Three things on to-do list for Bayern Munich before January

After the closure of the summer transfer window, there are three things Max Eberl and Chris Freund need to sort out before the transfer window opens in winter.

The first summer transfer window for Max Eberl and Chris Freund at Bayern Munich has been a bumpy ride. They started the window strongly by addressing three key areas of the squad before the start of the pre-season. However, things went downhill for the duo during the second half of the summer window.

They struggled to seal deals for Xavi Simons and Désiré Doué. Simons ended up at RB Leipzig on a season-long loan, while Doué opted for a move to Paris over Bavaria. Bayern also couldn’t reach an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for Jonathan Tah despite agreeing personal terms with the German defender.

Bayern also struggled to part ways with big earners of the squad. They managed to balance the books by selling Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt to Manchester United but couldn’t find a solution for Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman.

Eberl and Freund would have learned valuable lessons from a strange summer transfer window. They have a lot of work to do in the next few months before the winter window comes into the picture. Here are the three things that should feature at the top of the to-do list of Eberl and Freund during the next four months.

Conclude contract talks with Joshua Kimmich

After a summer of constant speculation, Joshua Kimmich eventually stayed at Bayern Munich. The German midfielder was constantly linked with a move away from Bavaria with PSG reportedly exploring the terms of a possible transfer. Bayern were open to sanctioning a sale, but he decided to stay in Munich.

Kimmich is considered an important player in the squad by Vincent Kompany. The German international has started both league games this season. He will largely play in the midfield but could feature in the right-back position for some games.

Kimmich can negotiate with foreign clubs in January since he will be a free agent next summer. It will be better for all parties that a new contract is sealed before the start of the winter transfer window.

Lay down the groundwork for potential departures

Bayern struggled to trim their squad in the summer. Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman were prime candidates for sales at the start of the transfer window, but all three ended up staying in Munich. It was not entirely Bayern’s fault since all players were eager to stay in Munich and fight for a place in the team.

Bayern were proactive with three signings in the summer. They were aggressive with negotiations and talks for their top targets. The Bavarian club should adopt a similar strategy regarding departures over the next few months. The departures are equally important for Bayern over the next 12 months to build a squad that can achieve their long-term objectives.

Pre-contract agreement with Jonathan Tah

Bayern wanted to sign Jonathan Tah in the summer. They identified the German international in the summer to add quality and experience to the defense. Tah had agreed personal terms with Bayern, but they never found an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen.

The defending Bundesliga champions had set a deadline for Bayern to sign Tah. Die Roten allowed the deadline to pass and made a move late in the summer. Leverkusen had no intention of parting ways with Tah in the final days of the transfer window. The German international ended up staying in Leverkusen with less than 12 months left on his contract.

Tah will attract interest from various clubs in the coming months since he will be available for free transfer next summer. If Bayern intends to sign Tah, they will have to be decisive and reach a pre-contract agreement with the defender. Die Roten have previously signed big Bundesliga stars like Leon Goretzka and Robert Lewandowski on pre-contract agreements six months before the end of their contracts.