All or nothing: Bayern have allowed their pursuit of Harry Kane to derail their summer transfer window

Bayern Munich begin the 2023/24 season in four days. The summer has come and gone, the transfer window has rumbled on and the unexpected Bundesliga title win is merely a speck on the horizon. Like Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon, Thomas Tuchel’s side will take to the Allianz Arena pitch on Saturday to face RB Leipzig knowing that there will be no turning back. 

This, of course, is due to the perspective that the new season brings. The summer off-season amply provides a degree of comfort and down time. Transfer rumours can drift from website to website, fans can mull over fixture lists without much care and press conferences are jovial matters before or after meaningless friendlies. But the prospect of competitive football has a habit of sharpening the senses and demanding that training regimes increase in intensity, team tactics are finalised and transfer business is concluded. This, undoubtedly, is not where Bayern find themselves at this moment in time. 

Tuchel’s team is riddled with holes. The club still don’t know if Benjamin Pavard is coming or going or indeed whether the Frenchman or Noussair Mazraoui will cope with being first-choice right-back, if Kyle Walker can’t be tempted to Munich. Yann Sommer has followed Alexander Nübel out the exit door, leaving Bayern with a still unfit and highly questionable Manuel Neuer as the only viable goalkeeping option and all the while the club’s head coach seems intent on continuing his public debate with Joshua Kimmich as to whether there is indeed a proper No.6 in the squad. And that’s before we’ve even addressed the elephant in the room.