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SEric Maxim Choupo-Moting proved his good reputation as a teammate. The new Bayern striker stepped in spontaneously as a translator for Frenchman Bouna Sarr when he ran into technical problems. “I am very happy to be here,” said the former attacker for Munich’s Champions League final rival Paris Saint-Germain when he and Sarr were introduced. “I am happy to be back in the Bundesliga and in Germany.”
Hamburger SV, 1. FC Nürnberg, FSV Mainz 05 and FC Schalke were the stops before the two foreign clashes in Stoke City and PSG. Now the 31-year-old wants to convince as a substitute for Robert Lewandowski in the record of German champions.
Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic smiled happily when he introduced Choupo-Moting, who had been signed for a year without a transfer, and Bouna Sarr, who was reportedly signed by Olympique Marseille for ten million euros, in Munich on Monday. In poker, he was unable to announce the signing of David Alaba, whose contract expires in a year. “We are not going to give David an ultimatum, we are not going to play,” he said. For months, the German record champions have been negotiating with 28-year-old Alaba and his adviser to extend the contract, which will expire in the summer of 2021.
“We all know what we have in David and we try to convince him. Of course, we would be happy if he stayed in Munich and we hope that the signing will be done at some point, ”said Salihamidzic. Alaba moved to Munich in the summer of 2008. As part of the national team, Alaba spoke for the last time about the importance of Bavaria as his current center of life. “I feel very comfortable in Munich, it has been my home for twelve years. There I was able to live very good moments, ”said Alaba.
Salihamidzic spoke more cautiously with Jérôme Boateng (32), whose contract also expires next summer. “We appreciate Jérôme very much,” said the sporting director, praising the central defender’s achievements on the road to victory in the Champions League. Now you want to keep working until winter, then keep looking. Boateng himself had been lazy. For him, a contract extension and a move abroad are possible.
The side Sarr signed for four years, while the Munich team secured the services of Marc Roca (Espanyol Barcelona) and Douglas Costa (Juventus de Turin) in last minute purchases. In “tough times” the budget had to be managed properly, Salihamidzic said. “This year has a calendar that presents us with great tasks. That is why we are still active in the transfer market and we have set up our team very, very well across the board. “
When asked about Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi and Sergiño Dest, who transferred from Ajax Amsterdam to FC Barcelona, the sporting director made no specific statement. He did not want to talk about players who were not under contract with Bayern, he said. But with transfers there are limits and a point where they have to fit in more.
Neymar Choupo-Moting’s former colleague has a lot of international experience. The 49-time Cameroonian international lost the Champions League final to PSG in his last competitive match for glamor Paris against Munich in August, but he also has fond memories of Bayern. He scored his first Bundesliga goal eleven years ago in a 1: 2 loss to the Franks. Flanked by Salihamidzic and Sarr, he was very happy to say that he had told Neymar even before the finals of the tournament in Portugal that Bayern were his favorite in the pot.
As in Paris, Choupo-Moting wants to stay behind Lewandowski without complaint in Munich. “For me, Lewandowski is the best player in the world,” he said. “But no striker can do all the games.” In Paris, he was not only praised for important goals such as in the Portuguese semi-finals, but also by coach Thomas Tuchel for his integrative character in the team. Less well known in the Bundesliga is Sarr, who continues a long tradition. Be it Bixente Lizarazu, Willy Sagnol or now Benjamin Pavard or Lucas Hernández, the French full-backs have had good times at FC Bayern.
Munich has been looking for a full back for a long time, Álvaro Odriozola, on loan from Real Madrid last year, was only an emergency solution. Sarr should have more playing time and give Pavard breaks. For him, FC Bayern could also be a springboard for the national team. “Of course this is a club that receives a lot of attention as the current European champion. Still, I have to do a good job in the field. I’m not pushing myself, ”Sarr said cautiously.
