"We will not be making any more signings. We are very happy with our current squad and the way we are set up," Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund said on Monday shortly before the transfer window closed. But Sport Bild now report that Vincent Kompany wanted one more new arrival.
According to the report, as well as Nathaniel Brown, who arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for around €50 million, and Ismael Saibari, for whom Bayern paid a similar fee to PSV Eindhoven, the German record champions' coach wanted a third signing of a similar calibre.
The club bosses apparently vetoed that move and want to stick with their plan of giving young players from the reserve side and the youth teams a pathway into the first team. That is also why the club agreed to the permanent signing of 18-year-old Bara Sapoko Ndiaye, which is said to have come about mainly at Kompany's urging.
Midfielder Tim Binder, 19, whose contract was extended until 2030 after an impressive pre-season, and winger Maycon Cardozo, 17, are two other talents who can also hope for first-team appearances, although the latter will initially be out for three to four months after shoulder surgery.