Literally, they were completely pushed out of the competition.

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany reported on the 23rd (Korea time) that "Kaoru Mitoma said he is open to a transfer to Bayern this summer," adding, "The club has already started talks with Mitoma's side and has expressed specific interest," while also noting, "Director General Max Eberl has not yet sent an official offer." Mitoma is currently regarded as one of the wingers being considered by Bayern Munich and is categorized as a potential replacement for Kingsley Coman or Leroy Sane.

In fact, Bayern's interest in Mitoma is not a recent development. Toby Altshäffl and Christian Falk of Bild stated in their podcast that "Bayern Munich has been consistently monitoring Brighton's Mitoma." Since moving to the European stage from the J-League club Kawasaki Frontale, Mitoma has established himself as an ace at Brighton in the Premier League after spending time in Belgium.

Making a strong impression, Mitoma recorded 7 goals and 5 assists in his first season in the Premier League and this season has 10 goals and 3 assists in 35 matches (28 starts). This marks the first instance of a Japanese player scoring double-digit goals in the Premier League. Achieving a record that former players like Shinji Okazaki and Shinji Kagawa could not, Mitoma stands out as a remarkable achievement among Japanese forwards.

Mitoma has maintained consistent performance this season. The league's average rating compiled by the football statistics site "FotMob" stands at 7.11, the second highest on the team. His dribbling and space-creating abilities are rated among the best in the Premier League. Bayern Munich positively evaluates Mitoma's style, and there are discussions internally about the potential release of existing wingers, including Sane and Coman.

Bild reported, "Sane has rejected Bayern Munich's contract offer. Bayern Munich does not seem to be considering keeping him, and he could enter the transfer market." Sane recorded a respectable performance with 11 goals and 5 assists in 29 Bundesliga matches this season, but there are also evaluations that he has left room for disappointment due to inconsistent performances throughout the season.

In addition to Sane, Coman is also classified as a candidate for transfer. Having been with Munich since 2015, Coman is known as a 'title specialist' who has experienced winning championships in France, Italy, and Germany every season, but he has faced criticism for his lower impact compared to expectations. While his dribbling and speed rank among the best in the league, his kicking accuracy and decision-making remain works in progress.

Bayern Munich is considering a rebuild of its attacking flanks, and for this reason, Mitoma is being regarded as a new puzzle piece. This is why there is an imperative need for Bayern to actively pursue Mitoma's acquisition. It comes at a time when Bayern's efforts to sign Bayer Leverkusen's ace Florian Wirtz are about to fall through.

Initially, Bayern was focused on acquiring Wirtz, pushing for the sale of players, including Min-Jae Kim. However, it has become known that Wirtz prefers a move to Liverpool over Bayern. Additionally, Leverkusen prefers an overseas transfer, and since Liverpool is willing to pay a higher transfer fee, it has put Bayern in a worse position.

Eventually, Bayern, which had been left chasing after a wild goose, has turned to pursuing Mitoma. Martin Plattenburg, a dedicated reporter known as Bayern's trumpet, stated, "It is true that the club has shifted to pursuing Mitoma." He explained, "Although a specific offer has not yet been exchanged, Wirtz prefers Liverpool over Bayern."

In a way, it simply means they failed to persuade the player, but for Bayern, it carries a different significance. This is because a German national ace seems to prefer a move to Liverpool over them. In reality, having lost out to clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in the market for top talents, it has always been a source of pride that the best German national players compete at Bayern.

However, that reality has now been shattered. In fact, Bayern, led by President Uli Hoeness, has spent over a decade trying to persuade Wirtz to join. While German media, including Bayern, were confident about Wirtz's transfer, the player himself strongly desires to move to Liverpool, putting the transfer in jeopardy.

While merely observing this situation poses a problem, Bayern has been consistently pursuing squad releases based on the acquisition of Wirtz, thus the internal ramifications are quite significant. In fact, Bayern's No. 1 legend, Thomas Müller, has also hoped to extend his career, but it is said that he has been forced into retirement for financial stability to acquire Wirtz.

The release of Min-Jae Kim also falls into the same context. Bayern has intentionally downplayed Kim's performance while trying to figure out how to offload him, as he is earning a relatively high salary. With such ambitious acquisitions falling through, Bayern's internal squad restructuring appears to be wrapping up in a truly chaotic manner.

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