The Bayern Munich first-team squad’s lack of depth has been a theme throughout the first half of the 2023/24 season. In particular, the defence has been adversely affected by the lack of quality options to choose from. As has been pointed out in the past, that is especially true for the right back and centre back positions. If the team are going to successfully defend their Bundesliga crown and reach the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League, they need reinforcements in this month’s transfer window. That is even more the case with the African and Asian championships about to start and thus leaving the club without the services of Noussair Mazraoui and Min-jae Kim respectively for the time being.
Bayern Munich’s Depth Issues
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The Centre Back Position
Kim has largely been playing alongside Dayot Upamecano in these spots. Last season’s standout defender Matthijs de Ligt has struggled with injuries and lack of form throughout the first half of this term. The team will need to be able to rely on the Dutchman, especially now that the South Korean is out on international duty. Regardless of that, having only three players to cover two centre-back positions is borderline reckless. Leon Goretzka has of course also helped out in that position as a last-resort backup, but that simply isn’t his natural role.
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The biggest reason for this problematic situation is the lack of a new generation of leadership within the Bayern board. With new sporting director Christoph Freund just joining Bayern days before the summer transfer window closed, the club had designated a transfer taskforce to deal with the side’s comings and goings instead. Due to the lack of a cohesive plan in that group, they not only sanctioned the departures of Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard, but they also loaned out the young, defensive allrounder Josip Stanisic for the season beforehand, believing that they would be able to keep Pavard. There are rumours in the German press about Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur joining the Bavarians to perhaps fill this gap.
The Right Back Position
Bayern’s depth is at least just as lacking at the right-back spot as it is at the centre of defence. Mazraoui has largely been playing there this season, with Konrad Laimer being a good, though the only backup in that position.
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The Austrian international is generally utilised as a holding midfielder but has instead found himself being used as a defensive reinforcement. The fiasco surrounding the Stanisic loan and the subsequent sale of Pavard are relevant here too, as both players tend to do well on the right if needed.
Concluding Thoughts
Bayern’s squad would have probably still lacked depth even if it wasn’t for the bad luck they have had with injuries, not to mention the absences due to international duty. Given the situation as it is, the club surely must act in this window, as difficult as it may be to find Bayern-quality players in mid-season.
