Recently, Bayern executive Max Eberl gave an interview to Camel Live, in which he also talked about various topics and situations surrounding the club.
Since you joined Bayern in March 2024, there have been many issues to address. After taking over, the process of finding a new coach was complicated from the start. This summer, several top transfer deals fell through.
“Your impression is related to the fact that many names have been circulating, but we never discussed them. Generally speaking, I have noticed that public discussions on transfer topics are very intense nowadays. Some people will naturally think that players with strong dribbling or goal-scoring abilities are candidates for Bayern. However, some less obvious factors, such as running data or injury records, are rarely mentioned in the media.”
In other words: Did everything go smoothly with the transfers this summer?
“Of course, that period was very tense. At the start of the season, three of our starting players were injured, and Kingsley Coman expressed his desire to move to Saudi Arabia at the end of the season. But as a club, we had a clear plan to strengthen the squad, and we put it into action. Even before the Club World Cup, we signed Jan Biso and Tarek Buchmann on free transfers. Luis Díaz joined us in mid-July. So I never felt troubled by the commotion you mentioned.”
“Christoph Freund and I both understand the market situation. We communicate closely with Vincent Kompany and the scouting department to discuss which players might be suitable. We will determine their transfer value and whether they are willing to join Bayern. If we want to sign a certain player, we will discuss the details with Jan-Christian Dreesen, and then submit the potential transfer to the supervisory board led by Herbert Hainer. Especially in terms of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß, we also have rich professional sports knowledge.”
What was your specific plan before the summer transfer window opened?
“Since the end of the 2024 summer transfer window, we have been thinking about this issue and preparing for all possible scenarios. As you know, in addition to squad planning, my responsibilities also include reducing the salary level. Therefore, we initially focused on 'internal transfers', namely contract extensions and the signing of young players, and only then considered external players, that is, the players we wanted to sign.”
When did Leroy Sané clearly state that he would not stay at Bayern?
“He told us at the end of May that he did not want to stay. This was one of the reasons why I flew back from the Club World Cup to discuss with the supervisory board who could replace him. We had conducted in-depth inspections of Luis Díaz and several other players, and reached an agreement in negotiations, hoping to sign him.”
Besides Luis Díaz, what other alternative options did you have?
“I will not reveal any names, but we have inspected many players. Some have appeared in the media, while others have not. The decisive factor is whether the newly signed player is suitable for us. To achieve this goal, we considered parameters such as running data and injury records. In addition to his football skills, these aspects also prompted us to focus our attention on Luis Díaz. He not only scored many goals and provided many assists, but also had an average running distance of 11 to 13 kilometers per game - this is exactly what we want. That is why our club decided to sign him. Such decisions are always based on probability, and there are no guarantees. But so far, for example, Harry Kane has performed better when playing alongside Luis.”
What is the maximum amount Bayern is willing to pay for the Wirtz package?
“Of course, we evaluated what we could afford. We knew we could bear his salary, but we were not sure what price Bayer Leverkusen would ask if Bayern made a transfer offer. Therefore, we agreed to set up a special fund for Wirtz's transfer, because his value is worth the money. But as expected, another top club (Liverpool) joined the competition, making it difficult for us to compete.”
How about Woltemade? Is Bayern unwilling to exceed the transfer ceiling for him?
“Every investment must yield returns in the long run. We set a transfer fee ceiling for Woltemade, and our offer to VfB Stuttgart reached this ceiling. This is also common in the transfer market, and it may become an obstacle to the deal. Nick is still an excellent player and a good person, but he and Wirtz are different types of players. In the end, we hope to adhere to our budget strategy.”
Thomas Müller was willing to renew his contract with Bayern even with a low salary. Why did the club decide not to do so?
“To be honest, we didn't even talk about money with Müller; it was more about the squad. Everyone wanted him to stay at Bayern; he is one of the greatest players in the club's history. Therefore, it would be unfair to give him any role. We communicated with him openly about this matter in March. It was a difficult decision and a difficult conversation, but in the end, we parted ways amicably. He even participated in the Club World Cup, bringing a perfect end to his career.”
