The future of Matthijs de Ligt has locked two giants of European football in negotiations at the moment as Bayern Munich attempt to sign the Juventus center back. He’s also been a target of Chelsea, linked so strongly that several names have been mentioned as a possible pieces in a phenomenal potential swap deal.
But this article isn’t about the southwest London club, but the German giants and the busy transfer window that they have had, in terms of both incomings and outgoings.
OUTGOINGS AT BAYERN
Bayern’s transfer window began with the bombshell news that Polish goal machine Robert Lewandowski intended to leave the club. With just one year remaining on his contract, he nominated Barcelona as his destination of choice. That saga has continued to rumble on throughout the transfer window.
It has been an acrimonious split, with barbs being traded in the media between the two parties. Bayern seems determined to make Lewandowski see out his contract, whereas the player seems to have no intention of returning to the Allianz Arena.
In other outgoings, this summer, both Niklas Süle and Corentin Tolisso both left the club on free transfers. Sule joined rivals Borussia Dortmund, whilst Tolisso returned to France to play for Lyon.
Spanish defensive midfielder Marc Roca swapped the Bundesliga for the Premier League.
The 25-year-old was sold by Die Roten to Leeds United for €12 million.
Bayern might not be finished with outgoings at the club. Rumors suggest USA international Chris Richards is on his way out of the club. He is allegedly a target for Premier League side Southampton.
INCOMINGS FOR BAYERN
It hasn’t been just one-way traffic for the German juggernauts. Bayern Munich got their incoming business done early in the transfer window. Ajax duo Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazaraoui both swapped the Johan Cruijff Arena for the Allianz Arena.
They signed the pair with one eye on the future. Ryan Gravenberch has big wraps on him, however, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Dutchman is in and around the first-team squad this season.
Of course, one of the biggest deals completed this window was the transfer of Sadio Mane from Liverpool to Germany. The German club did some shrewd business, signing the Senegalese for just €32 million.
If you want to read more about this deal, we have covered this deal extensively here and here at The Sports Bank.
NAGELSMAN LOOKING TO SHORE UP DEFENSE
Bayern has bolstered their attack by the signing of world-class attacker Sadio Mane. They have signed a future prospect at right-back in Noussair Mazaraoui. Along with those two signings, they have improved their midfield stocks with one of the hottest properties on the planet in Ryan Gravenberch. For most clubs, that would be enough business for one transfer window.
Bayern Munich is not like most clubs.
After signing Dayot Upamecano last summer, the Germans are now looking to secure their defense for the next ten years. In the sights of Bayern Munich is one of the best young center backs in world football, Matthijs de Ligt. Rumors surrounding this deal have been swirling all off-season. Those rumors have gone to the next level in the last 24 hours after our favorite transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, dropped a bombshell.
Romano informed his nearly 10 million Twitter followers that Bayern director, Hasan Salihamidži?, was heading to Turin to thrash out a deal with Juventus. The news didn’t stop there. Soon afterward he confirmed that personal terms with the player had been agreed and a fee around €60 million was proposed.
Juventus rejected that fee, but Bayern will not give up.
Media spotted Hasan Salihamidži? at the airport in Turin and asked about the De Ligt deal. With a wry smile, he had this to say:
“We will see, I can’t say anything about the Matthijs de Ligt deal. Optimism? We’re always optimistic”.
We expect the two giants of European football to return to the negotiating table next week. Bayern will hope this round of negotiations will see Matthijs de Ligt make the move from Turin to Munich.
Stuart Kavanagh is a sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is the co-host of the ‘After Extra Time’ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.