While Bayern Munich can’t compete with the money of the Premier League, they have still made some big-money signings in recent years.
The Bavarians spend a lot of money when they feel it is necessary and they recently broke through the €100million barrier for the first time.
We’ve taken a look at the 10 most expensive signings in Bayern’s history and how those players subsequently fared after completing the move.
Note: we’ve only used the initial transfer fees and haven’t taken into account any potential add-ons.
10= Arturo Vidal – €37m
After playing a huge role in Juventus’ run to the 2015 Champions League final, Vidal joined Bayern in a deal worth an initial €37million.
The combative midfielder registered 22 goals and 17 assists in 124 appearances for Bayern, helping them win three Bundesliga titles, a DFB-Pokal and the German Super Cup twice.
He struggled with injury problems during his final season in Bavaria and then joined Barcelona in a €20million deal in 2018.
10= Mario Gotze – €37m
Once regarded as one of the best young players in the world, Gotze broke Borussia Dortmund hearts when he completed a €37million move to Bayern Munich in 2013.
Despite winning three successive Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokals at Bayern, he struggled with injury problems and failed to replicate his Dortmund form in the iconic red shirt.
The midfielder, who scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, returned to Dortmund in a €26million deal in 2016.
“With the experience I have now, I would make the decision [to leave Dortmund] at a later stage, but I wanted to take the risk at the time and make the next step,” he said in 2016. “Looking back at it, I would have made a different decision now.”
- Javi Martinez – €40m
Martinez’s impressive displays for Athletic Bilbao did not go unnoticed and Bayern Munich activated his €40million release clause in 2012.
The former Spain international formed an impressive midfield partnership with Bastian Schweinsteiger as Bayern won the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League in 2012/13.
He picked up another 21 trophies over the following eight seasons and left the club in 2021 with 268 appearances to his name.
- Corentin Tolisso – €41.5m
Tolisso became the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history when he left Lyon and joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017.
The midfielder enjoyed a brilliant debut season in Bavaria but a cruciate ligament injury in September 2018 derailed his progress, and he then struggled to rediscover his best form.
After being released by Bayern at the end of the 2021/22 season, he returned to Lyon on a free transfer.
- Dayot Upamecano – €42.5m
In the summer of 2021, Bayern took another player away from one of their domestic rivals and triggered the €42.5million release clause in Upamecano’s RB Leipzig contract.
The 24-year-old centre-back quickly established himself as a key player at the Allianz Arena and has already bagged two Bundesliga winners’ medals.
But he’s still prone to the odd lapse of concentration and produced an error-strewn display against Manchester City in the 2023 Champions League quarter-finals.
- Leroy Sane – €49m
After spending four years at Manchester City, Sane returned to his native Germany in 2020 and joined Bayern in a deal that could ultimately cost €60million.
While the winger has shown glimpses of his immense talent, he’s struggled for consistency in his first three seasons at the club.
Sane reportedly had a difficult relationship with former manager Julian Nagelsmann but is now enjoying life under Thomas Tuchel.
“I talk to him a lot,” the 27-year-old recently told Bild. “He gives me a very good feeling and I feel a lot of trust.
- Kim Min-jae – €50m
Min-jae enjoyed an excellent debut season at Napoli in 2022/23, winning the Serie A title and being voted the best defender in Italy.
His form attracted interest from Manchester United and Newcastle but Bayern won the race for his signature after triggering his €50million release clause.
“I love him, I love him,” Tuchel told the Bundesliga website. “He is so calm, so straightforward — his expression, his awareness, his game. A pass is a pass. A pass is not fancy, it is a pass with his inside foot.
“First touch is control, second touch is a pass. It is at the right speed, it is not too hard, it is not too slow, it doesn’t bounce, it is not flashy. It is so nice because it’s exactly what you want from a build-up player.”
- Matthijs de Ligt – €67m
De Ligt left Juventus in the summer of 2022 and joined Bayern in a €67million deal, which could rise to €77million with potential add-ons.
The 24-year-old centre-back made an almost seamless transition to German football and was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season in 2022/23.
He also chipped in with important goals in the title race, most notably his long-range efforts in the 2-1 win in Stuttgart and the 1-0 victory against Freiburg.
- Lucas Hernandez – €80m
Bayern broke the Bundesliga transfer record and splashed €80million on Hernandez in 2019 to lure him away from Atletico Madrid.
He won the Bundesliga in each of his four seasons at Bayern and also lifted the DFB-Pokal, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2020.
But the defender missed most of the 2022/23 campaign due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury and then joined Paris Saint-Germain in a €40million deal.
- Harry Kane – €100m
After failing to replace Robert Lewandowski in 2022, Bayern identified Kane as their top transfer target in the summer of 2023.
They had three bids knocked back by Tottenham but eventually agreed to pay an initial €100million and another €20millionin potential bonuses for the England international.
He is already a fan favourite at the Allianz Arena and Bayern reportedly sold 10,000 Kane jerseys on the day of the striker’s arrival.
The 30-year-old also made an immediate impact on the pitch by registering a goal and assist on his Bundesliga debut.
