10 players who could join Bayern Munich in January
Stefan Bienkowski
- 8 Jan 2022 15:27 GMT
- 5 min read
Bayern Munich are on course to win the German Bundesliga yet again, with a healthy lead at the top of the table ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
They are also one of the favourites to win the Champions League, but they still may look to do business in the January transfer window.
Bayern are always shrewd negotiators in the transfer market and tend to pull the trigger on a deal if an intriguing opportunity is presented.
A number of Europe’s finest players have been linked with a move to Munich in January and some may just find themselves on a plane to the Bavarian capital in this forthcoming transfer window.
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Here are 10 players the German giants could look to sign this month.
Denis Zakaria
One of the biggest names in the Bundesliga that will certainly be making a move in one form or another is Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.
The defensive midfielder is about to enter the final six months of his contract at Borussia Park and has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, as well as a potential trip south to Munich.
Bayern are still in need of midfield cover - especially in defensive roles - and Zakaria could be an inexpensive and smart signing by the Bavarian giants.
Karim Adeyemi
Having once played for Bayern’s youth academy before being dropped and forced to rebuild his career in Austria, some may assume Karim Adeyemi would have no interest in a return to Bayern.
However, reports in Germany have suggested that the young Germany international would love nothing more than to prove himself at the club that didn’t deem him good enough as a youngster and as such, Adeyemi remains a potential long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski in Munich.
Dortmund are also interested, though.
Florian Neuhaus
Another Gladbach midfielder that could be on his way to Munich to plug some notable holes in the middle of the park is Florian Neuhaus.
Unlike Zakaria, Neuhaus is more of a deep-lying playmaker and would certainly feel right at home pulling the strings for Leroy Sane, Lewandowski & Co. to tap home on a weekly basis.
However, again unlike Zakaria, Nauhaus doesn’t have an expiring contract and any attempts to take him to Bayern in January would likely demand a sizable transfer fee for the Foals to even consider it.
Antonio Rudiger
Bayern may have signed a new central defender in the summer in the form of RB Leipzig star Dayot Upamecano, but the fact of the matter is that they probably needed another one to help deal with the departure of David Alaba and Jerome Boateng to Real Madrid and Lyon respectively.
The club may be able to find a cheap and extremely useful solution to that problem in Antonio Rudiger, whose Chelsea contract remains far from extended and as such could be tempted back to Germany if offered the right kind of deal by Bayern in the coming months.
They will need to beat Madrid to his signature, however.
Nico Schlotterbeck
Another option for Bayern’s defensive woes is none other than young and impressive Freiburg talent Nico Schlotterbeck.
Based at the heart of Christian Streich’s defensive team, Schlotterbeck has quickly established himself as one of the most promising defenders in the Bundesliga and has attracted interest from both Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.
Schlotterbeck is under a long-term contract at Freiburg but would likely cost far less in the long-run than Rudiger or other more established defenders.
Sergino Dest
Things aren’t exactly going to plan at Barcelona at the moment and as such a number of players may be considering their options ahead of the January window. One such star seems to be Sergino Dest.
According to El Nacional, the right-back has been earmarked as a potential recruit to help bolster Nagelsmann’s options on the right side of his defence and could be a relatively cheap option considering Barca’s financial woes.
Timo Werner
While Timo Werner may still be struggling for goals at Chelsea, the striker’s reputation in Germany remains intact and has for some time been touted as a potential long-term replacement for Lewandowski at Bayern.
The Germany international would likely be available at a cut-down price and as Bayern showed with Leroy Sane, they have no issues chipping in for an out-of-form Premier League star if they think they can turn his career around and get it back on track.
Reyes Cleary
Like Dortmund, Bayern make no qualms about scouting youth academies in England to snap up the stars of tomorrow before Premier League giants can even take notice. And that’s exactly what they may do with West Brom youth player Reyes Cleary.
According to the Daily Mail, the 17-year-old striker has yet to sign a professional contract with the Baggies and is being closely monitored by Newcastle United and Bayern ahead of the January window.
Florian Wirtz
Like every other Germany prodigy not currently at the club, Bayern have been linked with Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfield wonderkid Florian Wirtz.
There are many who believe that Wirtz could indeed fetch Leverkusen more than the €80 million they received for Kai Havertz from Chelsea, such as his talent.
Wirtz is a fabulous young player, but if Premier League sides make their interest known, then Bayern might just lost out in a bidding war.
Lautaro Martinez
When asked which player across European football he would sign if he was still CEO of Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge only had one name in his head: Lautaro Martinez.
“I’d try to sign Inter’s Lautaro Martinez If I were still a club director,” said Rummenigge in an interview with Tuttosport.
“Lautaro Martinez. He is very good, but since I still have a bit of Inter in my heart I have always tried not to buy Nerazzurri players.”
Indeed, the Argentine forward would be an extremely impressive long-term replacement for Lewandowski, if Bayern could afford to sign him.
