Raphael Guerreiro Increasingly Linked to Bayern Munich

Raphael Guerreiro, who has made his home in Dortmund for the last seven years, has his contract expiring this summer, and a surprising team has lined up in an attempt to sign him.

It’s been a while since Borussia Dortmund had a player credibly linked to Bayern Munich. This move doesn’t quite fit the mold of previous transfers from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich. Raphael Guerreiro is a talented player to be sure, but he definitely isn’t of the same caliber as Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze, or Mats Hummels. It’s worth noting that BVB were essentially willing to let him walk for nothing if his salary demands were too high, and the club has already signed a left back, Ramy Bensebaini, to replace him, so this is hardly a case of Bayern sweeping in to poach a coveted BVB talent. The consensus seems to be that Guerreiro simply wants to stay in Germany, and that Bayern are willing to compensate him at a level he feels he deserves.

If anything, I’m curious what exactly Bayern see in him. Maybe Tuchel still Guerreiro highly, after he performed so well for him back in 2016-17, or maybe Alphonso Davies is heading out the door and Bayern need someone to replace him, or maybe they simply want an affordable backup.

The move still isn’t a done deal. Atletico Madrid are reportedly in pursuit, as are several EPL clubs. Guerreiro may decide not to go to his former club’s hated rivals, but even if he does, it won’t be a stab in the back like some fans have described it, because if Dortmund really wanted to, they could have prevented this.