8.5 to 50 million market value
Signing a regular player from FC Bayern that Munich wanted to keep on a free transfer – only three clubs have managed to do that in this millennium: Chelsea in 2006 with Michael Ballack (45), Real Madrid in 2021 with David Alaba (29) and since Monday BVB. Niklas Süle (26) will move from Munich to Dortmund in the summer and will take third place in the ranking of the most valuable free transfers in the Bundesliga.
With Süle, Borowski & Raúl: The most valuable Bundesliga free transfers
19 Tim Borowski | 2008/09 from Werder Bremen to FC Bayern
© Getty Images
Market value at the time of transfer: €8.5 million
Data current as of February 08, 2022
19 Max Kruse | 2020/21 to Union Berlin (previously without a club)
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €8.5 million
*Note: Kruse was without a club for around two months after terminating his contract with Fenerbahce in the summer of 2020
16 Sebastian Rode | 2014/15 from Eintracht Frankfurt to FC Bayern
© Getty Images
Market value at the time of transfer: €9m
16 Raúl | 2010/11 from Real Madrid to Schalke 04
© Getty Images
Market value at the time of transfer: €9m
16 Fabian Ernest | 2005/06 from Werder Bremen to Schalke 04
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €9m
14 Yildiray Bastürk | 2007/08 from Hertha BSC to VfB Stuttgart
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €9.5 million
14 Alexander Nübel | 2020/21 from Schalke 04 to FC Bayern
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €9.5 million
12 Lukas Hradecky | 2018/19 from Eintracht Frankfurt to Bayer 04
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €10m
12 Maniche | 2009/10 from Atlético Madrid to 1. FC Köln
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €10m
11 Tanguy Nianzou | 2020/21 from Paris SG to FC Bayern
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €11m
8 Ruud van Nistelrooy | 2009/10 from Real Madrid to HSV
© Getty Images
Market value at the time of transfer: €12m
8 Ivica Olic | 2009/10 from HSV to FC Bayern
© TM/imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €12m
8 Shkodran Mustafi | 2020/21 from Arsenal to Schalke 04
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €12m
7 Rafael Borre | 2021/22 from River Plate to Eintracht Frankfurt
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €17m
6 Mark Uth | 2018/19 from TSG Hoffenheim to Schalke 04
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €18m
5 Michael Ballack | 2010/11 from Chelsea to Bayer 04
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €20m
4 Thomas Meunier | 2020/21 from Paris SG to BVB
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €24m
3 Niklas Süle | 2022/23 from FC Bayern to BVB
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €35m
2 Leon Goretzka | 2018/19 from Schalke 04 to FC Bayern
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €40m
1 Robert Lewandowski | 2014/15 from BVB to FC Bayern
© imago images
Market value at the time of transfer: €50m
It’s unusual for Bayern to lose a top performer to a Bundesliga club on a free transfer – the other way around, it’s almost part of day-to-day business. Seven of the 20 most valuable Bundesliga transfers at supposed zero cost had Säbener Straße as their destination and six of them came from the competition. Sometimes more and sometimes less successful.
BVB held back for a long time in advertising for well-known free transfers, which are still expensive with earnest money and high salary expectations, before they secured Thomas Meunier (30) from PSG in 2020 and finally convinced Süle. “I don’t know what salary Niklas Süle gets at Dortmund. I don’t think it’s a sporting promotion,” commented Bayern boss Herbert Hainer on the national player’s departure.
This means that BVB is involved in three of the four most valuable free transfers in Bundesliga history (since the introduction of TM market values in 2004). First place goes to ex-Dortmunder Robert Lewandowski (33), who completely shifted the balance of power in the Bundesliga in 2014 in favor of Bayern.
With Lewandowski & Nübel: FC Bayern’s most valuable free transfers
Bixente Lizarazu | 2004/05 by Olympique Marseille
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €1 million
Tom Strong | 2012/13 by Hoffenheim
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €1.5 million
Hans Joerg Butt | 2008/09 by Benfica
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €1.75 million
Alexander Baumjohann | 2009/10 from Gladbach
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €2.5 million
Jan Kirchhoff | 2013/14 from Mainz
© Getty Images
Market value at the time of the change: €4 million
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting | 2020/21 by PSG
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €4 million
Hamit Altintop | 2007/08 by Schalke 04
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €4 million
Ali Karimi | 2005/06 by Al-Ahli
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €4.75 million
Claudio Pizarro | 2012/13 by Werder
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €5 million
Sebastian Rudy | 2017/18 by Hoffenheim
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €8 million
Tim Borowski | 2008/09 by Werder
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €8.5 million
Sebastian Rode | 2014/15 from Frankfurt
© Getty Images
Market value at the time of the change: €9 million
Alexander Nuebel | 2020/21 by Schalke 04
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €9.5 million
Tanguy Nianzou | 2020/21 by PSG
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €11 million
Ivica Olic | 2009/10 from HSV
© TM/imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €12 million
Leon Goretzka | 2018/19 by Schalke 04
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €40 million
Robert Lewandowski | 2014/15 by BVB
© imago images
Market value at the time of the change: €50 million
Old stars van Nistelrooy and Raúl shine for HSV and Schalke
Four and a half years earlier, Hamburger SV provided a free transfer signing for Ruud van Nistelrooy (45). The Dutchman came from Real Madrid in January 2010 and took the place of Ivica Olic (42), who moved to Munich free of charge last summer.
Six months later, Real legend Raúl (44) followed him to the Bundesliga and was hired by Schalke, where he became a fan favorite and retired as the DFB Cup winner in 2012.
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