[Nuacht Sacair Eorpach/Thar Lear & Faisnéis Aistrithe]Why did Bayern get Hiroki Ito? Let’s analyze the background.
It was introduced on the 14th, Japan time, that Japanese nationwide staff defender Hiroki Ito will probably be transferring to Bayern Munich.
The switch drama has taken a sudden flip because it was introduced that the thirteenth might participate. He was the primary Japanese participant to problem for an enormous membership, following within the footsteps of Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal) and Wataru Endo (Liverpool), and Japanese soccer followers had been very excited.
So why did Bayern determine to signal Ito? Let’s discover out why.
■ Membership Concepts
(C) Getty Pictures
That is Bayern’s third Japanese participant after Takashi Usami and Taichi Fukui. Nevertheless, what’s completely different from Usami and Fukui is their age. Each Usami and Fukui joined Bayern as youngsters, and the membership determined to signal him due to his future potential, despite the fact that Ito is at present 25 years previous. He has already performed three seasons within the Bundesliga, and within the 2023-24 season, he’s a consultant participant within the league, rating sixth amongst defenders when it comes to common factors in the course of the season by the German journal Kicker.
There isn’t any doubt that he’ll slot in as an everyday, however his place in Bayern’s beginning line-up will not be assured. It’s clear that his profile of being a left-hander and having the ability to play each CB and SB could be very welcome, as is evident from the remark from Christoph Freund SD: “He can play both on the left or within the centre, so he’s versatile in defence.”It’s clear that the membership desires him to be versatile.
Nevertheless, if Ito already has one factor over Bayern’s defenders, it is his build-up capacity. Within the 2023-24 season, Bayern’s dying on the again has all the time been very harmful, they usually have repeatedly fallen prey to excessive pressures.
Dayo Upamecano and Kim Min-jae are sturdy figures, however their supplementary capacity can’t be described as excessive, and there are a number of scenes the place they’re concerned in objectives conceded in large video games. Eric Dier is sweet at passing, nevertheless it’s his easy defensive capacity that units him aside. Even left-back Alphonso Davies tends to depend on his physicality and is weak within the passing sport on the again.
On this regard, Ito’s sense of stability could be very engaging. As a CB, he’s the one left-handed participant and will probably be anticipated to distribute the ball from behind. New coach Vincent Kompany’s tendency to create a possession-oriented staff will also be thought of a optimistic issue for Ito.
■Affect of personnel reductions
There’s a sturdy view within the German media that Bayern obtained Ito due to the influence of personnel cuts.
For Bayern, who completed the 2023-24 season and not using a title for the primary time in 12 years, the brand new season will probably be a 12 months of relegation. Kompany’s appointment as coach is a kind of causes, and if you happen to look across the defence, it is laborious to discover a participant who is not rumored to be let go. Even Matthijs de Ligt, one of many staff’s finest defenders and an enormous fan of supporters, has been linked with a possible money supply.
There’s already a robust chance that Davis will go away the staff this summer time or subsequent, and the addition of Ito will probably be helpful in that regard. Moreover, Ito’s switch price is reported to be a most of 28 million euros (about 4.72 billion yen), together with bonuses, making him a comparatively “good worth” buy for Bayern.
■What must be adopted as a mannequin…
Even with the acquisition of Ito, Bayern nonetheless have the opportunity of Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tarr becoming a member of the membership, which is proof that they are going to launch a defender sooner or later. It’s unclear if Ito will probably be positioned within the middle of protection if that occurs, however he already has a job mannequin to comply with.
That’s Benjamin Pavard (Inter), who performed from 2019 to 2023. Like Ito, he got here in from Stuttgart, the switch price is nearly the identical (Pavard is estimated at 35 million euros), and there’s he has one thing in widespread: he can play as a central defender or as a full-back.
Pavard was a doubt, as he got here in from Stuttgart, who had been relegated to the second division on the time. Nevertheless, Pavard performed persistently in any respect ranges, making no errors and changing into an everyday proper again. From his first 12 months, he contributed considerably to the membership’s triple crown.
With these precedents in thoughts, Ito’s transfer was a logical determination that even an outsider would perceive. If Bayern can regain the steadiness they misplaced on the again and win again the title, Ito’s switch will probably be remembered as a wonderful addition after the season ends.