Eberl just wants to prepare in January
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FC Bayern Munich will not be active in the transfer market next January. Sports director Max Eberl confirmed this clear plan. If the Munich leadership sticks to this plan, it will be the first time since January 2022 that the record champions have not brought in anyone from outside. In recent years there have always been larger transfer fees with which Bayern secured reinforcements at the halfway point of the season. This time the look only goes inward. Eberl has plenty to do there too.
“We don’t look outside because we have our squad. We can of course prepare things in the winter that might be interesting in the summer. But we won’t bring in anything external in the winter,” said Eberl before Bayern’s last game of the year on Sunday (5:30 p.m.) in the Bundesliga against 1. FC Heidenheim.
In recent years, FC Bayern has repeatedly paid handsomely for winter transfers, but has also brought one or two reinforcements to Munich for free. Both should happen next January.
FC Bayern: 80 million spent in the winter since Sandro Wagner
Shopping in winter wasn’t an issue for a long time. The first double-digit million sum was spent on a January transfer in 2008 for the Brazilian Breno (12 million), then in 2011 for compatriot Luiz Gustavo (17 million). The two South Americans initially remained exceptions until Sandro Wagner was released from Hoffenheim for 13 million euros in 2018. Since then, FC Bayern has spent a good 80 million euros in winter transfer windows alone, including Alphonso Davies and Bayern’s most expensive January purchase to date, Sacha Boey (among FC Bayern’s most expensive winter transfers). The Munich team had the greatest need for new players in the winter of 2023, when three external players came in: Yann Sommer (9 million), Daley Blind (free transfer) and João Cancelo (loan).
This season, the focus of the sporting management with Eberl, coach Vincent Kompany and sports director Christoph Freund in winter is instead on internal personnel issues. The contracts of captain Manuel Neuer (39), Dayot Upamecano (27), Serge Gnabry (30), Leon Goretzka (30) and Raphaël Guerreiro (31) expire. “We have our discussions, we conduct our negotiations. We are also on the right track in one case or another,” explained Eberl. The big picture with the existing staff will still take time.
The “top priority” continues to be the contract extension with central defender Upamecano. The Frenchman, who was signed by RB Leipzig for 42.5 million euros in the summer of 2021, is in demand internationally and could leave the German record champions for free at the end of the season.
“We want, as has already been communicated, to conclude a deal with Upa as quickly as possible. But this is a big contract for Upa, an important point in his career,” said Eberl. According to reports, the haggling is not only about money, but also about a possible promotion clause in a new contract over several years. “There are many arguments for Bayern,” said Eberl: “But of course there is also the argument in the player’s head why not try something different.”
