Wanted at Bayern Munich: Mentality Monsters

According to a report from Tz’s Philipp Kessler (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich is not just looking for pure talent during the summer transfer window.

Instead, Bayern Munich is looking for a few “mentality monsters” to bolster the ranks of a squad that the executives feel might not be as…focused and assertive as needed:

During internal talks, it was discussed that the current team lacks ‘mentality players’. From now on, the search for new signings will not only focus on footballing qualities, but also on mentality, character and leadership qualities.
The general opinion is that in order to strengthen the team, it’s not only about big names, technique and tactics — but also desire, willingness to go beyond your limits and give everything for the club and your teammates.

Those aforementioned traits are not so easy to find these days. For every transfer that results in a Matthijs de Ligt, there are five that end up as a James Rodriguez.

This story does beg the question, however, as to who Bayern Munich’s brass thinks are weak links mentally?

Is it Jamal Musiala, who has been scuffling for months? Probably not given that Thomas Tuchel keeps calling his number.

How about Leon Goretzka? Similarly, Goretzka has not been at his best, but his problems appear to be with more in line with poor decision-making and lapses in judgement rather than a weak mentality.

Perhaps, the club thinks Dayot Upamecano is not “mentally tough” enough to make it after his late season collapse or maybe Leroy Sané, who has been prone to extended slumps? Maybe, but both players have risen to face challenges on multiple occasions.

If the report is true, it is a tough nut to crack in figuring out which players are not up to par, as this team — maybe more than anything — does have a strong sense of desire and courage. On the surface, they have not appeared to fold under any circumstances or yield when challenged.

Regardless, it does seem as it this story is aligned with putting the failures of this season the shoulders of the players, rather than the board members who threw a grenade into the season at what might have been the worst possible time.

Just some food for thought…