At FC Bayern, planning for the upcoming season is already in full swing. Although the Munich club is satisfied with its current center-back lineup, club officials are apparently looking to add another player to strengthen the defense. One specific candidate is currently playing in Portugal.
As BILD soccer editor Christian Falk reports in the “Bayern Insider” podcast, Benfica Lisbon’s Tomas Araujo remains on the German record champions’ radar. Bayern has been monitoring the center back for quite some time, and he could become a serious option this coming summer.
BILD reporter Julian Agardi also confirmed that the Munich club is generally looking for a new center back: “That’s true.”
Benfica defender remains on Bayern’s list
According to Falk, Bayern are looking at several young defenders. Araujo, who is under contract with Benfica through 2031, is of particular interest. “One name that’s still very much in the mix is Tomas Araujo of Benfica Lisbon,” Falk explained in the podcast. His market value is estimated at around 35 million euros.
However, a potential signing apparently also depends on personnel changes in the current roster. In this context, Falk raised the possibility of Hiroki Ito or Min-jae Kim leaving the club.
In addition to the Benfica player, other center backs have recently been linked to the Munich club. Falk pointed, among other things, to reports regarding Lucas Harrington and Tarik Muharemovic. However, he said he had not received any confirmation regarding these names.
Bayern is planning for the long term on the defensive side
From the club officials’ perspective, there does not appear to be any immediate pressure to act. With Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, and Kim, the Munich club has three established center-backs.
Agardi emphasized that there is great satisfaction within the club with the current roster. Nevertheless, the club must plan for the future, as several defenders are already approaching 30 or have reached that age threshold. “Bayern actually has some exciting young players in their sights,” the BILD reporter explained.
The key factor, therefore, will likely be whether there are changes in the center of the defense this coming summer. Should one of the established center backs leave the club, the Munich team could become active in the transfer market.