Bavarians need to find reinforcements in the transfers market to address Robert Lewandowski’s departure. While Lewandowski is busy collecting accolades and scoring goals apace for FC Barcelona in La Liga, his old club are still — depending on the latest result — wondering what their future looks like in attack. The big arrival from last summer’s transfer window, Sadio Mané from Liverpool, has already been moved to the left-wing on a seemingly permanent basis.
One possible solution? Classic center-forward Dušan Vlahović, the 22-year-old towering Serbian phenom who is currently toiling away at Juventus Turin (the same club that this past summer sent Matthijs de Ligt to Munich). While Juventus are languishing in eighth place in Serie A, well short of a Champions League place in the table, Vlahović won’t be a cheap commodity — and that, combined with Bayern’s (current) scoring mood, is keeping things cool, per Sky’s Florian Plettenberg.
This has caused television pundit and Erling Haaland whisperer Jan Aage Fjørtof’s eyebrows to lift into orbit, but Plettenberg holds firm in the following exchange: It is a bit curious, given recent reports suggesting that Bayern would be eager to fork out as much as €100m for Tottenham’s Harry Kane. Such a transfer would likely be well in excess of what Vlahović, recently rated around €85m on (guesswork-sourced) Transfermarkt, would require in both fee and salary.
But perhaps it’s as much an evaluation of the player as it is a matter of economics. And who knows? At this point, the Bayern bosses may be preparing to hand over a new contract to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. They probably would have rather liked to be in a situation where this conversation was not still swirling — but it is what it is, and the Rekordmeister remain a club on Striker Watch.