Bayern Munich has already been relatively active in the summer transfer window having already completed the signings of Konrad Laimer from RB Leipzig and Raphael Guerreiro from Borussia Dortmund. They’re also on the verge of completing a deal for SSC Napoli’s Kim Min-jae and could still yet wind up signing Kyle Walker from Manchetser City. They do also face the prospect of losing Lucas Hernandez, Benjamin Pavard, and potentially even Ryan Gravenberch, but there’s still plenty of time left in the window and Thomas Tuchel still wants to sign a big-name striker.
Unlike most of their elite European competitors, Bayern is often against splashing the cash for over-inflated transfer fees, though they will more than likely have to shell out for a top-tier striker. Even still, their usual transfer spending pales in comparison to most of the top clubs in the Premier League and the rest of Europe’s elite class like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and FC Barcelona.
Former Bayern technical director Michael Reschke recently spoke about the financial gaps that the club is faced with in terms of their competitors abroad as it pertains to transfers. He feels that they’d have a much easier time attracting the highest echelon of transfer targets if they were a Premier League club in England. “If Bayern were in the Premier League, they would certainly have it a bit easier on the transfer market. The PL has the biggest appeal, together with Real Madrid and somewhat Barcelona. But Bayern are still among the top 10 clubs,” he said to kicker (via @iMiaSanMia).
By no means was Reschke suggesting that Bayern isn’t one of the world’s most successful and globally recognizable sporting brands, he just knows that the Premier League has far more financial resources within its own marketplace. For one, he feels the Bundesliga being more competitive could help garner more outside interest, taking one side of what’s long been a hotly-debated argument — especially as Bayern has now won 11 straight titles.
“The club can pay very good salaries, and FC Bayern is still a lucrative club for top international players. But the PL is just a great league, there’s a lot going on on the pitch week after week. A more exciting Bundesliga would certainly help Bayern get players,” he explained.
As if often the case in the transfer market also, players’ representatives listen to multiple offers from multiple clubs, sometimes with the sole intent of just getting a more lucrative offer for a new contract with their current club. This type of posturing is common in the transfer markets. “The absolute top players do not exist like sand by the sea. They don’t need Bayern to increase their market value. Top players don’t talk to FC Bayern to maybe get a few more euros. They have so many other options that they don’t need to,” Reschke explained.
For now, until things change and financial gaps become smaller and smaller between Bayern and football’s financial elites, the Rekordmeister may just have to live with not being able to sign the highest class of players. “What they [Bayern] won’t or can’t do is sign players like Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham or Harry Kane at the absolute top. Bayern are struggling with that. If they can still sign a caliber like that in the prime of their career, that would be an exceptional situation,” Reschke concluded.
