Rewritten Article:
Wheels of fate spin differently for Tah, as Bayern Muenchen ponders the sweet allure of cocoa instead.
After a fruitless final dash by FC Bayern Muenchen to nab footie sensation Jonathan Tah, the German juggernaut passes on further signings during this transfer window. "We're massively hyped with our present squad," declared sports director Max Eberl ahead of Bayern's weekend Bundesliga tussle against league leaders SC Freiburg (5:30 pm/DAZN).
Eberl sought to clear the lingering clouds around the Tah drama, which has dominated headlines, including his involvement in the negotiations. "I've felt like a scapegoat, painted in a picture unbecoming of private talks, these past few weeks," Eberl shared.
Mismatched timelines and exorbitant demands
"It unfolded like this: Bayer Leverkusen dropped a bomb three weeks ago – 'Pay this by then!'" Eberl reminisced, addressing Leverkusen's sports managing director, Simon Rolfes, "Simon, an ol' thanks for the deadline and the figure, but we can't comply with either." Such a stand, according to Eberl, reveals the true tale behind transfer saga.
The media buzzed over Leverkusen demanding up to 30 million euros for Tah (28), whose contract expires next year, potentially allowing a free escape. In a Leverkusen fan club event, Bayer's CEO Fernando Carro expressed, "I hold no regard for Max Eberl, none at all, and I wouldn't negotiate with him." Carro later extended an apology to FC Bayern Muenchen for these remarks.
Leverkusen's deafening silence
Eberl disclosed on Friday that he'd reached out to Leverkusen during the transfer deadline's final moments, inquiring if there was a possibility to still offload Tah and thus salvage funds. "Leverkusen didn't respond to that," said Eberl: "Just another chapter in the book, discussed, negotiated, attempted."
Eberl reiterated Bayern's need for balance between their profit and losses during transfer dealings. So far, Bayern have shelled out over 120 million euros on new recruits, with insignificant revenue from summer transfers.
Media whispers swirl around potential player departures as the clock ticks, with winger Kingsley Coman emerging as a potential last-minute trade possibility, perhaps to Saudi Arabia. A second possibility in play is loaning out 20-year-old attacker Gabriel Vidović.
Amidst Leverkusen's CEO's bumpy apology to FC Bayern Muenchen, the German titan and Leverkusen failed to come to terms over the transfer of Jonathan Tah, with the latter demanding an exorbitant sum that Bayern couldn't meet. With this unsuccessful pursuit, FC Bayern Muenchen foregoes additional signings during the transfer period.
