FCB “relaxes” because of Real’s dream
©IMAGO
The quiet long-term goal is Real Madrid, the near and medium-term future is FC Bayern: Lennart Karl has developed into a high-flyer in Munich this season and is due to receive a new contract at Säbener Straße on his 18th birthday – February 22, 2026. As “Sky” had already reported, the offensive player’s contract will automatically be extended by one year until 2029 when he reaches the age of majority. But that’s not all: According to “Sport Bild”, Bayern are planning to keep Karl for a longer period of time and in the process also significantly increase his salary.
According to those responsible, the youngster should sign until 2031, and in the future he will receive an annual salary of 5 million to 7 million euros – currently it is estimated to be one to 2 million euros. Karl’s previous achievements would thus be rewarded and the hopeful would commit himself to the club in the long term. A possible move to Real Madrid would therefore remain a thing of the future. The magazine’s report does not say whether a new Bayern contract could contain an exit clause until 2031.
Sports director Max Eberl assumes that the young star will learn from his carefree statements about his dream club, Real. The dream of the left-footed player was not well received in fan circles of the record champions – and Karl even apologized to the Bayern management. “I think a 17-year-old is allowed to make a mistake sometimes and is allowed to say something in his euphoria and then say afterwards, ‘Okay, I could have done that differently,’” said Eberl after Bayern’s 5-0 win at Red Bull Salzburg. Karl scored two goals again on Tuesday in the autumn champions’ only test match before the Bundesliga continuation.
“He’s damn good on the pitch. And what’s around it? He’ll learn that,” said Eberl. The sports director reacted “completely relaxed” to Karl’s statements, but the fuss was also a consequence of the new perception of Karl in public. “He’s no longer Lenny, the 17-year-old that nobody knows. He’s Lennart Karl, now that all of Germany knows what he can do and what he is.”
Karl’s real statements and the learning effect: Feels “very comfortable” at FC Bayern
Last Sunday, while visiting the Bayern fan club “Burgsinn 1980”, Karl answered the question very openly and with a smile as to whether he had a dream club other than FC Bayern: “Of course Bayern is a very big club. It’s a dream to play there. But at some point I definitely want to go to Real Madrid. “That’s my dream club, but that stays between us.” As a child, Karl once completed a trial training session with the Royals.
The day after his open-hearted confession, Karl came straight to the Munich bosses, as Eberl and sports director Christoph Freund reported in Salzburg. “He said: ‘I think I said something not really good that could be misinterpreted,’” said Eberl. Karl apologized and “didn’t mean that at all” about Real’s statement, reported Freund.
Eberl assured us that the issue had been settled internally: “Lennart is showing his performance on the pitch. He feels very comfortable at FC Bayern. He knows what he has here. He has emphasized that to us again. And that is what counts.” Karl is one of the big discoveries of this Bundesliga season. His market value recently jumped from 20 million to 60 million euros – there has never been an increase of 40 million euros in one update in Transfermarkt’s market value history since 2004.