The new "FC Hollywood"
Alex Livesey/Getty ImagesCould Luis Suarez really be headed for Bayern Munich this summer?Remember back to the trophy-less days of the Giovanni Trapattoni and Otto Rehhagel reigns? When Bayern was all over the press all the time not for its sporting performances, but in the gossip pages instead? The derogatory nickname for the club at that time was "FC Hollywood", and there are parallels to today. Not from a footballing perspective, mind you, but just the sheer amount of attention being leveled at the club.
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Since the announcement of Pep Guardiola's succession over Jupp Heynckes as Bayern Munich's next coach, what was already a German media zoo at the Saebener Strasse has become international. While Bayern, in seasons past, was wrongly considered a feeder club by much of the non-German press -- remember those laughable "Schweinsteiger to Chelsea" rumors? -- the tide has now turned. Everyone that has ever worn a pair of boots is now linked to follow Guardiola to the German giants in July.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez heads the list as the most persistent transfer rumor per L'Equipe. Valued at 40 million pounds, it seems unlikely that the Reds would sell him for anything under the 50 million they got from Chelsea for Fernando Torres; especially considering Suarez's current form and Torres' when he left Anfield.
I find it highly doubtful that Bayern Munich would splash that much cash for a striker they don't need, and an attitude problem they don't want. There is a long list of negative, unsportsmanlike incidences in his career, and while Guardiola may admire his talent (of which he has plenty), Suarez is not Bayern Munich material.
Behind Suarez, the second most mentioned striking candidate is Atletico's Radamel Falcao. The Madrid club's shambolic financial situation means he will leave in the summer, but to where? Every big club ever has been linked to the Colombian hitman, with money outfits Chelsea, PSG and Manchester City the leading candidates until the L'Equipe story broke stating that Guardiola wanted both Falcao and Suarez at the Allianz to revolutionize the Bayern attack.
Valued at 50 million pounds, Bayern can certainly afford him. But again, why? This deal would hinge on Mario Gomez leaving the club. Is that likely? It all depends. While Bayern are only two games in to the Rueckrunde, the German international has only been on the pitch for two lousy minutes; Jupp Heynckes currently staying with Mario Mandzukic as lone striker instead.
And just what is so horrible about the Bayern Munich attack that it needs revolutionizing?!
The latest transfer rumor comes from Sportsmail as Guardiola is now swooping in for Swansea City defender Chico Flores. Apparently, the two have kept in touch since Guardiola signed him to the Barcelona B squad in 2008 on loan from Cadiz.
Admittedly, I don't know much about the center back except that he is one. This, again, seems to me to be superfluous to Bayern's needs. With Daniel van Buyten planning to retire at Munich, Holger Badstuber coming back from injury next season, Jerome Boateng, Dante and new signing Jan Kirchhoff from Mainz, die Roten will be pretty stacked at that position. Dante's continuing excellent play means there's only one open spot there.
Perhaps the most laughable rumor is the Daily Mail's "242 million pound war chest" that will be handed over to Guardiola in next summer's transfer window. Just the mental image of that makes me giggle! I can only surmise that someone who doesn't speak German was using Google translate, wrongly thinking that a year's money coming in will be instead going out. German is a tricky language indeed, with the verbs on the end of sentences and whatnot.
This zoo will continue until the start of the 2013/14 Bundesliga season, and likely after that. Bayern Munich will continue to be connected to everyone and everything under the football stars. And while Guardiola will make changes, it's doubtful that they will be as drastic as the current speculation. But with the entire world watching, it seems that Bayern are becoming "FC Hollywood" once again.


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