Completed! Bayern's First Signing
On January 16th, Beijing time, German media outlet Sky Sports Deutschland exclusively reported that Hoffenheim midfielder Tom Bischof has decided to join Bayern Munich on a free transfer, with a medical scheduled for next week.
What a plot twist! After a 5-0 victory over Hoffenheim, he's joining Bayern. What's going on here? Very impressive indeed!
Tom Bischof, the 19-year-old German midfielder, has made 14 starts and one substitute appearance in the Bundesliga this season, contributing two goals and one assist in 1169 minutes of play.
His defensive statistics are outstanding, averaging 3.5 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, and 1.6 clearances per game.
This performance naturally attracted the attention of many German clubs, with RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt making significant efforts recently, both hoping to poach him.
Unfortunately for them, the player's first choice was to join Bayern, which turned out to be a mutual decision.
Bischof still has half a year left on his contract with Hoffenheim, and according to regulations, he can negotiate with potential new clubs.
Bayern has now signed a pre-contract agreement with him, pending a medical examination, after which he will officially join the club in the summer.
In terms of overall quality, the player is not an immediate contributor but is considered a promising prospect, similar to winning a lottery ticket. However, signing him for free is clearly a great deal.
He is positioned as the fourth-choice midfielder, intended to replace Goretzka.
Firstly, it's cost-effective.
Secondly, if he performs well, it's a huge gain; if not, there's no loss.
From a team-building perspective, this transfer is a smart move.
Currently, player number 8 is earning 18 million euros while playing as the fourth-choice midfielder, which is quite unreasonable.
Bischof, who also hails from the Bundesliga's blue system, replacing Goretzka makes perfect sense.
His potential ceiling is that of a starting midfielder, which makes the signing of Palhinha seem increasingly pointless.
Young man, play well, and your financial and career prospects will be bright.
Spanish media have also been reporting that Flick is interested in reuniting with his former player.
June marks the start of his contract year, and it's all about friendly negotiations among compatriots.
The deal with Urbig is almost done, about 80%.
Neuer, at 38, will see his contract expire in the summer and is expected to sign a new contract that places more emphasis on performance.
Ulreich is in a similar situation, with his renewal set to position him as the third-choice goalkeeper.
Regular backup goalkeeper Daniel Peretz has kidney issues and is not expected to be heavily utilized, with plans to loan him out in the summer.
Nübel, who was loaned out and has since gone off the radar, can't really be blamed.
Initially, people thought his complaints were due to personal issues with his mentality.
The Sommer incident shed light on the situation.
With Neuer firmly in place, everyone is intimidated.
While keeping Neuer, they also tied down Ulreich, and this guy has truly lost his touch.
So, believing that you can rise through the ranks based solely on performance is too naive, especially at Bayern.
Urbich's level is just average, mainly because Ulreich is ineffective, Peretz is ill, and Nübel hasn't returned, so they're addressing the backup issue.
Negotiations between Bayern and Cologne are nearing completion, with an asking price of 8 million euros being fiercely negotiated.
Additionally, Bayern has officially announced the arrival of a young player to their B team, 18-year-old American midfielder Bayon Dabo, for a transfer fee of 1.5 million euros.
It's unclear what his level is, but he is the product of Bayern's youth development cooperation plan with Los Angeles Football Club, the Red & Gold Football Plan, which is quite significant as its first success.
North American football is developing rapidly, with Los Angeles alone sending players like Diego Rossi (Fenerbahçe) and Mamadou Fall (Barcelona) to Europe.
The sports industry is thriving, and the physical attributes of the players are impressive, leading Bayern to believe there is potential to tap into, hence their consistent focus on North America in recent years.