Even with the arrival of Luis Diaz to the club, there are still some problems regarding the way Bayern Munich conduct themselves in the transfer market.
Of course, the 50% + 1 rule that exists in Germany, prohibiting majority ownership of clubs by wealthy owners, prevents the Bavarians from spending as much as many of their European rivals do on player acquisitions, and financial stability has been Bayern’s greatest strength over several decades.
At the same time, mediocrity in the Champions League cannot be what the German record champions aim for in the long run either. Bayern Munich are one of the greatest clubs on the European continent and must work to retain that status.
The Delicate Balance Bayern Munich Need To Strike
They have to balance the need for maintaining financial stability with the need to stay competitive in Europe and beyond.
Putting aside the likely Diaz signing, Bayern Munich have only brought in former Bayer Leverkusen captain Jonathan Tah and TSG Hoffenheim youngster Tom Bischof, having taken a huge chance on the latter.
Both players would have normally been free transfers, with the Bavarians only paying a small fee in either case, as they wanted both of them to be available for the FIFA Club World Cup earlier this summer.
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The Trouble With Selling Players
The reluctance to spend money on players comes partly from the fact that Bayern Munich have had major problems selling underperforming players.
In many cases over the last two summers, the club leadership have had trouble convincing players who were surplus to requirements to move on. These players often prefer to sit out the remainder of their contracts, rather than play somewhere else for potentially less money.
Leroy Sané, Eric Dier, and Thomas Müller have left the club on free transfers, after their contracts ended at the beginning of July.
Apart from that, Bayern have only been able to offload Mathys Tel to Tottenham Hotspur, who had been on loan there already since January.
Perhaps Diaz, if/when he does come, will be a major improvement to the squad, but if Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry stay on, there could be a problem with the club’s wage bill.
That is why Bayern must strike such a delicate balance between high expenditures and financial stability. At the same time, the lengthy injury absence of Jamal Musiala forces the club to find a short-term replacement, which is nowhere in sight.
On top of that, the team have been knocked out at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League in four of the last five seasons, which certainly is not the ambition of Bayern Munich.
Navigating the Road Ahead
The club have a complex set of issues to deal with, to achieve both short-term success and long-term stability. Both things are of vital importance to any team of the size and scope of Bayern Munich.
Decisive steps need to be taken to ensure both.
In the spring, sporting board member Max Eberl decided to spend big on the contract extensions of especially Joshua Kimmich, Alphonso Davies and Musiala. As a result of that, he has been told by his higher-ups that he must save money ahead of the summer transfer window.
It will be interesting to see how the club walk this tight rope, both now and in the future.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Kirchner-Media
Recording Date: 12.04.2025