Did Bayern gamble away their chances? This transfer could become a problem | OneFootball

Now that the season has begun, the question arises: Did FC Bayern’s management make a mistake with a transfer?

Arijon Ibrahimovic is shining right away following his loan to FC Augsburg. His departure from FC Bayern could still spark some debate.

It didn’t take long for Ibrahimovic to make a name for himself at FC Augsburg. In the 4-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, the 20-year-old made a strong Bundesliga debut for his new club. Ibrahimovic scored the crucial equalizer, played a key role in setting up the second goal, and was subsequently voted Man of the Match by the fans.

For FC Bayern, this performance is certainly noteworthy. Ibrahimovic had completed the entire preseason in Munich and had the opportunity to prove himself worthy of a spot on Vincent Kompany’s roster. Shortly before the end of the transfer window, however, club officials decided to send him on loan to FC Augsburg. The FCA also secured an option to buy.

The Munich club’s reasoning was understandable: In Augsburg, Ibrahimovic is expected to play regularly and continue developing at the Bundesliga level. That strategy seems to be paying off right away—at least based on the impressions from his debut with his new club. But from Bayern’s perspective, there’s another side to this move.

Ibrahimovic is now missing as an alternative to Diaz

After all, on the left wing of the attack—of all positions—Bayern’s squad isn’t particularly deep. Luis Diaz is the clear starter there. But following Ibrahimovic’s loan, there is no longer a classic one-to-one replacement.

This problem was already evident in the 0-0 draw at Schalke. While Harry Kane and Michael Olise were initially rested, Diaz was once again in the starting lineup. The Colombian had come off an extremely long preseason with 51 competitive matches for Bayern, followed by the World Cup, and didn’t look particularly fresh in Gelsenkirchen. The 29-year-old failed to capitalize on two big chances.

This raises the question of how Kompany plans to manage his left winger’s workload in the coming months. Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Lennart Karl, or even Alphonso Davies could, in principle, be deployed on the left side of the attack. However, their natural positions lie elsewhere.

Photo: IMAGO

Ibrahimovic, on the other hand, would have been a much more natural alternative for this position. The 20-year-old had already shown during his previous loan stint at 1. FC Heidenheim that he can generally hold his own at the Bundesliga level. His debut in Augsburg has now provided further evidence of this.

Bayern is deliberately fielding a smaller squad this season and hopes to compensate for a lack of depth through the versatility of several players, among other things. On the left wing, however, this strategy could reach its limits.

Of course, after just one strong game for Augsburg, it’s still too early to definitively say whether the Ibrahimovic loan was actually a mistake. Regular playing time at FCA could be enormously valuable for Diaz’s personal development. At the same time, however, Bayern must now ensure that Diaz gets enough rest throughout the long season.

Should Ibrahimovic continue to impress in Augsburg and Diaz need more frequent breaks due to the heavy workload, the decision made on Deadline Day at Säbener Straße is likely to remain a topic of discussion.