Malik Tillman’s nine years at Bayern Munich ended in the summer of 2024, as his loan to Eredivise side PSV Eindhoven was made permanent. Part of the initial loan agreement contained not only a buy option for PSV but also the option for Bayern to nullify the buy option in exchange for a certain fee, as long as the Bavarians notified the Dutch champions within a certain date. What the required fee was or when the notice had to be handed over was subject to contrasting reports, but Bayern clearly decided against bringing Tillman back under the previously agreed circumstances.
It is relevant to note that Bayern Munich’s sporting team had changed in the year that Tillman was on loan at PSV, which might explain the club cooling on their former player.
“The whole thing was up to Bayern, and they basically didn’t want me anymore,” Tillman confirmed recently, as captured by prosoccerwire. “PSV had the right to buy me. They were the first option, and so I didn’t really have a chance to say anything.”
Tillman reached the knockout stages of the Champions League last season and is fast rising as a prospect, so things are looking good.
“I’m still happy at PSV. I also wanted to stay at PSV, so it’s a good thing,” the 22-year-old added.
One just needs to look at the attacking depth Bayern currently possesses to realize why it may have been detrimental to both Bayern and Tillman to keep the former Greuther Fürth youth player around any longer. Nor does that mean his story in Munich is over. There were prominent reports of a buy back clause as well as a matching right for Tillman, as captured by @iMiaSanMia. Perhaps he will go on to complete a decade at Bayern after all…
