There's no way you can blame Bayern for it but it's difficult not to get a bit fed up with the monopoly that the German giants have created in the Bundesliga. It's certainly not the only league in world football that is dominated by a one or two big fish but the efficiency with which Bayern have gone about swatting away the opposition has been rather impressive.
The thing is, the Bundesliga genuinely is a great league to watch but, around these parts, it's often regarded as a level below the Premier League and La Liga and a lot of that has to do with the fact that there's rarely much of a challenge to Bayern's dominance.
And when there is, Bayern do what they do best. When Leverkusen got a bit big for their boots, it happened with Ballack and Ze Roberto and when Jurgen Klopp turned Dortmund into the ultimate upstarts, Lewandowski and Gotze were promptly lured away. It looked like that had the desired effect but then Thomas Tuchel came along and ensured that, even though Bayern have only lost two games all season, Dortmund have at least threatened to turn a procession into a bit of a battle.
But Bayern were never going to let that situation develop and now it looks like they've identified their former protege Mats Hummels as the latest example of cutting off Dortmund at the knees before they can climb to the top of the pile once again.
Bild are today reporting that, with his contract running out in the summer of 2017, Bayern are set to swoop with a €30 million offer to take the Dortmund captain back to Bavaria after he was allowed to leave the club as an inexperienced young defender for €4 million back in 2009.
BREAKING: Bayern have started negotiations with Mats Hummels. Transfer fee would be around €30m [Bild] pic.twitter.com/79czMpysdE
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 21, 2016
It must be said that Bild tend to be a bit wild and free with their transfer reporting but this time around, it would appear that there really is something to it. Hummels may have spoken out against the possibility of a move to Bayern in the past but, speaking this week, he was rather more coy about the possibility of a move away from the Westfalenstadion.
It’s a very difficult decision, and when I finally make it people will understand how hard it is for me. I’ve set a date, but I’m keeping it to myself.
It’s been taking me at least half an hour extra to fall asleep for several weeks now because this is such a big issue for me.
Granted, that had nothing in particular to do with Bayern and Hummels will have no shortage of suitors elsewhere but the words of his father and agent, Hermann Hummels, will be rather more worrying for Dortmund fans.
Mats is facing an enormously important decision in his career, in his life. If he were to leave Dortmund, then he could only go to five or six top clubs, and of course Bayern are one of them.
Gotze's move hasn't worked out particularly well for Germany's World Cup hero but, even though a swap move to bring him back to Dortmund has been mooted, the Bild report has stated that such a move will not be happening (because when does a swap deal ever happen?) and, judging by this, Dortmund fans won't be too worried about that.
