Bayern Munich most expensive signings ever

The world of football is heavily inflated right now thanks to how irresponsibly clubs such as Manchester City and

spend in the transfer market. We are seeing a rise in transfer fees like never before, which is why we get to see players make it to the top as the most expensive footballer every couple of years. There are many brilliant talents on the list of

Bayern Munich most expensive signings ever

and new prospects are being added to this prestigious list year-in year-out.

Bayern Munich are one of the historically rich clubs in Europe and are also quite well-endowed financially thanks to their success in the Bundesliga and in European tournaments. We have seen great players come and go, but only a few have managed to make it to the list of most expensive Bayern Munich transfers of all time and stay on the list until now. If you too are eager to find out more about these players and their hefty transfer fees, then read on as we provide detailed information about some of club’s record arrivals.

Most expensive Bayern Munich signings ever

From the likes of Renato Sanches to Mario Gotze and Leroy Sane, there are some outstanding talents amongst the most expensive signings in Bayern Munich history and we simply can’t wait to delve deeper into the details of their respective careers. Here is everything you need to know about these footballers who carry with themselves quite hefty transfer fees.

Renato Sanches

• Transfer fee: €35M

Portugal have produced some remarkable talents over the years and we have gone on to enjoy these Portuguese stars grace the pitch. From the likes of Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, to Bruno Fernandes, Portuguese children have many incredible idols to look up to. One of those youngsters, who has grown up watching these superstars play, is Renato Sanches, who himself made the list of

Bayern Munich most expensive signings ever

when he signed for the German club from

for €35 million in 2016.

There was a time not long ago when the midfielder was considered to be one of the most exciting prospects in the world of football thanks to his impressive performance in Euro 2016. Since then, however, the Portugal international has been through a lot and has since become an experienced footballer. Having become one of Bayern Munich’s all-time most expensive signings, there was a significant amount of pressure on Renato Sanches’ shoulders, which in the end proved to be too much for the youngster.

The Portuguse talent was mostly used as a bench-warmer or a late-minute substitute, which certainly didn’t help him improve his game as an up and coming midfielder. The frustration grew as time passed and left him with no choice other than moving out on loan after only a single season with the Bavarians.

Sanches joined Swansea on loan in 2017 and later made a permanent move to

for €20 million in 2019. The former Benfica man has since overturned his luck and is one of the Ligue 1 side’s main midfielders. The 24-year-old has also won the league title with his current club by beating Paris Saint-Germain to the championship title.

Benjamin Pavard

• Transfer fee: €35M

Next on our list of

most expensive signings ever is 25-year-old right-back Benjamin Pavard, who rose to prominence as a solid defender with incredible vision and tactical awareness during the 2018 World Cup with France. Having joined

from LOSC Lille for €5 million in the summer of 2016, Pavard was no stranger to Bundesliga and had already accumulated 88 appearances under his belt in the German league when he joined the Bavarians for €35 million in 2019.

The Frenchman is versatile enough to be deployed as either a right-back or a center-back, which has come in handy at Bayern, who have always had to deal with a lack of squad depth at the back. As one of

Bayern Munich’s all-time most expensive signings

, Pavard has managed to deliver on his promises by turning into one of the club’s regular starters.

While we have seen many talents find new clubs after impressive performances during World Cups only to become a flop a couple of seasons later, Pavard has managed to become an exception by improving his game year after year.

Since joining the Bundesliga side in 2019, the France international has made more than 90 appearances and has even managed to bag himself 5 goals and 10 assists in the process, which quite an impressive tally for a defender. Aside from winning the 2018 World Cup with France, Pavard has got himself quite a full trophy cabinet at Bayern Munich, which includes two Bundesliga titles, the Champions League, the German Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the German Super Cup.

Mats Hummels

• Transfer fee: €35M

Few players have switched clubs as much as Mats Hummels and even fewer people have been passed around between two clubs as much as the German defender. The Germany international has always been on the move, switching between Bayern Munich and

every couple of years or so. Starting out his professional career as a Bayern Munich youth academy graduate, Hummels first joined Dortmund on loan in 2008 after joining FC Bayern’s senior squad in the same year.

He then made his move to Dortmund permanent a year later and went on to spend seven years with BVB before returning home for €35 million and becoming one of the

most expensive signings in Bayern Munich history

in 2016. Having won back-to-back league titles with Dortmund in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, Hummels went on to add to his tally of 3 league titles by consecutively conquering the Bundesliga with FC Bayern on three occasions.

The German center-back was simply phenomenal at both Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern as he went on to make a total of 118 appearances for the latter, even scoring 8 goals and providing 10 assists in the process. Even though Hummels was and still is one of Bayern Munich most expensive signings ever, he did not get to completely settle in at the club as there was a strange lack of chemistry between the player and the Bundesliga side.

