Last summer, João Palhinha’s transfer to FC Bayern failed in dramatic fashion. The player was already in Munich, but his club FC Fulham could not find a replacement. In the end the transfer didn’t take place. Over the years there have been a number of transfer negotiations with the German record champions that failed to reach their goal. FCBinside looks back at Munich’s most spectacular near-transfers.
Ruud Gullit: Uli Hoeneß and Franz Beckenbauer experienced a memorable episode with Ruud Gullit in Milan in 1988. “When we came to his apartment at half past nine in the morning, no one was awake – except the butler,” Hoeneß described the incident. In the following conversation they reached an agreement with the Dutchman and he traveled with them to Munich. The following day he said he had to go back to Milan to his wife and ultimately canceled.
Deco: In the summer of 2004 there were serious discussions with FC Porto’s midfield strategist. “The Deco is one for FC Bayern,” said Franz Beckenbauer hopefully at the time. Despite positive signs, an offer from FC Barcelona led to Bayern withdrawing from the race for Deco. Deco later said: “I saw myself as a Bayern player back then.”
Sergio Aguero: In 2006, Uli Hoeneß traveled to Buenos Aires specifically to examine the Argentine talent. But Agüero’s inconspicuous performance made Hoeneß hesitate: “In the first half he wasn’t even on the ball.” The asking price at the time of 16 million euros seemed too high for Bayern, whereupon Agüero found his way to Atlético Madrid. There he made a big impact and eventually moved to FC Barcelona. Instead of Aguero, FC Bayern brought in José Ernesto Sosa.
World star Maradona almost ended up in Munich
Diego Maradona: A transfer that was almost completed and would have gone down in history: “We were already pretty far along and would have done crazy things financially,” Hoeneß revealed about the negotiations with the world star, who was under contract with FC Barcelona at the time. However, the exact reasons for the transfer’s failure remain unclear. Maradona is still considered one of the best footballers of all time and is revered like a god in his home country of Argentina.
Mohamed Salah: The Egyptian superstar was offered to FC Bayern in both 2015 and 2017. But the financial demands raised concerns among the German record champions. Liverpool took advantage of this opportunity and secured Salah, then at Chelsea, for 42 million euros – an investment that turned out to be the right one. Salah still plays in Liverpool today and impresses with strong performances from season to season.
Antoine Griezmann: In 2019, FC Bayern showed interest in Griezmann. “Yes, he was an issue,” confirmed Michael Reschke. Despite advanced considerations, the negotiations failed due to economic conditions. Griezmann ultimately moved to Barcelona for a fee of 120 million euros. However, he was not convincing there and ultimately went back to his previous club Atletico Madrid.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: In 2001, the then 19-year-old Ibrahimovic was a hot topic at Bayern. “Bayern said: ‘We don’t pay that much money for a youth player,’” recalled Björn Andersson, his youth coach. Uli Hoeneß later confirmed the interest, but noted that the player’s salary demands were too high. Ibrahimovic went on to have an outstanding career. He played for Inter Milan, FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and AC Milan, among others.
World footballer “had already worn the lederhosen”
Adriano: At the U20 World Cup in 2001, Adriano impressed the then chief scout Wolfgang Dremmler. But when Bayern showed interest, the Brazilian suddenly couldn’t be found and instead moved to Inter Milan. The Brazilian got off to a promising start. However, the then superstar fell deeply after suffering some personal setbacks.
Kaka: The Brazilian was about to move to Bayern in 2001. “I had already worn the lederhosen and danced Schuhplattler,” Kaká remembered. However, Bayern had no place in the squad for the future superstar at the time. Ultimately, there was no concrete offer and the midfielder later moved to AC Milan. There he became a world footballer and Champions League winner before moving to Madrid to the Royals.
Neymar: In 2013, Pep Guardiola wanted to bring Neymar from Santos to Munich. But Bayern decided against the transfer. The reason was negative experiences with young talents from Brazil. Instead, FC Bayern brought in Mario Götze from Borussia Dortmund. Neymar then moved to FC Barcelona and later to Paris Saint-Germain. He is now playing in Saudi Arabia.
Some transfers would have had a significant impact on FC Bayern’s sporting development. However, for some players both those in charge and fans will be happy that they ultimately didn’t materialize.
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2024-02-04 19:23:10
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