Tuchel comments on Gravenberch, Palhinha and Bayern's search for a right-back
At a press conference today, Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel commented on Ryan Gravenberch's imminent move to Liverpool and the German champions' ambitions to sign a defensive midfielder and a right-back before the transfer deadline.
Ryan Gravenberch is close to joining Liverpool, with the Bayern Munich midfielder in England for his medical.
At a press conference today, Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel explained why the Dutch midfielder is leaving the club.
"For me, he is a box-to-box midfielder, an attacking player. The main problem for him is that we don't really play with a number 8 in our 4-2-3-1 system. And we're spoilt for choice up front, with really experienced players," Tuchel explained.
"Ryan is a very nice, hard-working, dedicated player. He wasn't happy with his situation. He sees an opportunity at Liverpool to compete for a place at the 8 in a 4-3-3. He's wanted to leave for a while. An offer came in and we talked about it. It's not done yet, but the outcome is clear."
On the arrivals front, Bayern are reportedly close to completing the signing of Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha from Fulham.
Tuchel wouldn't go into detail about the 28-year-old, but did confirm that Bayern are looking to strengthen in defensive midfield.
"I can't say anything yet. If I said something and he didn't join us, I would be talking about a player, who is not under contract with us. It's still a few hours away. We're trying to complete and strengthen our team. It's exciting and it will remain exciting."
Bayern are also trying to sign a replacement for Benjamin Pavard, who recently left for Inter.
"We are trying to close the gap in a short period of time," said Tuchel on the possibility of bringing in a new face for the right-back position.
"We have Konrad Laimer who can play there. We're still trying to change things. If it doesn't work out, we have to be flexible."