Bayern Munich finds itself amidst an increasingly expensive football market, with stark increases in both transfer fees and player salaries. Players like Benjamin Šeško, Hugo Ekitike, and Bryan Mbeumo are going for significant packages nearing 9 figures, while Bayern too are currently grappling with Stuttgart over unreasonable prices for Nick Woltemade. Supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge compares these recent market developments to those in the past, while talking to German outlet Kicker.
“The development of transfer fees must be viewed in the context of club revenue. In 2000, FC Bayern’s revenue was 283 million Deutschmarks, equivalent to 144.7 million euros; last year it was 951.5 million euros, more than six times as much. The transfer fees aren’t the problem; they are amortized over the term of the contract. In Harry Kane’s case, with a four-year contract, the 100 million euros burden FC Bayern with 25 million euros per annum. The bigger problem is the salary increases. We at FC Bayern also sometimes pay salaries that are too high for the value provided,” said Rummenigge (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
The rising salaries are another issue that has been a topic of discussion at Säbener Straße. When asked whether Bayern can fix their rising wage bill, Rummenigge responded with enthusiasm: “Of course, as PSG demonstrated. You can turn everything back; you just have to implement changes intelligently and consistently.”
Further probed about Leroy Sané’s transfer in the context of reducing Bayern’s wage bill, Rummenigge remained diplomatic: “His contract was expiring. Everything else was his personal decision, which must be respected.”
What do you think about Rummenigge’s statements? Have Bayern done well to reduce their wage bill thus far? Tell us everything in the comments below!
Bayern Munich is on break and the German national team got off to a bad start in this round of World Cup qualifiers. Let’s dive into all of that!
This is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- Thomas Müller was back at Bayern Munich this week (already!?)
- Is Germany heading down a bad road after another painful loss?
- Can Julian Nagelsmann get it back on track?
- Who is accountable? Is there accountability at all?
- Should Joshua Kimmich do the right thing and move to right-back (again)?
- Unpacking the Erik ten Hag debacle at Bayer Leverkusen. Sport Bild had a wild story on the situation.
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
