Bayern Munich are the undisputed powerhouses of German football, and after Bayer Leverkusen’s miracle 2023/24 season, Bayern, as usual, have responded to being dethroned by dominating like never before.
Although the center back position is not a weakness in this side and Die Roten were able to extend the world-class Dayot Upamecano, the way this team prioritizes the position, it is likely they will want another experienced player – and potentially someone with superstar potential – to join the current experienced Bundesliga tandem of Jonathan Tah and Upa in 2026.
Kim Min-jae is one of the best No. 3 center backs you will find and has been unfairly maligned in Bayern. Despite his frequent benchings, Kim has remained loyal to the cause and actually wants to stay in Munchen, but it is the Bavarians who are likely to be open to fielding offers for the Japanese international, especially with several top Premier League clubs, such as Chelsea, desperate for his signature.
Assuming Kim and Bayern Munich part ways this summer 2026 transfer window, here are five possible center back signings Max Eberl and his front office team could bring in this year.
Nico Schlotterbeck, Borussia Dortmund
Stealing away Nico Schlotterbeck from rivals Borussia Dortmund would be the icing on the cake for Bayern Munich in the summer 2026 transfer window, as Schlotty is one of the most gifted German defensive talents around and has that swagger and athletic quality that Die Roten are looking for in all their players.
Like most elite clubs, Bayern covet center backs who are capable of keeping up with the most explosive forwards, making game-changing tackles to begin attacks, and almost function like additional midfielders with their passing abilities both in keeping possession and building out of the back, as well as creating chances out of nowhere.
Nobody does those things better than Schlotterbeck, who, once again, has been one of the best players in the Bundesliga this season. It is no secret that Bayern have been interested in Schlotterbeck, and while a big signing has seemingly been ruled out by the Dayot Upamecano extension, seasoned Bayern fans know to never rule out a blockbuster center back signing; this is one position Bayern tend to value the highest on the transfer market.
Real Madrid, like Bayern, want to sign center backs entering their prime with Schlotterbeck’s profile and have an even bigger need for a center back. There’s a school of thought that it is between Real and Dortmund, but everyone knows that when Bayern Munich come knocking at a German international’s door, they tend to win out.
Yan Bisseck, Inter Milan
Like Schlotterbeck, Yan Bisseck has been one of the best players in his own league this season, and it is honestly remarkable that the German international is becoming a well-known name in Calcio circles because of who he plays around.
Bisseck shares the Inter Milan back line with perhaps the most coveted player on the transfer market this summer in Alessandro Bastoni -a rare talent with his passing ability on the ball and a sweep left foot that is averaging a full key pass per game this season.
Meanwhile, the man in the middle of the back three is cult hero Francesco Acerbi, who, at 38 years old, only seems to be getting better with age and is definitely one of the most popular names in Italian football.
But Bisseck has become a standout center back in his own right. Bayern will undoubtedly be familiar with Bisseck, and while Inter won’t sell any players cheaply with another Scudetto set to be on the way, Bisseck is more underrated than Schlotterbeck and would be a comparatively speaking, budget signing. And with his versatility, he’s an emergency fullback option, which seems to be something of a buzzword for the Bavarians these days.
Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool
Ibrahima Konate, like Nico Schlotterbeck, has probably become less of a topic of conversation around Bayern Munich heading into the summer transfer window after the re-signing of Dayot Upamecano, because Konate was seen as a like-for-like free agent replacement – and both he and Upamecano share French nationality and were once teammates for RB Leipzig.
Bayern fans will be happy they ended up with Upamecano due to his superior athleticism, speed, and ball-playing as one of the most unique defensive weapons in world football, but in terms of reading of the game and pure defensive consistency, the Premier League-winning Konate may be even better.
Liverpool continue to work on hammering out a Konate deal, but, as with the Trent Alexander-Arnold talks last year, the longer things proceed without a new deal in place, the more likely it is for Konate to go.
Bayern Munich like to remain stocked up with three top center backs, and while Real Madrid are always going to be players here for the Frenchman, Bayern have to be in consideration as a possible landing spot.
Konate could feasibly compete for starts alongside Upamecano, and I’m sure he would love to return to the Bundesliga and see what he and Upa can do together all these years later now that they are in their primes.
Luka Vuskovic, Hamburg
Unquestionably, the biggest dream transfer target in central defense for Bayern Munichisn’t Yann Bisseck, the free Ibrahima Konate, or even Borussia Dortmund rival Nico Schlotterbeck.
If you take away the entire Bayern Munich front three, which is operating on the most dominant level of any attacking trio in world football right now, then the best player in the Bundesliga would 100 percent be Luka Vuskovic.
Even though he is only a teenager and in his first season in a top flight of any kind, Vuskovic has looked right at home, and those jokes about him being a Sergio Ramos regen from Tottenham Hotspur fans in the preseason may actually seem like an understatement right now.
Like Ramos, Vuskovic is a complete central defender who reads the game well, dominates in the air, destroys attackers in duels, passes like a midfielder, and even scores goals like a striker.
Tottenham would be insane to let Vuskovic go, and the most likely scenario is the Croatian staying in Hamburg for another year as he continues to refine his talents. But if we are all being honest, it is plainly evident that Vuskovic, a Bundesliga Player of the Season candidate, is ready to play for any team in Europe.
That includes Bayern, and it feels like Die Roten and Vuskovic are openly flirting with each other with all the back-and-forth in press conferences. Vuskovic makes too much sense for Bayern, because he can both get game time with them – or on loan from them to Hamburg for one more year – and sit and learn from some of the Bundesliga’s best, including head coach and former world-class central defender Vincent Kompany.
John Stones, Manchester City
Speaking of Kompany and Manchester City, his former teammate John Stones has been linked to the Bavarians. Ibrahima Konate is really the only free agent center back who has been linked to Bayern with Marc Guehi now off the table after signing with, ahem, Man City this winter transfer window.
But even though Stones is older than Konate at 31, he might actually make more sense as a free agent, pending the financial package he wants from clubs, which, in theory, should be lower than Konate’s despite his massive wages at the Etihad on his previous deal.
Aside from the familiarity with Kompany, the fact that Stones is older and would be more willing to end his career as a backup chasing silverware and enjoying dominating sides in Germany may actually help facilitate a deal.
Stones could be the clear No. 3 center back behind Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano, holding down the fort depth-wise as a capable player against any sort of opponent due to his own treble-winning experience as a key starter for Pep Guardiola.
Bayern Munich can then move him into a fourth role pending the development of a prospect – or even the future acquisition of a certain Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur.
There is one last wrinkle to consider. When Stones won the treble, he actually did so as a center midfielder alongside Rodri and shone in this role with his reading of the game and passing. Bayern need that kind of player in their midfield to help Joshua Kimmich and Co. out, so that is another feather in Stones’s cap.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.