We assume completely different numbers and therefore evaluate them differently. You say “Let’s say he extended and would come out at 12 fix, maybe 15 fix.” That sounds harmless. I’m with you. But what does that mean when it comes to max fehalt. The numbers circulating are never the “fixed” salaries. Fixed = basic salary. Nobody talks about that. So what does 15 fix mean? Ie basic salary. Ie including bonuses 20 million per year. I don’t see that with Upa. Unfortunately, we haven’t done anything internationally since Upa arrived. And he was never one of the outstanding players. And, Nagelsmann and Tuchel paid comparative attention to the defense. It wasn’t like every defender had to look stupid at some point. However, Upa sometimes had complete failures. It had nothing to do with the game system. It wasn’t quite as bad last season. But 20 million a year? Sorry, just by repeating the mantra multiple times doesn’t mean it will come true. And, what the hell did France do with Upa in the IV? When France won the World Cup, Upa only sat on the bench. And, Konate won the Premier League last year. He gets 4 million. Where is the proportionality? I don’t see Upa at 20 million max. You can call it 12-15 fixed. But he’s already getting 12 fixes. So we’re talking about 15 fix. And that’s 20 max. No, I can’t sign something like that.
One more thing. Tah is no worse than Upa. But he already gets significantly less than Upa. But Upa demands even more. I trust Eberl and his friend to get a comparably good player at a lower salary. Sorry, but Upa belongs to the generation at Bayern that can’t get enough of it. And we have seen in recent years that overpaid professionals do not achieve as much as hungry people. Eberl, Freund and Hoeness want to take a different path. And if Sane, Gnabry, Goretzka and, in extreme cases, Upa are the sacrifices… so be it.
The problem with these discussions is always that we take certain estimates, expectations and “insider” knowledge for granted. Most of the time we only have certain ranges. According to Capalogy, Upamecano should earn around 10 million euros fixed + 2.5 million euros bonus. How difficult or easy these bonuses are to earn is also relevant, for example. The probability that a player like Upa will become a world footballer is slim. And if so, even with a good season, it’s only possible once in the entire contract.
Upa will certainly not become a world footballer – but the example hopefully shows how little we actually know about the salary structure. I think that Upa absolutely deserves a raise due to his standing, which is lower with you than with others, the freedom to transfer, his age and much more. Without a transfer, Upa will now sign the biggest contract of his career – no matter where. These are all things that have an impact on a player’s salary. But in return you also get one of the best IVs in the world and a player who has already settled into a team. So it offers a certain guarantee and immediate functionality in the team. Upa stands for a safe solution.
The problem with salary is certainly that Davies was paid a lot. He should also earn around 15 million in fixed bonuses and 5 million in flexible bonuses. So how much of it does he really get? This is important for an assessment of the contract. In any case, they are said to have basically agreed on somewhere between 15-16 million at Upa. Unlike Davies, they are not willing to pay the required signing fees.
Is that a lot? Yes. Is that too much? I think that – if you are not too generous with the bonuses – it is acceptable at the upper limit. It is important that Bayern remain steadfast when it comes to the signing bonus. You now have alternatives in mind. Of course the offer won’t be lowered any more, but either Upa stays for our numbers or he leaves. Someone will give him his desired salary because he is a free transfer. And even if the clubs give him less every year but throw him signing bonuses, the result is the same. The question then is whether that makes him happy.
By the way, there is no question that we have invested too much in salaries in the past. But that is currently changing. An Upa is not a player like Musiala, Kane, Olisee, Kimmich. For this reason he earns significantly less than them. And won’t be raised to their level either. Sure, Real Madrid still pays significantly more and City are at our level – but all in all the costs are too high. With the departure of Goretzka, Gnabry and Guerreiro, there is room for maneuver again. I’m honestly not sure how this is reflected in Nübel’s salary, but Capalogy takes these salaries into account. Even if we don’t pay it in full. All in all, a fixed salary of 40-50 million is available. This means that you can either extend it here and there at a much cheaper price, or the sums will definitely be freed up.
Long story short: Upa is simply a world class IV. Hardly anyone has as strong a game structure as him. For stats like Progressive Passes, as far as I know, he’s just really strong. He is press-resistant, calm and a no-risk solution. Therefore, a salary increase makes sense. But only up to sum X. I agree with you. Is it now at 14 million or 15 or 16? I have no idea, what is communicated is so imprecise that it is difficult to assess exactly. He should just get a 2 million bonus for the world football title. The probability of him getting the IV title is close to 0.