Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich

There was a high risk with a small squad. But the opinion inside the club was that Bayern already had the best transfers inside the squad, bearing in mind that the likes of Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Itō would return later in the season. Itō is already back and scored in the 5-0 warm-up win over RB Salzburg, which I attended.

The Portuguese midfielder left Bayern to join Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan. The Premier League side also has an option to sign Palhinha for €30 million. Considering the way Palhinha started the season, it looked certain that Spurs would sign him permanently. However, things have changed completely midway through the season. According to Talksport journalist Alex Crook (via iMiaSanMia), Tottenham Hotspur are having second thoughts about signing Palhinha in the summer. As things stand, the Portuguese midfielder is expected to be back at Bayern at the end of the season.

They are content with the squad for this season, and the return of injured players will give a big boost to Vincent Kompany's options for the second half of the campaign. Bayern's attack has been flying under Vincent Kompany this season. The attacking unit at Bayern is one of the best in Europe. The return of Jamal Musiala will add further quality to Die Roten's play in the final third.

After two years without silverware, Salzburg are aiming to be crowned Austrian champions again this season. The club from Mozart's birthplace had won the Austrian Bundesliga ten times in a row before finally having to give way to Sturm Graz in the last two seasons. With five matchdays left in the main round of matches, Salzburg top the table with a three-point lead over second-placed Linzer ASK. Participation in the championship round is therefore virtually certain.

However, there's a reason why many Bayern fans still remember it today, 22 years later. And it wasn't anything to do with anyone on the pitch, but someone sitting off it - to be precise, on the subs' bench. He wore - in keeping with the time of year, if not his own style - a red-and-white striped bobble hat, known by the name 'Pomperlhaube'.

Nicolas Jackson helped Senegal on their way to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations as they beat Sudan 3-1 on Saturday evening. The Bayern forward set up the crucial goal to make it 2-1 in first-half stoppage time scored by Papa Gueye, who had previously cancelled out Aamir Abdallah Yunis's sixth-minute opener. Substitute Ibrahim Mbaye made sure of Senegal's place in the last eight with a further goal in the 77th minute.

According to TZ, Bayern were recently offered the chance to sign Victor Osimhen by an English intermediary. However, Max Eberl quickly rejected this opportunity and insisted there is no urgent need to sign a star striker. Signing Osimhen or any other star number nine will become a topic for Die Roten if Harry Kane decides to leave Munich. Osimhen has been one of the prolific goalscorers in Europe over the last few seasons.

The goal before the start of the season was to avoid relegation. In their first league match, FCB conceded a goal to TSV 1860 after just 30 seconds. At the end of the campaign, the young Bayern team finished third as a newly promoted side - and showed their potential in the DFB Cup with a 4-2 win in the final against Meidericher SV.

Bayern may have completed their first big signing at the academy level. According to Fabrizio Romano (via iMiaSanMia), Bayern have won the race to sign Ecuadorian talent Virgilio Olaya from SD Aucas. The 17-year-old center-back will sign a 4.5-year contract starting from February 2026. Romano has reported that Bayern has managed to beat a big English club to sign the young defender.

Bayern Munich may have to look for defensive reinforcements in the summer, considering the fact that there is uncertainty around the future of a couple of center-backs. Dayot Upamecano remains in talks with Bayern for a new deal, while Kim Min-jae may leave in the summer for regular game time. In such a scenario, Bayern may need to sign a center-back to maintain quality depth in the heart of the defense.

I think the season is still very early. Nico has the AFCON, he's got a long season with Bayern, he's got the Champions League to come through. So I think it's very early to answer this question. Me and Nico will sit at the end of the season and see all the options and then we'll make the decision together.