For supporters of Germany’s most successful team, the club that refers to itself as FC Ruhmreich (FC Fame) with a sliver of irony but oodles of earnest pride, it has been a largely uncomfortable summer.



They had long and justifiably revelled in the fact that Bayern Munich had set the benchmark for concluding their transfer business quickly, smartly and with minimum fuss. But as domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund approached the new season with all key signings in place and a surplus of good players on their books, influential members of the Bayern squad were publicly voicing concerns about the unsettling lack of numbers in the dressing room.



“You could see the problems we had,” striker Robert Lewandowski said after a sobering 2-0 defeat by Dortmund in the German Supercup in early August. “We need players who can make an immediate difference from the bench.”



The Reds’ tardiness in bringing in reinforcements for the attack...