The January transfer window in Germany is rarely about blockbuster deals and more about teams in the thick of the Abstiegskampf (relegation fight) shoring things up to enhance their prospects of achieving the Klassenverbleib (preserving their status). However, this season it's instructive to peruse the upper end of the table and the very different maneuvers of the current top two.
Bayern Munich's priority is addressing the medium- and long-term more than the here and now, and the club's sporting CEO, Max Eberl, faces the unenviable task of making sure key players out of contract this summer (or next) commit their futures to the Rekordmeister without breaking the internal wage structure.
Joshua Kimmich, who turns 30 next week and who Eberl sees as the face of Bayern for several more years, is the sort of player the club has traditionally tried to keep for as long as possible. With a new Arbeitspapier (work paper) needed at the end of this season, though, will he actually sign on the dotted line? The negotiations have resembled a chess game for months.
Meanwhile, the negotiations for Alphonso Davies, the Canada international whose contract is also up at the end of the campaign, appear much more positive, with both sides verbally agreeing on the key details. Similarly, Bayern don't want to restart the search for a new left-back. Until the new deal is signed, though, no one is taking anything for granted.
Jamal Musiala's contract doesn't end until summer 2026, so Eberl and sporting director Christoph Freund have a bit more time on their side. Musiala, who is 21 years old, has said he's happy at Bayern, but there are still details to be cleared up, likely early next month.
Ultimately, all three players must feel assured that Bayern will continue to be a good fit for their ambitions. That means the club needs to remain a force in the UEFA Champions League and not fall behind the other leading clubs in the world.
It's hard to avoid suspecting the three separate discussions are somehow interconnected. If one domino falls, it could impact the others. Bayern are counting on Eberl threading a narrow needle.
Bayer Leverkusen find themselves in a different position. They know that Jonathan Tah's aspirations will take him elsewhere next season. Florian Wirtz is contracted until 2027, and his father and advisor Hans may agree to extend that by another year if an acceptable release clause is inserted.
There is less of a sense that this is a potentially sticky period for the club on the contracts front, and the developments of this week looked exciting for Bayer 04.
Al Nassr's interest in signing Victor Boniface for a transfer fee of more than €60 million, and the Nigeria international's apparent willingness to entertain the prospect, opened considerable doors and allowed wiggle room for sporting director Simon Rolfes. While an undoubtedly dangerous striker, Boniface has been notoriously injury-prone and was on the casualty list until last week. Currently, he is the second choice behind Patrik Schick, who is in the form of his life.
Late on Wednesday, though, the proposed deal collapsed.
It was a wild offer and a chance to reinvest in the squad -- something the club knew was necessary with Martin Terrier and Jeanuël Belocian on the sidelines. The loan-signing of attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendía from Aston Villa compensates for the absence of the former, while the impending arrival of Mario Hermoso on loan from AS Roma adds defensive depth to cover for the latter.
Leverkusen earn Champions League rest
Leverkusen -- not Bayern or Borussia Dortmund -- will feel the benefit of a quieter February after their 2-0 win over Sparta Prague saw them finish sixth in the inaugural phase as part of the new Champions League. They'll bypass next month's knockout playoff round and move straight into March's round of 16.
Bayern, who were a bit slow in overcoming Slovan Bratislava, could face a Hammerlos (difficult draw) in the playoff round with Manchester City as one of two possible opponents, the other being Celtic. Dortmund, who on Thursday appointed former Bayern boss Niko Kovač as manager, will face Sporting CP or Club Brugge, who the Schwarzgelben took care of 3-0 on the opening matchday.
Kovač, incidentally, will officially take charge on Sunday, so interim coach Mike Tullberg will stay put at the helm in Heidenheim on Saturday. The Berlin-born former Croatia international has been out of football since his dismissal by VfL Wolfsburg 10 months ago.
Testing in-stadium VAR announcements
If you're watching the Bundesliga or the 2. Bundesliga this weekend, be ready for something new and different. As part of a pilot project aimed at greater transparency, referees at five venues will announce big decisions to fans by microphone.
These will be restricted to VAR decisions after visits to the review area or verdicts relayed by the Kölner Keller (the video assist center in Cologne). The announcements, in German, will also be made on the Bundesliga's international broadcasts.
Referees were given guidance on form and content at their recent winter gathering in Portugal. The idea is to keep statements concise, explaining which incident was reviewed, the result of the review and then making the appropriate signal.
It's hard to see this as anything but a positive for fans who pay to attend games but are often left in the dark about what has been awarded or taken away, and why.
2. Bundesliga sets new attendance record
If there were any lingering doubts about the appeal of the 2. Bundesliga as the beating heart of all second tiers, look no further than last week, when it achieved a new record attendance.
The nine matches attracted 322,468 spectators at an average of 33,983 per game. Topping the list was the 71,500 for Hertha Berlin-Hamburg at the Olympiastadion, followed by 61,955 at Schalke-Nürnberg.