Bundesliga
Choupo-Moting: "Lewandowski's the best, but no one can play every game"
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting says he is more than happy to play second fiddle to Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich, after joining the record champions on a one-year deal on deadline day.
Having spent the last two years at Paris Saint-Germain, serving predominantly as back-up to the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani, Choupo-Moting would have been forgiven for seeking a more central role elsewhere. But once Bayern made contact, he didn't think twice.
"Paris wanted me to stay, but I turned them down," the 31-year-old forward said at his official unveiling as a Bayern player on Monday. "There were some interesting offers, but it was clear to me once Bayern made their move. It wasn't a shock they came in for me, but it's a huge honour. They're the Champions League holders, the biggest team in Germany.
"Everyone knows how good Lewandowski is. He's the best striker in the world, but no one can play all the time. The coach didn't go into specifics, but he said I would get minutes. I'm confident I can do my bit to help the team."
Choupo-Moting is a Bundesliga-made target man, after all. He made his top-flight debut for hometown club Hamburg and honed his craft on loan at Nuremberg, before sinking 38 goals across spells with Mainz and Schalke.
After a one-season stint in the English Premier League with Stoke City, the Cameroon international was reunited with former Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel at PSG, winning back-to-back Ligue 1 titles, both 2019/20 domestic cups and the Super Cup.
And it was his last-gasp goal against Atalanta that propelled the French giants in the Champions League semi-finals, where they beat RB Leipzig before coming up short to Bayern.
Watch: Choupo-Moting's top 5 Bundesliga goals
Choupo-Moting, for whom the final in Lisbon represented his last outing in PSG colours, saw Bayern's continental conquest coming.
"I spoke to the boys at PSG at the start of the season, and even told Neymar that Bayern were my favourites for the trophy," he revealed.
"Now I'm a Bayern player, I couldn't be happier. It's a super club, in a super city. I want to win as many titles as possible, preferably another treble."
Choupo-Moting made his Bayern debut in the first game of their DFB Cup defence against fifth-tier FC Düren on Thursday, scoring two and winning a penalty to help the Reds earn a 3-0 victory and a place in the second round.