Bayern Munich could offer 3 players to Barcelona to lower Ronald Araujo's price tag: Reports
Bayern Munich have reportedly made a list of three players they could offer Barcelona in their attempt to land Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo. The three players are defender Matthijs de Ligt, midfielder Joshua Kimmich and winger Leroy Sane, as reported by Fichajes.
Bayern have made 24-year-old Araujo their primary target in the January transfer window, and are trying to structure a deal with Barcelona to secure his services. The German champions have had recurring injury problems and inconsistencies in their defense, and believe Araujo could be the solution to their woes.
De Ligt has already missed a lot of time due to injury at Bayern Munich, but has looked like a world-class defender when fit. However, he has fallen behind Kim Min-Jae and Dayot Upamecano in the pecking order. At only 24 years of age, he can still be top quality for many years to come in the absence of injuries, which could be a valuable asset for Barcelona to recoup in this deal.
Kimmich has been a mainstay in Bayern Munich and Germany colours for almost seven years now. He is one of the most technically capable and hard-nosed defensive midfielders in the world. Having made 367 appearances for Bayern and earned 82 caps for Germany, the 28-year-old is in the prime of his career and provides a great opportunity for Barcelona to solve their midfield issues.
Sane is one of the best wingers in the world. His silky dribbling, whirlwind pace and deadly finishing have always made him a nightmare for opposition defenders.
He has experience at the highest level, being a mainstay in both Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side and the current Bayern team. With eight goals and eight assists this season in 15 Bundesliga games, Sane could be a wonderful addition to Xavi's free-flowing attack.
Any of these three players would be a brilliant return for a player like Araujo. Xavi must now wonder which of them would fit his system best and be a worthy return for his best defender's services.
Bayern Munich looking to sign 16-year-old wonderkid striker
Bayern Munich have made an offer to Swedish side AIK for 16-year-old wonderkid striker Jonah Kusi-Asare, according to reporter Christopher Michel of fussball.news.
The forward, already standing at a staggering 1.96m or 6ft 5in, has caught the attention of Bayern scouts as a long-term answer to the striker position. He has made four appearances in the Swedish top flight and is also in the Sweden U-17 national squad.
Currently, Harry Kane is tearing the Bundesliga apart with 21 goals and five assists in just 15 games. With 18-year-old wonderkid Mathys Tel also waiting in the wings and performing brilliantly in his limited gametime, Bayern are comfortable up top at the moment.
However, in Kusi-Asare, they may have found the ultimate target man to form a formidable partnership with Tel down the line.