That is why he once again packed his bags and moved in the opposite direction to join Borussia Dortmund for €30 million in 2019 and has since become an icon at the club. He has appeared in more than 400 games for Dortmund and has helped them win several trophies over the years, including 2 German Cups, 3 German Super Cups and 2 Bundesliga titles.

Mario Gotze

• Transfer fee: €37M

We all know Mario Gotze as the boy that won the 2014 World Cup for Germany with late winner in the extra time of a thrilling final against Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Gotze was simply incredible during his time at Borussia Dortmund and was quickly moving up the ladder to become a successful midfielder in Europe. That is why Dortmund’s archrivals decided to snatch up the attacking midfielder back in 2013 and make him one of the

most expensive Bayern Munich signings ever

by paying a whopping €37 million to acquire his services.

The Germany international joined the Bavarians with a lot of promise and seemed as if he was on the path with all his impressive performances. Gotze sealed the deal as a great midfielder with that single goal in the final of the 2014 World Cup and returned home a hero.

But perhaps that incredible and historic goal was also the midfielder’s downfall since he did not get to repeat the same feats after returning to club football as his form gradually declined and a couple of months-long injuries later, Gotze was no longer considered to be one of the best attacking midfielders in the world.

Being on the list of Bayern Munich most expensive signings ever, the former Dortmund man went on to make a total of 114 appearances for the Bavarians and managed to bag himself 36 goals and 24 assists in the process. He moved back to Dortmund in 2016 and is now playing for PSV Eindhoven after joining the Eredivisie side in 2020.

Arturo Vidal

• Transfer fee: €39.5M

Few players can be as privileged as Arturo Vidal, who has played for some of the greatest clubs in the world, including the likes of

, Juventus,

, Inter and of course FC Bayern. The Chile international has experienced football to the fullest as he has played in almost all of the top-5 leagues in Europe.

Even though the 34-year-old is now playing at Inter after joining the Serie A side on a free transfer deal in 2020, there was a time when Vidal was considered to be one of the best midfielders in the world, which even led to him becoming one of

Bayern Munich most expensive signings ever

after joining the Bundesliga side for almost €40 million from Juventus in 2015.

The immensely versatile midfielder was absolutely incredible at

, for whom he made a total of 171 appearances and somehow managed to score an impressive 48 goals, while providing 25 assists in the process as well. These stats were mind-blowing for a central midfielder, which is why Bayern Munich came in knocking on Juventus’ door with a bag full of cash as they finally agreed on signing the Chilean.

This deal was one of the Bayern Munich most expensive transfers ever, which is why there was extra pressure on Vidal to deliver great performances at FC Bayern. While the former Bayer Leverkusen man did not get to hit the same records with Bayern Munich, he certainly did not disappoint either as he managed to score 22 goals and provide 17 assists in 124 appearances for the Bavarians.

Javi Martinez

• Transfer fee: €40M

We have had some amazing footballers on the list of most expensive Bayern Munich signings ever, yet none of them so far got to play for the Bundesliga side as many times as Javi Martinez. The Spaniard proved his worth at

as he made a total of 250 appearances for the La Liga side since joining the club in 2006.

This feat as a young midfielder convinced FC Bayern that Martinez was worth investing in, which is why they splashed a massive €40 million to sign the Spain international in 2012 when he was only 23 years old. Martinez was quite experienced at such a young age, which is why he quickly settled in at his new club and became a regular starter in German top-flight.

Despite constant injury woes and a terrible season-ending injury in 2014, Javi Martinez still managed to become an integral part of his club as he lived up to the billing and earned his place on the list of Bayern Munich most expensive signings ever. If it weren’t for all those injuries, the Spanish midfielder could have been a lot more successful in Germany.

Nevertheless, he still managed to be a success by making a total of 268 appearances for the Bavarians and even bagging himself 14 goals and 11 assists in the process as well. These stats helped Bayern Munich win 9 Bundesliga titles, 5 German Cups, 4 German Super Cups, 2 Champions League trophies, 2 FIFA Club World Cups and 2 UEFA Super Cups.

Corentin Tolisso

• Transfer fee: €41.5M

There are several world-class French footballers on the list of Bayern Munich most expensive signings ever and Corentin Tolisso is certainly one of them. Even though Tolisso is no longer the same incredible player he used to be during his later seasons at Olympique Lyon or his first season with the Bavarians, he still has that fire in him and only needs a bigger spark to once again bounce back and reach the top.

For the time being, however, one of the

most expensive Bayern Munich transfers of all time

is being deployed as a late substitute every now and then instead of being a regular starter. The 27-year-old made a total of 160 appearances for

and managed to score 29 goals and provide 17 assists before making his big move to FC Bayern for €41.5 million in 2017. The first season with the Bavarians went by as smoothly as possible as Tolisso became an integral part of the German club.

