Vincent Kompany has made no secret of his ambitions for the new season, naming the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League as targets while cautioning that improving on last season's Double will be difficult. The defending champions are currently wrapping up their Asia Tour, having beaten Jeju SK 2-1 on Tuesday before facing Aston Villa in Hong Kong on Friday. What has caught the eye in pre-season is not just the results but the personnel. Six teenagers started against Jeju, with 16-year-old Bastian Assomo scoring the winner and quickly establishing himself as one of the summer's standout performers. Kompany has deliberately used these fixtures to test academy talent, following the blueprint set by 18-year-old Lennart Karl last year.

Off the pitch, the transfer window continues to shape the squad. Joao Palhinha remains the most pressing outgoing case, with Benfica reportedly setting a Sunday deadline for a response to their loan-plus-option proposal, a structure Bayern are reluctant to accept. Aston Villa, who face Bayern on Friday, have also been linked, though the club is said to be pessimistic about that deal. Hiroki Ito is another player available if the right offer arrives. On the incoming side, Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown have already joined for a combined outlay of around 100 million euros, with sporting director Max Eberl publicly backed by Uli Hoeneß after what the club patriarch called a near-perfect transfer window. Eberl's own contract extension now appears a formality. The competitive season begins on 22 August with the Supercup against Borussia Dortmund.