The German powerhouses have changed their approach to recruiting this year, bringing in a plethora of young talents.
Hasan Salihamidzic and Marco Neppe, the technical director and sports director, respectively, have been praised by Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer as the Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson of the transfer market. This summer, the Bundesliga winners made several significant acquisitions, including Matthijs de Ligt and Sadio Mane.
Hainer thinks that Salihamidzic and Neppe’s ability to determine which players are the best fit for the team is reminiscent of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic literary characters.
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What did Hainer say about Bayern’s transfers?
“[Salihamidzic] has an absolute Bayern heart and always gives everything for this club, we all know,” Hainer told Abend Zeitung.
“When you see the vehemence with which he implemented the Mane transfer, for example – it’s a lot of fun with him.”
He added: “You could almost say it’s like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who are always on the lookout and draw the right conclusions.
“Marco does the analysis, Hasan has an incredible amount of experience in this industry and in dealing with players. He knows what it’s like in a dressing room, what it’s like to be a player.”
Bayern Munich's pace in attack is frightening ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/V9KIjSfmql
— GOAL (@goal) August 5, 2022
What is different about Bayern’s summer transfers?
The club chief says Bayern have switched their focus this term as they have opted to sign more long-term prospects.
De Ligt, 22, was signed from Juventus, 20-year-old Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax and 17-year-old Mathys Tel from Rennes.
Plus, Hainer says, that he and CEO Oliver Kahn have also contributed to their strategy.
“This year we approached the transfer policy in a more long-term and structured manner,” he added.
“We sat together months ago and analysed what we need and who is on the market.
“In the past one or two seasons, we sometimes had to get players with hasty actions in the last days of the transfer window. That’s where we put the lever.”
He added: “Like everything at FC Bayern, it’s a joint effort, we’re incredibly well coordinated there.
“Oliver, as CEO, pushes many things at Bayern, Hasan put a lot of effort into implementing the transfers, and I have brought in my experiences from my long professional life.”
