Did Hasan Salihamidzic already know what an extraordinary summer of transfers Bayern would have? “Let yourself be surprised! We have to see what is possible and what isn’t. We have creative ideas…”, the Munich sports director replied meaningfully at the beginning of May when he was asked about potential newcomers.
Now, two months later, it is clear: Brazzo should follow his words with deeds. With the transfer of Noussair Mazraoui, Bayern have closed the construction site at right back, and in Ryan Gravenberch one of Europe’s greatest midfield talents has also been signed. The transfer of Sadio Mané, whose signing from Liverpool FC in June meant an exclamation point far beyond Germany, had even greater appeal.
However, the Senegalese is not the only top international star to come to Munich this summer. In the past few days, interest in Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus Turin has become known. The central defender is considered one of the best in his position and is set to become the new head of defense under Julian Nagelsmann next season.
In terms of transfers, it would be the second big bang by the German record champions in a short time and the final proof: Bayern are still an extremely attractive club for the big stars in the football business.
Even mega-star Cristiano Ronaldo, who wants to leave Manchester United this summer, is said to be able to imagine a move to Munich and was recently offered by his advisor Jorge Mendes to the record champions. For Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic, a commitment is not an issue. The Portuguese does not fit into the club’s philosophy and would also throw the salary structure out of balance.
The fact that even such well-known players can imagine a move to Bayern is not a matter of course. Compared to the English Premier League or the Spanish LaLiga, the Bundesliga has less appeal internationally. In addition, the Munich team, who have already finished in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in the past two years, do not pay top salaries. Nevertheless, the Bavarians continue to have a high appeal to top stars.
This is also thanks to Salihamidzic, who has sometimes been extremely criticized for his transfer policy in recent months and years. The most recent newcomers raved about the commitment of the sports director, who, according to their statement in a personal conversation, kindled the Bayern fire in the players with conspicuous frequency.
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“When Bayern showed interest, I was fascinated and didn’t have to think twice,” said Mané when he was introduced: “I also had other offers, but I chose FC Bayern, which is the right club for me.” Salihamidzic also raved about meeting the former Liverpool star. “The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed right from the start. We immediately bonded, I had a good feeling right away,” the Bosnian recently told “SportBild”.
Salihamidzic is seen as a hugely committed manager who convinces players by giving them a clear plan and perspective. This worked years ago for Alphonso Davies, who was also being courted by other top European clubs before moving to Munich. He also proved his powers of persuasion with Ryan Gravenberch.
“If you look at PSG, Manchester City and Real Madrid, they’re buying 15 players, even though they already have a squad with 40 names to choose from,” his father recently told the Telegraaf. The Munich team, on the other hand, “signs a maximum of three, four or five players in a targeted manner. These are players in whom they really invest”. This also played an important role in his son’s decision, who turned down even more lucrative offers from England and France for his move to Munich.
The sports director is said to have put his heart and soul into it again with Desire Player de Ligt – and with success. As “Sky” reports, there was a personal meeting between the player, Salihamidzic and coach Julian Nagelsmann, which left a great impression on the central defender.
According to reports, the Munich team has been the 22-year-old’s big dream since then, although a well-funded competitor from England, for example Chelsea, is also interested. The talks with the Londoners are now said to be completely on hold – because De Ligt really wants to go to Bayern.
The original of this post “Not despite, but because of Salihamidzic, Bavaria is finally a top star address again” comes from the evening newspaper.
