Bayern Munich’s 10 biggest transfer sale mistakes

15 May 2026 21:31 BST |
10 min read

Bayern Munich may be six-time European champions, but they are renowned for earning their successes through great scouting and coaching as much as transfer market largesse.

Despite being one of Europe’s biggest clubs, the Bavarians have often had to outthink their rivals in the transfer market over the years.

But that doesn’t mean Bayern never make any mistakes, and for every Robert Lewandowski they have signed on a free, there is a Lewandowski who has left years later against the will of the club.

FootballTransfers looks at 10 of the worst transfer sale mistakes Bayern have made…

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – €14.8m (to Southampton, 2016)

Bayern have played with a double pivot in midfield for a number of years now, with Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic the incumbents in the position today, injury permitting.

However, there have been a litany of poorer players there to bulk up the squad behind them, from Corentin Tolisso to Renato Sanches – the former often injured while the latter once passed to an advertising billboard when on loan at Swansea.

It seems plausible that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – a semi-finalist with Denmark at Euro 2020 – might have offered more. Instead, he left for Southampton in 2016, who subsequently sold him to Tottenham Hotspur, where he blossomed into a very solid Premier League midfielder before leaving for Marseille in 2024.

Emre Can – €5m (to Bayer Leverkusen, 2013)

Emre Can made seven appearances in the Bayern first team after graduating from their academy before being allowed to leave for Bayer Leverkusen in 2013.

The midfielder-turned centre-back was eager to leave in search of more first-team minutes, and he found more playing time at Leverkusen, developing his game as well as his physique.

He has gone on to play for Liverpool, Juventus and then Borussia Dortmund, so he certainly holds a positive reputation in European football. He could have been a useful player to have, especially in recent years when they struggled for consistency at centre-back.

Karim Adeyemi – Free Transfer (to Unterhaching, 2012)

Unlike most of the players on this list, Karim Adeyemi never played for Bayern’s first team.

After leaving the club as a youth player, the Germany international moved to nearby Unterhaching and then onto RB Salzburg, where he quickly established himself as one of the continent’s most exciting young strikers.

Bayern were interested in re-signing the then-20-year-old in 2022, but he instead joined Dortmund in a €38m deal. That money, or the player behind it, could so easily have been Bayern’s.

Xherdan Shaqiri – €15m (to Inter Milan, 2015)

Bayern may have felt a certain degree of vindication when they sold Xherdan Shaqiri to Inter in 2015 and then saw him continue on to Stoke City a year later.

However, few at the German club would have predicted how well Shaqiri would do in the Premier League, especially once he earned a subsequent move to Liverpool.

In Jurgen Klopp’s team, the Switzerland international came to embody the very idea of an impact sub, scoring eight goals and nine assists in just 2,495 minutes of football, which saw him pick up a Premier League and Champions League title across his three seasons there.

Michael Ballack – Free Transfer (to Chelsea, 2006)

Although Michael Ballack’s time at Bayern was dogged by persistent remarks from the club’s hierarchy over his performances in big games, there was no denying that the Germany international was one of the best players in the world during his four-year stint in Munich.

While some at the club may have been happy to see the back of him, allowing a player of Ballack’s quality to leave for free and join a continental rival in Chelsea was remarkably poor business from a club that often knows much better in the transfer market.

Mario Mandzukic – €22m (to Atletico Madrid, 2014)

Unlike most players that leave Bayern, Mario Mandzukic was sold in 2014 to Atletico Madrid when he was still at the peak of his powers.

The Croatian international quickly proved that in Spain, with 20 goals and five assists in 43 games for the capital club before making a move to Juventus just one year later.

It was in Turin that Mandzukic was at his very best, winning four Serie A titles and three Italian Cups, as well as playing a pivotal role drifting in from the left as Juventus marched to two Champions League finals.

Lucio – €17m (to Inter, 2012)

Although Lucio enjoyed plenty of success in Munich, his career probably hit new heights after he left in 2009 to join Inter.

Not only did the Brazilian defender win a Serie A title and two Italian Cups, but he also formed a defensive partnership with Walter Samuel that saw the Italian side progress all the way to the Champions League final in 2010.

As if that wasn’t proof enough of why Bayern should have never allowed him to leave, Lucio then played a leading role in Inter beating his former club in said Champions League final. Ouch.

Robert Lewandowski – €50m (to Barcelona, 2022)

Robert Lewandowski would be first on any list of Bayern’s best-ever incoming transfers, signed on a free from Dortmund in 2013 before going on to score 344 goals in 375 games in all competitions for the club.

But after eight years, eight Bundesliga titles, six Golden Boots and a Champions League, Lewandowski pushed for a change in 2022 and joined Barcelona. Worse still, Bayern failed to adequately replace him that summer.

They signed Sadio Mane from Liverpool to fill the hole left behind by Lewandowski, but this backfired spectacularly, resulting in Mane’s departure just a year later and the successful signing of Harry Kane as a proper replacement for the Polish superstar.

Mats Hummels – €4m (to Borussia Dortmund, 2009)

Although Mats Hummels technically left Bayern for Borussia Dortmund twice, his first departure in 2009 as an unused young defender was undoubtedly a severe oversight from the Munich side.

At Dortmund, Hummels forged a remarkable defensive bond with Neven Subotic as the pair formed the basis of Jurgen Klopp’s all-conquering side that won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and reached the final of the Champions League.

Bayern were certainly served a large slice of humble pie when they then re-signed the Germany international in 2016 for €35m. He left for Dortmund a second time in 2019 and would go on to win one DFB-Pokal and reach another Champions League final.

Toni Kroos – €27m (to Real Madrid, 2014)

Toni Kroos emerged as one of the most talented players in German football at Bayern, but the club never fully appreciated him, with Uli Hoeness baulking at the idea that they might pay him on a par with Franck Ribery in 2014.

By this time, Kroos was a World Cup winner with Germany, and one of the best midfielders in the game. While Louis van Gaal rather strangely passed up the chance to sign Kroos for Manchester United, Real Madrid were delighted to make a move.

The rest, as they say, is history. Kroos won six Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, forming one of the most potent midfields ever seen in the game alongside Luka Modric and Casemiro.

His command over possession was second to none, while his passing range was incredible. It wasn’t exactly a small fee paid by Real, but even by 2014’s standards, it proved to be an absolute steal.

Carlo Garganese is a highly-respected football writer, broadcaster and editor with more than 15 years of experience working at the highest level for major global brands. Garganese spent 12 years at Goal.com, where he played a significant role in building and developing the website into one of the largest football media organisations in the world.

View full bio