FC Bayern Munich’s Transfer Disaster Is A Massive Warning Sign

AUGSBURG, GERMANY – AUGUST 30: Luis Diaz of FC Bayern München (L) and Chrislain Matsima of FC Augsburg compete for the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern München at WWK-Arena on August 30, 2025 in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by Marcel Engelbrecht – firo sportphoto/Getty Images)

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One of FC Bayern Munich’s nicknames is FC Hollywood. The term was coined in the 1990s when the antics of the players and scandalous incidents resembled something of a high-octane soap opera.

But it was also a nod to the high profile of the team. Since the 1970s, the club has been Germany’s leading soccer superpower, a club where European success is the benchmark of success in addition to the Bundesliga title.

In the past two decades, that relentless ambition has calcified into a concrete advantage thanks to Bayern recording ever-higher revenues.

The results are clear, since 2013, the league title has only been surrounded on one occasion and the Bavarians have often not even needed to play at their maximum to secure the domestic crown.

This summer, however, FC Bayern’s transfer business has been anything other than Hollywood.

By the time Luis Diaz arrived from Liverpool for around $90 million, the club had been unable to land Florian Wirtz, Rafael Leao, Bradley Barcola and Nico Williams.

The failure to land Wirtz in particular is a sign that things aren’t what they were in Bavaria. The club has normally been so efficient in hoovering up the Bundesliga’s best players, from Robert Lewandowski to Mario Gotze.

But on this occasion, sporting director Max Eberl suggested the finances put the Bayer Leverkusen star out of reach, saying, “I don’t know if we could have paid what Liverpool are apparently paying now.”

Missing out to England’s league champions is frustrating for Bayern, but at a club that prides itself on being prudent as well as ambitious, the criticism would not be too harsh.

Far more worrying is what happened in the past couple of days when long-time target Nick Woltemade joined Newcastle United.

Prior to his heading to the Premier League, it was being reported that Woltemade transfer was being drawn from its “own budget,” although the transfer could only go ahead if “Stuttgart accepted Bayern’s terms.”

It turned out that Bayern’s terms didn’t really matter because Newcastle United swooped in to agree a $93 million deal.

Once again, Eberl was blamed finances for missing out and implied there was an element of desperation from the Magpies, who appear poised to lose star striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool.

“I don’t know if it was a strategic transfer or a desperate move because Isak [Newcastle’s current striker] is leaving for Liverpool,” he said.

“What happens in the Premier League is none of our business.

“It’s a fact that extraordinary prices have been paid and will continue to be paid there. We’re working on our strategy – and that’s to act economically sensible and still set up the squad to be successful both domestically and internationally. That’s our job.”

Eberl looks considerably worse for the fact that the club has also failed to secure any other forwards.

A loan move for Chelsea outcast Christopher Nkunku was knocked back and then, at the last minute, a deal for Blues attacker Nicholas Jackson also fell through after an injury on the weekend to Liam Delap.

Discussing what he’d do to strengthen the squad, Eberl said: “We have 48 hours left. This isn’t a situation we could really plan for, but we’ll try to find a solution. We’re still considering things, and as long as we can act, we’ll consider whether to act and how to act. If we decide that we’ll do nothing, then that’s a decision, but first we still have the opportunity to decide, and we’ll try to do that as best we can.”

Scrabbling around to recruit rejects from an inconsistent Chelsea team is not a position a club of the stature of Bayern Munich should ever be in.

But the concern is that the Germans are struggling to compete with the Premier League finances.

Another Bayern director, Christoph Freund, admitted as much after Woltemade moved to England.

“Bayern Munich is Bayern Munich, a very, very big club,” said Freund. “The boys can win titles here, we can offer them very interesting options internationally, and domestically as well.

“It’s always the player’s decision. We at Bayern Munich are very, very attractive, we notice that again and again when we talk to players. Financially, the Premier League is in a different league. You have discussions, you have a certain relationship.

“Ultimately, it’s the player’s decision as to what’s the best step for his career. We’re not involved in that. The sums of money involved; how much money is at stake; that they have brutal opportunities in the Premier League. Not just two or three clubs, many clubs. Newcastle is a good club, but not the top tier.”

The question is what will this do to Bayern’s on-field ambitions this season.

According to coach, Vincent Kompany, they are still in good shape regardless of the lack of signings.

“In a healthy club, people communicate daily, and that’s certainly the case with us. We’re always communicating, not just about the squad. But everyone has their role. For me the only important thing is that this squad performs as best as possible,” Kompany told Magenta TV in preseason.

“I’ve always said that we have so much talent, the most important thing is that the players are fit. Right now, we’re missing Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, [Hiroki] Itō, and now, hopefully not for long, [Aleksandar] Pavlović. We can make many steps forward when the injured players come back.”

His top striker, Harry Kane, offered a slightly more apprehensive view, however.

“It’s probably one of the smallest squads I’ve ever played in. There’s still time until the transfer window closes and decisions could be made by Max Eberl, Christoph [Freund], and the coach,” he told reporters ahead of the new campaign.

“We have some young players who have done very well in pre-season. We’re a bit thin, but that’s not in the players’ control.”

The worrying thing for Bayern and indeed European soccer more generally is that these issues won’t be resolved any time soon. Unless a Super League is established, the revenue Bayern earns will continue to be outstripped by teams in the Premier League that are outside of the elite.