da premier bet： The Bundesliga club have retooled enough to give England's captain a decent chance of winning an elusive first medal

da dobrowin： Harry Kane might actually be the unluckiest footballer in known history. What else is the England captain supposed to do to win his first trophy?

Last year, he had arguably his best season in recent memory, came close to smashing Robert Lewandowski's Bundesliga scoring record, and did everything he possibly could to drag the Bavarians to a league title, only to see the rest of the team collapse around him.

He arrived at Euro 2024 exhausted and unfit, but still found the net three times and came within an expansive Spain counter-attack of at least forcing extra-time in the final. Had he been fit and firing, England would have been better poised to win the whole thing. But he has saved his country so many times and it's unfortunate that he simply didn't have the legs to do so this time.

Soon begins another season to chase a medal, then. And, just a few weeks into the transfer window, it's a case of so far so good for Bayern. There can be no guarantee that the trophies will flow but the Bavarians are certainly giving off the right signals so far.

There remains the threat of big names leaving Bayern but Vincent Kompany will undoubtedly be confident that 2025 can be their year. The year that Kane finally ends his trophy curse.

Getty Catching Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen were deserved Bundesliga winners last year. For all of the criticism Bayern came under for their subpar season – some of it deserved – nothing short of a perfect campaign would have seen them pip Xabi Alonso's side to the title. He oversaw one of the great football seasons in recent history, coming within one game of an undefeated treble-winning campaign.

All of the pieces of a dominant side were there. Leverkusen were solid defensively – conceding 24 goals in the league all season. But they were devastating at the other end too, finding the net 89 times in 34 games. They accrued 90 points, and consistently found the net in the dying minutes.

This was a side that was well-drilled, stuck to its exciting playing style, and always believed that it could find the net – right up until the last second. Asking Bayern to keep up with that pace – Kane or not – would've be frankly unreasonable.

Closing the gap this season is the big challenge.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesProblem areas

So, how do Bayern do it? For one, they must hope that Leverkusen drop off in some way. A sceptic might say that the number of late goals that the reigning champions provided last season was simply unsustainable. If a few of those don't go in this campaign, they could certainly be more catchable. Champions League football will undoubtedly add further stress to their schedule – which can only be a good thing for Bayern.

But they really have to look inward here. Kompany has an interesting squad to work with, old in some areas and concerningly youthful in others. The failings of Dayot Upamecano at centre-back, Alphonso Davies at left-back and a glut of players in central midfield leaves the Bavarians needing solutions.

They could also use an extra attacking player to provide some creative spark when Kane and Jamal Musiala are unable to carry all of the load. And perhaps more broadly, this squad needs to be deeper, younger, and armed with new ideas. Bayern have gone stale.

Getty ImagesOlise arrives

Crystal Palace must have known that they were going to lose Michael Olise. Oliver Glasner had worked wonders with the French talent at the end of last season – who always seemed to be destined for a big move. Still, it would have been nice to see the winger remain at Palace for at least one more year, if only to see how he and Eberechi Eze could perform together over the course of a full season.

But when the Bavarians came in for him, Palace couldn't say no. The whole process moved quickly, especially considering most of the football world's attention was firmly on Euro 2024. Kompany finished the deal all the same, bringing the promising Frenchman to Germany in what is an admittedly shrewd next step in his career. How he fits into the side remains to be seen. Jamal Musiala is the centrepiece of the Bavarian attack, and tends to operate in similar areas.

That's arguably a good problem for Kompany to have, though. Olise, after all, is still just 22, and figures to lead the next era of this Bavarian attack.

GettyPalhinha gets his move

Finally. Joao Palhinha has wanted to be a Bayern player for almost a year now. He almost was in July 2023. The player had already flown to Munich and undergone his medical before Fulham called the deal off. It was messy, with the London club insisting on having a replacement lined up before their Portuguese midfielder put pen to paper in Germany.

But after a deal for Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fell through, Fulham demanded that Palhinha return. He swiftly signed a new deal at Craven Cottage, pledging his future to the club until 2028. Rumours of a move didn't relent, however, and there was always a sense that the right bid could still lure him overseas.

Palhinha went about the 2023-24 season like a pro. He won the most tackles in the Premier League, and anchored a solid Fulham side that managed a respectable 13th-placed finish. Bayern, meanwhile, struggled without a specialist to anchor then-manager Thomas Tuchel's midfield. Now – although they have a different manager – they finally have the right man for the job.