Four crucial questions arise for the "Rekordmeister" from the end of this season:

What future for Lewandowski, Müller and Neuer?

The contracts of innkeepers Robert Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller expire at the end of 2023, as well as that of Serge Gnabry, and the club has still not communicated on possible renewals, arousing the concern of the Munich press.

Oliver Kahn, the boss of the club, admitted that Lewandowski "is wondering", at 33, about his future.

Some media are talking about a departure for Barcelona at the end of this season.

We are talking about an indemnity of 40 million euros.

Thursday, the magazine Kicker, generally very well informed, also announced that the club was only offering Neuer (36) and Müller (32) a one-year extension, until June 2024.

Their departures would leave the club orphan of its three most emblematic figures.

Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer before the match against Dortmund on April 23, 2022 in Munich Christof STACHE AFP

Who will be the stars of tomorrow?

For now, the only transfers in sight for next season are the two young talents of Ajax Amsterdam Ryan Gravenberch (midfielder) and Noussair Mazraoui (right side).

For economic reasons, Bayern wants to change its recruitment policy, and rely more and more on players from its training center or at the start of their career.

Among the very young players already at the club, the leaders have high hopes for Canadian defender Alphonso Davies (21), German neo-international versatile midfielder Jamal Musiala (19), French central defender Tanguy Nianzou (19), and, in a slightly more distant future, the new little German prodigy Paul Wanner, an attacking player who already started in the first team at the age of 16.

What means for what ambitions?

Negotiations on the renewal of executives "are complicated, in this financially difficult phase", recognized sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, who also knows that he will not be able to go crazy on the transfer market.

Admittedly, Bayern remains a behemoth of European football, third in the latest annual ranking by Deloitte with 634 million in turnover, behind Manchester City and Real Madrid.

But the Premier League clubs or Paris SG, supported by investors with almost unlimited funds, are driving up salaries and transfer fees.

Bayern, which relies on its own resources and on debt-free management, admits having more and more difficulty following, after two years of total or partial closed doors due to the Covid-19.

For the past two seasons, the club have let Thiaco Alcantara and David Alaba go against their will, respectively for Liverpool and Real, because they couldn't line up.

Can Nagelsmann get Bayern back to the top?

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann on April 23, 2022 in Munich, Germany Christof STACHE AFP

After a mixed first season, the Bundesliga title not compensating for the premature elimination in the Champions League, 34-year-old coach Julian Nagelsmann admitted that it was "not enough" in view of the club's ambitions .

The leaders continue to see in him their main asset for the coming seasons, but this gifted tactician will not be able to do anything if he does not have the adequate squad to fight at the highest level.

The cascade of absences due to Covid and injuries this winter has shown that Bayern have a world-class eleven, but lack the bench depth of other big European teams.

© 2022 AFP