Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has not ruled out further departures from the Allianz Arena this summer after admitting the club currently have too many midfielders on their books.
The reigning Bundesliga champions have already offloaded the likes of Arturo Vidal and Douglas Costa during the summer transfer window, but still house as many as nine midfielders in their current squad.
As new coach Niko Kovac looks to shape his starting XI ahead of the new campaign, which sees Bayern aiming for the seventh straight league title, Rummenigge says the numbers simply don’t add up in the midfield department.
And speaking on German show 100% Bundesliga, the former European Footballer of the Year freely admitted than nine simply will not go into three or four places.
“It’s normal that there are a lot of rumours coming in during the transfer season,” said Rummenigge, “and it is well known that we have nine midfielders and a maximum of three to four positions.
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“That’s a lot - actually too much.
“Both we and the coach are of the opinion that if one player or the other wants to leave, we will deal with it seriously.”
Reports in Spain have suggested that Bayern’s Spain international Thiago Alcantara remains a viable target for Barcelona, while the German press have linked Sebastien Rudy with a move to RB Leipzig.
One player that won’t be leaving according to Rummenigge is star forward Robert Lewandowski.
The Polish striker has topped the Bundesliga goalscoring charts in three of the last five seasons – once during a prolific campaign with Borussia Dortmund and twice more since his switch to Bayern in 2014.
“Lewandowski has world-class quality and has averaged 30 goals in recent years,” said Rummenigge.
“I'm convinced that he will soon surpass 30 goals. I trust him. You have to deal with pressure at FC Bayern - that's our daily routine.
“It’s a bit of a new journey for us, but I think Niko (Kovac) has an exciting, good career behind him.
“The most important thing is he has our complete confidence and approaches the job with zeal.”
