Rafael Leão, Nico Williams, Bradley Barcola and Eberechi Eze are among Bayern Munich’s potential targets after missing out on the signing of Bayer Leverkusen starlet Florian Wirtz, sources told ESPN.
Wirtz, who is currently on holiday following the UEFA Nations League finals, is set to soon complete his transfer to Liverpool, after ESPN reported last week that the Premier League champions had agreed a deal that could rise to €136 million.
The German champions had their sights set on the playmaker but suffered a setback when Wirtz told the club that he’d rather join Liverpool.
Director of sport Max Eberl and sporting director Christoph Freund, who are currently with the team at the FIFA Club World Cup, have a variety of alternative names on their list.
The German champions know that they need to add at least one difference-maker to the squad and that signing a respected Bundesliga winger such as Freiburg’s Ritsu Doan, who has attracted Bayern’s interest as a backup option for the attack, wouldn’t be enough, sources added.
Thomas Müller and Leroy Sané will leave the club following the Club World Cup. Bayern offered Sané a contract extension with a base salary of €12 million but were rejected by the German international who instead decided to join Turkish champions Galatasaray.
Kingsley Coman could also depart if Bayern receive a lucrative offer, sources said. The France winger was seemingly on his way out but, having shown no interest in a move to Saudi Arabia, there are currently no potential destinations on the horizon.
“Of course, you get the feeling that we should do something,” midfielder Joshua Kimmich said on Saturday. “Because Flo [Wirtz] does not come. Because Leroy [Sané] will be gone. Because Thomas [Müller] will be gone.”
For some time, it looked like Bayern could seriously pursue Rafael Leão but AC Milan’s high demands have cooled the Bavarians’ interest, sources said. The club were ready to pay a fee upwards of €100 million for Wirtz, but they appear to be more hesitant to invest that kind of money for another midfielder or winger.
Somewhat cheaper than Leão could be Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, who has a release clause of roughly €60 million in his contract. Williams has been seriously linked with Barcelona, and Bayern are aware of Williams’ apparent desire to join the LaLiga champions, but remain interested in case a deal falls through.
Another candidate where Bayern are in a disadvantageous position is Barcola. The 22-year-old has just won the UEFA Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain and is seemingly valued highly by manager Luis Enrique. Regardless, Eberl has contacted Barcola’s agent again in recent days to inquire whether the player could potentially be interested in leaving Paris for Bayern, sources said.
Eberl tried to acquire Barcola’s services in 2023, when Barcola was still under contract at Lyon and Eberl was director of sport at RB Leipzig. At the time, Eberl was in direct contact with the player.
But even if Barcola could imagine leaving Paris for Bayern this summer, negotiations could become difficult, and a potential deal might exceed what the German champions are willing to pay.
Eze, meanwhile is in demand after his performances with Crystal Palace and England, with ESPN reporting that he could also be a target for Manchester United.
Eberl is under increasing pressure following the events of the past few months, including the lengthy contract negotiations with Alphonso Davies and Kimmich and the failed attempt to sign Wirtz. While he is not solely responsible for Wirtz’s decision, Eberl knows that he must deliver during the transfer window.
“The transfer window is open until September 1. Plenty of water will go down the Isar — or the Ohio River,” Eberl said while in Cincinnati for Bayern’s opening Club World Cup game.
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