Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany has responded to reports that he asked the club to complete another major signing during the summer transfer window, saying the information came as a surprise to him.
The report concerns an alleged request for Bayern to make one more significant addition to their squad after the club had already committed €100m to the arrivals of Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown.
Kompany was asked to comment on the claims as Bayern prepare for their second match of the German championship season. The Belgian did not provide further details of the reported transfer request in the information available, but the subject was raised in connection with the club’s substantial summer spending.
Bayern’s reported investment in Saibari and Brown is the central background to the story. The club had already spent €100m on the two players before reports emerged that Kompany wanted another major transfer.
The nature of the additional signing was not specified. Nor was any particular player named in the report about Kompany’s alleged request. The available information only states that the Bayern manager was said to have asked the club to carry out another major transfer during the previous summer.
Kompany’s comments come before Bayern’s away fixture against Schalke in the second round of the German championship. The match is scheduled for Saturday, 5 September, with kick-off set for 19:30 Moscow time.
The meeting with Schalke will therefore provide the immediate focus for Bayern after the discussion surrounding their transfer activity. The claims about a further signing remain the subject of Kompany’s comments, while the club’s confirmed spending mentioned in the report stands at €100m for Saibari and Brown.
The headline surrounding the story presents the manager’s reaction as one of surprise: “That became a surprise for me.” His response was directed at the information that he had requested another major transfer, rather than at a confirmed announcement of a new arrival.
No details were given about whether Bayern acted on the alleged request, whether negotiations took place or whether another deal was close to completion. The report also does not identify the position Kompany supposedly wanted to strengthen.
For now, the known points are that Kompany has addressed the claims, Bayern have spent €100m on Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown, and the German champions are due to travel to face Schalke on 5 September.