Haaland and Nkunku futures prove Bayern can no longer challenge Europe's best

Karan Tejwani

• Updated: 21 Apr 2022 15:45 BST
• 3 min read

Bayern Munich are a win away from becoming Bundesliga champions for the 10th consecutive season, and while there is reason for celebration, there is also a little to be concerned about.

With Christopher Nkunku and Erling Haaland set to reject Bayern’s interest and move away from the Bavarian giants, there seems to be an indication of the record German champions’ standing in wider European football at the moment.

Earlier this week it was reported that Haaland would leave Borussia Dortmund for Manchester City, while RB Leipzig’s Nkunku is more likely to move to a Premier League club, with Manchester United mostly linked.

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Bayern's reluctance to spend may cost them

The two transfers, combined with Bayern’s reluctance to spend heavily as well as the rise in financial power of the top English sides and some in Europe could signal a decline in Bayern’s quality as one of European football’s powerhouses.

Over the years, Bayern have rejected the opportunity to sign some of the Bundesliga’s top talents such as Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, both of whom ended up at Chelsea.

Even though they managed to bring in Dayot Upamecano and Marcel Sabitzer from RB Leipzig – one of the top rivals in the league – the overall quality within the squad is still lacking.

Following their victory over Arminia Bielefeld, head coach Julian Nagelsmann said his club need to take more risks in the transfer market, but that notion was seemingly rejected by his bosses, who said they will only do things based on their financial means.

“At some point you have to take a bit of a risk in the hope that more will come out at the end. At this point we are just thinking about it carefully, calculating and calculating it,” Nagelsmann said.

Sporting Director Hasan Salihamdzic responded by saying Bayern won’t do anything un-Bayern-like: “It will not be the case that we will take any major risks.”

The club have focused on extending their current squad’s contracts, with Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer set to sign a deal until 2025, while talks with Serge Gnabry have begun, but that core is ageing and may need to be replaced by top talent soon if they are to compete with the best in Europe.

Recent Champions League performances have also been a cause for concern – in each of the last two seasons, Bayern have exited the competition at the quarter-final stage.

The next few years could signal more of the same if things don’t change immediately, and if more top players continue to reject them and changes aren’t made to their transfer strategy, then the gap between them and Europe’s best teams could continue to grow.