With Kane still 'pending', Bayern coach Tuchel prefers to focus on players at hand
“Maybe we skip straight away to the next question.”
The first words out of Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel’s mouth at yesterday’s press conference at the National Stadium adequately summed up the weariness around the German club regarding a certain Harry Kane.
Tuchel was asked immediately after sitting down about the developments concerning the club’s transfer bid for the Tottenham striker.
The German champions recently had their latest bid of £85m rejected, with Spurs demanding £100m.
The deal, on the horizon for over two months now, seems so close, yet still so far, which perhaps is frustrating Tuchel and the German champions who are already reeling from the sudden departures of Sadio Mane to Saudi Arabia and defender Lucas Hernandez to PSG.
"I will not comment. We made a clear assessment and clear decisions. We have focused on a few players who can strengthen the squad. The players we want, they absolutely know about it," the 49-year-old said.
When asked about how he plans to strengthen his side aside from the striker position, he said calmly, “I think it’s important to focus on the (current) players and the strengths that they bring to the squad, and not be distracted by the transfer window.”
Ahead of tomorrow’s friendly here against Liverpool, Tuchel did admit that Bayern are lacking a defensive midfielder that can shield the backline.
It was one of the former Chelsea manager’s chief areas of concern heading into the transfer window. The club had pursued West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, but the player eventually opted for Arsenal instead — leading to the current situation.
“We don't have a proper holding #6 who's more about providing defensive protection,” Tuchel said. “All our midfielders are quite mobile. But you can still win games without such a player. We have to find solutions."
To be fair, Bayern are still blessed with quality from back to front.
In midfield, they have German internationals Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, as well as new signing Konrad Laimer.
The backline is protected by no fewer than four top class defenders in Matthijs de Ligt, Dayot Upamecano, Benjamin Pavard and new signing Kim Min-Jae from Napoli.
Fans tuning into Wednesday’s friendly can also be treated to an abundance of flair up front, in the form of Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman.
De Ligt, 23, likely to pair up with Kim in central defence for the season ahead, is looking forward to the Liverpool game as it will give him a chance to meet up with national teammates Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo.
“I’ve played with Virgil in the national team for five years, and he’s been a big example for me. I also want to congratulate him for becoming captain – it’s another big achievement for him.
“I’m also happy to see Cody do well, and I can’t wait to face them tomorrow on the pitch.”
Coming off a successful debut season in Bavaria, De Ligt also spoke on the club’s need for reinforcements, but highlighted that quality signings are not the end all.
“We could have the best defenders one-on-one, but if you’re always put in tough situations because of a lack of communication then it wouldn’t matter,” said the former Ajax and Juventus defender.
“So it’s not just about individual quality, there needs to be a collective improvement within the team.”
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