Bayern Munich’s current cast of central midfielders arrived at the club at minimal expense. Tom Bischof, Leon Goretzka, Raphaël Guerreiro all joined Bayern on free transfers from other Bundesliga clubs while Aleksandar Pavlović rose through the academy ranks. Joshua Kimmich only cost €7M when he was acquired from Stuttgart back in 2015.
Conversely, João Palhinha, Corentin Tolisso, Renato Sanches, Ryan Gravenberch, and Marcel Sabitzer commanded an eight-figure transfer fee but ultimately failed to contribute
to the long-term.
According to French journalist Abdellah Boulma (via @iMiaSanMia), these failures have not deterred Bayern from considering the idea of another splash acquisition.
In addition to PSG, Bayern, Arsenal and Manchester United are also showing interest in Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi (18). United have stepped up their efforts to meet the player’s entourage. The interest in Bouaddi is intensifying across Europe.
When he debuted at 16 years and 3 days old, Bouaddi became the youngest player to appear in a European club competition group stage match. This record has since been beaten by Arsenal’s Max Dowman. Bouaddi has logged 34 starts during the 2025/26 campaign, cementing his status as a consistent starter for Lille in France’s Ligue 1 and the Europa League.
Valued around €50M, Bouaddi is considered a playmaking defensive midfielder. This player profile has been lacking at Bayern since the departure of Thiago Alcântara and would be an excellent complement to Pavlović over the next decade. (Check out some highlights.)
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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