Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has been promised a new striker for next season after president Herbert Heiner admitted the team lacks a ruthless scorer.
A 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Wednesday sent Bayern out of the Champions League 4-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.
They are in danger of being left behind as big companies like City make a concerted effort to dominate Europe.
While Bayern saw off yet another wealthy Champions League crown contender in the previous matchday, shattering Paris Saint-Germain’s hopes, there have been obvious shortcomings in the ranks of the German giants this season.
Much of this may be due to the fact that they sold Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona last July and did not sign a Polish striker of the same type and caliber as a replacement.
Lewandowski scored 50 goals for Bayern last season and while the team didn’t hesitate to score, they didn’t have a top-notch predator.
Eric Maxime Choupo-Moting was willing, scoring 17 goals in 29 games in a central role, but with all the will he was a temporary option.
“We lack a scorer who can put things in order. This is something we will definitely need in the future,” said Heiner, who was widely quoted on Thursday by German media.
Bayern’s shot conversion rate is down slightly compared to the season, from 15.34% last season to 15.02% this season.
Their “big odds” conversion dropped from 43.54% to 40.74%, reaching 47.65% in the 2020-2021 campaign.
Last season, Lewandowski converted 25.13 of his chances and 53.16 of his big chances.
Heiner said it was “obvious” that Bayern weren’t scoring often enough, but he pointed out that finding a player to make a difference would not be easy.
Bayern have been linked with Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, but acquiring either would have involved a heavy financial outlay and possibly fighting other clubs.
“If you could name someone who immediately hits the mark, we would buy it immediately,” Heiner said. “But you can assume that we will strengthen the team in such a way that we again have a say in the fight for the Champions League title. Our goal is very clear – to be at the forefront of Europe.”
He said Bayern are “very, very well positioned” to be able to afford such a top-notch player as newly appointed coach Tuchel looks to put together a winning team.
Questions are being asked about the future of Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn, and there have been reports in Germany that his position may be in some doubt.
If Kahn stays, he will likely have the key word in who Bayern target for their next top nine.
The former Germany goalkeeper, quoted by Sport 1, said Bayern would have to work hard to find a striker as formidable as Lewandowski.
“It’s also a matter of price,” Kahn said. “How many nines of the level of Robert Lewandowski in Europe? There aren’t many of them. And if so, then in the price regions are extremely high.