The 10 most expensive Bundesliga transfers of all time

3 Oct 2024 15:57 BST |
Updated: 5 Oct 2026 21:35 BST |
5 min read

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The Bundesliga has been dominated by Bayern Munich over the past decade, and it’s therefore not a surprise that the Bavarian giants typically spend the largest amount on new players.

Bayern won 11 consecutive titles from 2013 to 2023, with the club splashing far more than the likes of Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen. As a result, they are responsible for nine of the 10 most expensive Bundesliga signings in history.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive Bundesliga transfers of all time.

10. Ismael Saibari – €50m (PSV to Bayern, 2026)

What do you do when you have an undroppable striker like Harry Kane who is almost never injured for a prolonged period of time? You either have to sign someone who is content with mostly sitting on the bench – or you get creative.

After unsuccessfully trying the former method with Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson in 2025/26, Bayern got creative and signed PSV attacker Ismael Saibari. Instead of being a recognised No.9, the Moroccan is able to play virtually anywhere across the frontline and in attacking midfield.

He was far from cheap at €50m, but he is a Swiss Army knife of an attacker and looks like money well spent.

9. Nathaniel Brown – €50m (Eintracht Frankfurt to Bayern, 2026)

Eyebrows were raised when Bayern made Nathaniel Brown the most expensive intra-Bundesliga signing ever by splashing €50m on the German-American in 2026.

Brown had established himself as one of the best attack-minded full-backs in the Bundesliga at Eintracht Frankfurt, so the fact that he joined a top team or commanded a huge fee wasn’t surprising.

What was surprising was that he ended up at Bayern, considering that they already had Alphonso Davies, who is the best attack-minded left-back in the world when fully fit.

However, the Canadian had struggled with injuries after tearing his ACL, so Bayern felt that signing Brown was an opportunity too good to turn down. Moreover, the left-back is versatile and can play further forward. In the 2026 Supercup, he was even used as a makeshift No.10.

8. Kim Min-jae – €50m (Napoli to Bayern, 2023)

Kim Min-jae emerged as one of the world’s top defenders during his one-season stay at Napoli, with the South Korea international helping the Serie A giants win the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years.

He earned a €50m move to Bayern off the back of his success in Naples, becoming the most expensive Asian player of all time.

Kim’s time in Bayern has been mixed, with inconsistent form seeing the South Korean often fall out of the starting line-up.

7. Xavi Simons – €50m (PSG to RB Leipzig, 2024)

Xavi Simons was considered one of the brightest wonderkids in the world, so it was no surprise that RB Leipzig had to shell out €50m to sign him from PSG in early 2025 after a successful loan spell at the club.

The deal was seen as a coup given the interest in Simons, and even though his productivity decreased after his initial loan, the playmaker proved to be an effective player during his short stint at the club.

Simons was sold to Tottenham for a fee of €65m just six months after his stay was made permanent, giving Leipzig a quick profit on a talented youngster.

6. Joao Palhinha – €51m (Fulham to Bayern, 2024)

Joao Palhinha was on the verge of joining Bayern on Deadline Day in 2023, but the move collapsed at the last minute, and he was forced to remain at Fulham for another year instead.

The deal was finally completed for €51m in July 2024, with Palhinha leaving Craven Cottage having made 79 appearances for the club.

However, Palhinha’s transfer was disastrous as the defensive midfielder made just 17 appearances before being loaned to Tottenham, with Bayern already deeming him to have no future at the club and ready to cut their losses.

He was sold to Benfica for just €14m in the summer of 2026 after Spurs decided against signing him permanently.

5. Michael Olise – €53m (Crystal Palace to Bayern, 2024)

Michael Olise seemed destined to join Chelsea in both 2023 and 2024. However, the Blues fluffed their lines with the deal, and Bayern swooped in with a €53m bid, which was promptly accepted by Crystal Palace.

The France winger scored 10 goals and provided six assists in 19 games during his final Premier League season, and he left Selhurst Park after three seasons with the club.

Olise has gone to new levels at Bayern, with his electric performances seeing him linked with teams like Real Madrid and Liverpool while also being considered for Ballon d’Or contention.

4. Matthijs de Ligt – €67m (Juventus to Bayern, 2022)

The fourth-most expensive Bundesliga signing of all time is Matthijs de Ligt, courtesy of his €67m move from Juventus to Bayern in 2022.

The Dutch centre-back spent two years at the Allianz Arena, winning one Bundesliga title, before linking back up with his former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.

He has had a mixed time of it at Old Trafford, looking brilliant on some days and calamitous on others, and continuing what has been a disappointing trend throughout his post-Ajax career.

3. Luis Diaz – €70m (Liverpool to Bayern Munich, 2025)

Luis Diaz was not Bayern Munich’s first choice target to strengthen on the wing in 2025, but they eventually secured a €70m deal to sign the Colombian from Liverpool.

Given that Diaz was 28 at the time of his move, there was plenty of consternation around the Bavarians’ decision to shell out that much on a player Liverpool were not desperate to keep hold of.

However, their investment immediately paid off as Diaz bagged 26 goals and 23 assists in his first season across all competitions to lead Bayern to a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double and justify the vast outlay.

2. Lucas Hernandez – €80m (Atletico Madrid to Bayern, 2019)

Lucas Hernandez surprisingly became Bayern’s record signing when he joined the club from Atletico Madrid in 2019, with the Frenchman costing a whopping €80m.

Spending this much on anyone, let alone a defender, was unheard of in the Bundesliga at the time. It was a move the Munich giants would ultimately come to regret.

Although Hernandez spent four years at Bayern, injuries restricted him to just 107 appearances in total, and he moved to PSG for €45m in 2023.

1. Harry Kane – €95m (Tottenham to Bayern, 2023)

Bayern spent €95m on Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane in 2023, with the German giants beating Man Utd to his signature. In the process, Kane replaced Hernandez as Bayern’s most expensive signing and also set a new Bundesliga transfer record.

He repaid Bayern’s investment by scoring 44 goals in his debut campaign at the club before breaking numerous records and establishing himself as one of the most productive players of all time in the German top flight.

In September 2026, he became the fastest player to reach 100 Bundesliga goals, doing so in just 98 matches.

The 10 most expensive Bundesliga signings of all time

Cameron Smith is a Digital Content Producer for FootballTransfers, having joined the team upon its inception in November 2020.

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