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Lothar Matthaus was blunt with his verdict on Bayern Munich's acquisition of Luis Diaz as he said the Colombian was originally not Bayern's first-choice attacking transfer target.
Diaz secured an $88 million transfer to the Bavarian giant last week, becoming the club's third most-expensive signing of all time after Harry Kane and Lucas Hernandez.
However, despite the lofty fee he commanded, it is common knowledge that Bayern had its sights set elsewhere when the window started.
The German champion was eager to make Florian Wirtz its marquee signing, but the 22-year-old opted to join Liverpool instead — a decision which came as something of a surprise given Bayern's track record of hoovering up all the best German talent.
Wirtz's move to Liverpool, combined with Leroy Sane's departure, left Bayern in need of an attacking addition. Nico Williams of Athletic Club, Bradley Barcola of PSG, and Jamie Gittens — who joined Chelsea earlier in the window — were all on Bayern's radar but did not move for one reason or another.
Ultimately, Diaz ended up as Bayern's main attacking target for the summer, and there will be plenty of pressure on him to deliver in Bavaria next season.
"Diaz is a good player, but he wasn't the first choice for this position," Matthaus told Sky. "We also received rejections, and Max Eberl (Bayern sporting director) mustn't forget that.
"You can't just sit back and relax in your job anyway. There are still things you'd like to do, both on one side and the other."
Diaz made his first appearance for his new club as he came on as a half-time substitute during Bayern's 2-1 victory over Lyon in a friendly at the Allianz Arena.
Despite not scoring or assisting during his 45-minute cameo, Diaz was pleased with his performance for Vincent Kompany's side.
"I'll get used to the team bit by bit," Diaz said. "I think I personally had a good game. I had chances to score, but hopefully I'll score next time.
"My first impressions are incredible. I'm very happy and feeling well in my first few days here. I'll need a bit of time to integrate and get to know my teammates so I can help the team better."
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