Bayern Munich's high player salaries, much like those at FC Barcelona, have strained the Bavarian club’s financial management when it comes to signing new players. This summer, Bayern invested $138 million. They signed Japanese player Hiroki Ito, Frenchman Michael Olise, and Portuguese Joao Palhinha. They needed more new additions but lack the resources. One of their targets, Bayer Leverkusen’s defender Jonathan Tah, ultimately remained unattainable.

The high wages of certain key players and their refusal to leave Bayern are complicating efforts to operate more effectively in the transfer market, particularly concerning Alphonso Davies, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, and Serge Gnabry.

In the cases of Davies and Kimmich, their high salaries are compounded by the fact that they have only one season left on their contracts, giving them leverage to negotiate a potentially reduced contract or a more favorable salary distribution for Bayern.

Davies received a contract renewal offer in March with terms similar to his current salary of around $17 million gross, which he rejected. His counteroffer, around $30 million gross per season, was not considered by the club. This disagreement may lead him to Real Madrid, where he could follow in the footsteps of David Alaba, whom Davies admires greatly.

Kimmich, one of the highest earners on the team, also faces a sentimental component. He is a leader in the squad and recently became captain of the German national team. A failure to renew his contract could provoke a strong reaction from fans.

Gnabry and Goretzka each have two years left on their contracts, but their situations differ. While Gnabry remains a key player and has had a strong start to the season, Goretzka has been relegated to the bench. He was even left out of the squad for the first match of the season in the German Cup, which was seen as a pressure tactic by the club to encourage him to seek a move. However, his high salary makes a transfer difficult. Bayern will also soon face the challenge of renewing Jamal Musiala, who is set to be a future star, with his contract expiring in 2026.

Musiala’s continuity, deemed crucial for the club’s immediate future, has been supported by Bayern legends such as Lothar Matthäus, who recently had a high-profile clash of statements with former teammate and ex-Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn over his management during two years, which included expensive signings with mixed results like Dayot Upamecano, Sadio Mané, Matthijs de Ligt, and Kim Min-jae.

Failure to Sign Tah

Bayern’s major aspiration for strengthening their defense during the recent transfer window was Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, currently one of the top defenders in the Bundesliga and a key player for Xabi Alonso’s team. However, negotiations with Leverkusen proved difficult.

According to Bayern's sporting director Max Eberl, Leverkusen gave them a "deadline" of "three and a half weeks" before the market closed and specified the "amount" to be paid. Bayern’s response, as per Eberl, was a simple yet clear written message to Simon Rolfes, Leverkusen’s sporting director: "Thanks for the deadline and the mentioned amount. We cannot do both."

Even with the sales of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to Manchester United for a total of $64 million, Bayern could not meet Leverkusen’s demands for Tah. Consequently, they explored a last-minute sale of French forward Kingsley Coman to Saudi Arabia, which ultimately did not materialize.

This is how Bayern began the current campaign. They have won their matches so far, placing them among the leaders of a Bundesliga they aim to reclaim. On October 23, in the third round of the top continental competition, the German giants will travel to Barcelona to face a club that shares not only the initials of their names and the experience of Pep Guardiola on the bench but also a similar challenge in balancing transfer operations with the institution’s grandeur.