The Bavarians’ coach praised the club’s work in the transfer market so far and believes they have all the ingredients in place to enjoy success
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola says getting his players fit again for the coming season is more important than any new signings the club will make this summer.
The Bavarians won their third Bundesliga crown in a row last term but crashed out in the last four of the Champions League and the final of the DFB-Pokal following an injury crisis that ruled out the likes of Mehdi Benatia, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
And with Guardiola’s men looking to restart after their underwhelming finish to the last campaign, the coach insisted on the importance of having a full squad to choose from over new signings as the club seek to mount a successful challenge on all fronts.
“My dream is not to have a single player. My dream is to have a fully fit squad, to have a fit Ribery, Robben and Javi Martinez so I can play my desired formation,” he told reporters at a press conference.
“We’re eager to get going, but first we need to stay calm and train. We have many new rivals. Borussia Dortmund have a new coach, Borussia Monchengladbach are better, Bayer Leverkusen have Roger Schmidt, then there’s Wolfsburg and Schalke as well.”
Speculation has been rife on the transfer front but Guardiola reiterated his confidence in the players currently at his disposal, praising new arrivals Douglas Costa and Joshua Kimmich as the players Bayern needed to stay ahead of the Bundesliga chasing pack.
“Matthias Sammer or Karl-Heinz Rummenigge are the right people to talk to about transfers,” the trainer continued. “Joshua Kimmich is a young player. I didn’t know him, but I saw him play for Red Bull Leipzig in Munich. I think he has the quality.
“I hope Douglas Costa can fit into the team quickly. We will help him, of course. I’m grateful to the club for the signing. He has great quality. We need a player for one-on-one situations. He’s a very young player and a fighter.”
The German champions will begin the defence of their league crown when the new season begins on August 15, hosting Hamburg at Allianz Arena.