Bayern Munich Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of January 26

Posted Monday, January 26, 2015 by Bleacherreport.com

Well, we're almost there, Bayern Munich fans. Just one more week and the hellish nonsense that is the January transfer window will be gone for another year.

Yet, with the conclusion of this week comes another new challenge in the form of the Bundesliga's return. Bayern face second-placed Wolfsburg on Friday and will have to be at their absolute best if they hope to overcome the hopeful opponents.

Pep Guardiola's side have already done exactly what they set out for in this transfer window: a slight trimming of the squad. Midfielders Xherdan Shaqiri and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have left on loan, with the former most likely to never return while the Spanish coach keeps his champions lean and fighting keen for more titles.

Here's all of the gossip from the transfer grapevine this week.

Bayern Munich Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of January 26

In what may seem like the most unlikely move possible among all of the stars at the Munich club, the most notable transfer news of the week has suggested that the coach himself may be looking to move on.

Reports from Germany's biggest tabloid, Bild, on Sunday, January 25, state that the coach has refused to address the growing concerns that he has yet to commit to speculation that he will leave once his contract runs out next year.

Such speculation is of course no more than that, especially when we acknowledge that the story hasn't hit the English press yet, but such a theme isn't exactly a new one.

Raphael Honigstein recently wrote about this very topic for ESPN on January 7, stating:

Guardiola made a habit of running down his existing deals at Barcelona, to be sure. But in Munich, those in charge are secretly bracing for his departure at the end of the 2016 season. If the three-year timeline proves accurate, the clock has started ticking for the 43-year-old and Bayern alike. They'll only have 18 months left together in which Bayern should -- no, must -- win the Champions League.

Perhaps things aren't exactly as rosy as they once seemed at the Bavarian giants.

Bayern Munich Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of January 26

In this week's five-point stance, Stan Collymore visits topics related to the FA Cup, the January transfer window, Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea and the Africa Cup of Nations.

1. Give smaller clubs choice of FA Cup venues

Cambridge will face Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday night at the Abbey Stadium.

That is going to be some atmosphere at the ground, but I think smaller clubs should automatically be able to choose where the matches should be played if they are given a home tie.

If a lower-league team faces a Premier League side, they should be given the choice of playing the tie at home or playing at a major stadium.

At a time when there is little money trickling down from the Premier League, it would keep clubs like Cambridge going for the next three or four years. That would be a hugely important thing to do.

In the past, some smaller teams would give away the right to play at home, but it would be a great idea to help lower-league teams who are not as financially strong.

There used to be an option for smaller clubs to do this while others opted to stay at home—few people are going to forget Sutton United beating Coventry on their home ground in the late 1980s.

But a few quid given to the bigger teams to cover costs for staging the tie, with the rest going to the smaller club in the tie, would be a boost for teams fortunate to be paired with giants in the FA Cup.

2. January transfer window should be scrapped

I'm not a huge fan of the January transfer window. It's a chance for the biggest clubs just to buy another player to push on to bigger things, but smaller clubs can't always do that.

I would scrap the January transfer window tomorrow. Clubs should register their squads on Aug. 1 and then be allowed to buy players again only after the final game of the season.

Some fans might say, "What if there's only 15 fit players?" But Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and virtually every Premier League club are supposed to have academies with some of the best young talent in there. So let's give them some game time.

Being able to spend around £30 million on a player when you have a few injuries, as City did on Wilfried Bony, is grossly unfair.

3. Redknapp right to turn down Pato in relegation fight

Bayern Munich Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of January 26

Queens Park Rangers were offered former AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato this week, but manager Harry Redknapp says the player is not for him, according to Sky Sports.

Redknapp has to get QPR back to what got them promoted into the Premier League: graft, hard work and discipline.

The problem with filling a team with high-profile mercenaries is that once it starts going downhill in terms of struggling in the Premier League, it can come unstuck.

In a relegation scrap, you need every character you can possibly get. I'm not sure Pato coming into the Premier League for the first time would necessarily be a good option for QPR going forward.

QPR need players like Joey Barton and Karl Henry—players who can dig deep at the foot of the table.

4. Only Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo would justify Chelsea spending this month

Bayern Munich Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of January 26

Jose Mourinho says he is happy with his squad and does not want to do any business this month.

The only way Chelsea can add momentum to their squad at the moment is if they bought a Lionel Messi or a Cristiano Ronaldo. And I doubt Financial Fair Play rules would allow them to anyway.

Unless it was one of those players—someone who makes jaws drop—I really don't think there is anyone Mourinho should add to his squad.

5. FIFA missing a trick over zonal tournaments

It's understandable that African football fans and authorities should want the Africa Cup of Nations to be staged when it makes sense to them, but the vast majority of footballers playing in the tournament are playing in Europe's biggest leagues.

We are in the ridiculous situation that Manchester City have just signed a striker but can't play him for a month.

If 50 per cent or more players in a zonal tournament play their club football in Europe, these finals should be played to fit in with the European season.

Why not have all the zonal tournaments such as the Africa Cup of Nations, the Asian Cup, the Copa America and European championships at the same time of year?

This could be a real televisual feast of football when there is no World Cup. There's no reason why it can't be done with a bit of joined-up thinking. Fans would love it, and so would the broadcasters.