But constant injuries have basically crippled the Frenchman’s career as he has suffered several months-long injuries every season. These injuries have also led to heavy fitness issues, which have in turn led to Tolisso being sidelined more than he should be. Despite all these injuries, the 2018 World Cup winner has still managed to make more than 100 appearances for the Bundesliga side and it will be long before anyone can replace him on the list of Bayern Munich most expensive signings ever.

With his current contract expiring in the summer of 2022, we will have to wait and see if FC Bayern have any plans to renew the Frenchman’s contract or if they are simply waiting to run out his contract expiration date.

Dayot Upamecano

• Transfer fee: €42.5M

Bayern Munich have a habit of crippling their league rivals by signing their most promising players and even their managers if they ever feel threatened by their presence. We have seen many instances throughout the years, including how the likes of Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels left Borussia Dortmund to join FC Bayern after BVB threatened Bayern’s reign over the German top-flight by winning the Bundesliga in a back-to-back fashion.

That is why no one was surprised when the German champions honored their tradition by signing Dayot Upamecano from

and making him one of

Bayern Munich most expensive transfers ever

. Upamecano rose up the ranks at RB Salzburg in the Austrian top-flight before joining their sister club RB Leipzig for €18 million in 2017. He then went on to spend four years with the Bundesliga side before finally switching clubs and joining their league rivals for a massive transfer fee of €42.5 million.

The reigning Bundesliga champions already lacked sufficient depth at the back, which they knew was going to be even less sufficient with David Alaba’s departure in the summer of 2021. That is why they acted quickly and signed Upamecano in the winter, way before the arrival of the summer transfer window.

The French center-back has managed to adapt quickly to his new environment and has already become an integral part of the club as one of the Bayern Munich most expensive transfers ever. He has already made more than 15 appearances for the Bavarians and has even gotten himself 4 assists in the process.

Leroy Sane

• Transfer fee: €45M

Amongst the most expensive Bayern Munich transfers of all time, we have Leroy Sane, who is considered to be one of the greatest talents of the late 2010s and possibly one of the best wingers of 2020s. The left-winger gained prominence quickly after graduating from Schalke’s youth academy and joining the club’s senior side in 2015. He later joined

for a whopping fee of €52 million in 2016 as Pep Guardiola had planned to create his dream-XI for the future.

Sane’s run as an immensely versatile forward was phenomenal at City as he went on to appear in 135 games for the Citizens, scoring 39 goals and providing an incredible 45 assists in the process. Even though the Germany international was a vital part of Guardiola’s tactics, he simply did not feel at home as he felt lonely in the Premier League. Struggling to find his feet in England, Sane went on to spend four years with the Sky-Blues before joining FC Bayern for €45 million in 2020.

This was in fact one of the

highest transfer fees paid in Bayern Munich history

as only two other players have managed to cost the Bavarians more than how much they have paid for Leroy Sane. The versatile winger has managed to make more than 100 appearances for FC Bayern, during which he has scored a total of 29 goals while providing 30 assists as well.

Lucas Hernandez

• Transfer fee: €80M

Amongst the highest transfer fees paid in Bayern Munich history, none can reach Lucas Hernandez’s eye-watering €80 million transfer fee. The Frenchman joined the Bundesliga side after rising up the ranks at Atletico Madrid. He quickly turned into one of the most expensive defenders in the world as he signed for FC Bayern in the summer of 2019.

While Hernandez was initially comfortable playing as a left-back, he soon had to change his preferences to better suit Bayern Munich’s needs, who wanted to deploy the Frenchman as a center-back instead. The former Atletico Madrid man has since managed to become an important part of his team, despite having suffered several injuries throughout the years. The 26-year-old’s market value might have crashed heavily due to the Frenchman not being able to live up the billing, but Hernandez is still without a doubt one of the most talented defenders in the world.

Having won the 2018 World Cup with France, Hernandez has also managed to make history with Bayern Munich by winning the historic sextuple in the 2019-20 season. While there is still debate on whether the France international is worth being on top of the list of highest transfer fees paid in Bayern Munich history, many of the club’s supporters have faith in their defender and believe that he can turn the tides in his favor once again in the new season.

Matthijs de Ligt

• Transfer fee: €67M

Matthijs de Ligt is lauded as one of the most promising center-backs in the world and that is why he was on the shortlist of almost every top club in Europe when he first emerged as a defensive star at Ajax. De Ligt made his first big-money move by joining Juventus from Ajax and went on to make a name for himself at the Italian club. However, with the downfall of the former Serie A champions, the Dutch defender decided it was time he moved on to another club to pursue his dreams.

That is why he has now joined Bayern Munich as their second-most expensive signing of all time after the Bavarians paid Juventus a whopping fee of €67 million. Of course having a solid defense is as crucial as having a lethal front three, which is exactly why Bayern have signed the former Ajax center-back. We will have to wait and see how he manages to fortify their defenses and if he can help them win the Champions League once again.

READ MORE:

Follow 

 for the