Harry Kane, Kim Min-jae and Konrad Laimer are impressive additions to Bayern Munich this summer. - © DFL

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How will Bayern Munich line up with Harry Kane, Kim Min-jae and Co.?

01.09.2023

Bayern Munich have completed an impressive summer transfer window, with Harry Kane and Kim Min-jae the headline-grabbing arrivals at the Allianz Arena.

Kane's transfer from Tottenham Hotspur was undoubtedly the biggest, the England captain arriving as the record scorer for club and country, and looking more than capable of filling Robert Lewandowski's goal-filled boots.

Kim was a Serie A winner with Napoli last term, however, and his signing helps bolster a defence that will soon be underpinned by Manuel Neuer once again, with the cub captain working his way back from a broken leg.

Daniel Peretz has been added in the meantime, the Israel goalkeeper also joining Konrad Laimer and Raphael Gurreiro this summer. bundesliga.com looks at how it might fit together….

While Julian Nagelsmann seemed to change his formation on a weekly basis at Bayern, Tuchel has been more consistent since succeeding his former protégé at the Allianz Arena, mostly using a 4-2-3-1 and only deviating with a 4-1-4-1 to add an extra attacking midfielder against perceived weaker opposition.

Tuchel got Bayern over the line in the Bundesliga last season, the Bavarians sealing their record-extending 32nd Bundesliga title on the final day when they beat Cologne 2-1 while nearest challengers Borussia Dortmund were held to a 2-2 draw by Mainz.

Since then, Bayern have let a pair of France international defenders leave in Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard - to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan respectively, while the Sadio Mane experiment ended after one season, the former Liverpool man off to Al-Nassr.

Can this Bayern match Hansi Flick's 2020 vintage? - DFL

Kane now leads the line as only a cluster of players in world football can, and is already up to three goals and an assist in his Bundesliga career, plundered at a rate of one every 44 minutes he has played.

Behind him, there is an absolute embarrassment of attacking riches. Jamal Musiala's ascent means than club legend Thomas Müller is struggling for minutes at No.10, while Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry is a tricky three into two out wide.

These are the selection headaches Tuchel will want, however, across a long season in which a first continental treble since 2020 is the aim. Thus far Coman and Sane have been preferred for their pace and runs off Kane, who is capable of dropping deep and linking play.

Watch: A tactical analysis of Kane's game

Laimer has anchored the midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich and ahead of Leon Goretzka so far. Kimmich protested that he was "a No.6" in the summer when the club were linked with a defensive midfielder, but Laimer's average of nearly four tackles per game over the last season - putting him in the top two per cent in that regard Europe-wide - are the numbers of a genuine midfield battler.

But Kimmich is a player with 66 assists in his eight full seasons with Bayern, and Laimer's presence frees him up to get forward. It also means Tuchel can flit between his two preferred formations on the fly.

At the back, Kim looked likely to former a central defensive partnership with Matthijs de Ligt in pre-season, but with both men preferring to play on the left of the two spots, Kim has increasingly played instead of De Ligt, with Dayot Upamecano adding balance on the right.

Neuer's imminent return mans that Peretz has been signed as an understudy for now, but the Israelis shot-stopper is 14 years his junior so has time on his side.