In the world of football, sometimes teams sign players, and it just doesn't work out for whatever reason. Bayern have had their fair share of what would be classed as 'flop signings', but the one that comes to mind in recent times is Bryan Zaragoza. The Spaniard was brought in for €13 million from Granada but made only seven appearances for Bayern, spending most of his time at the club out on loan.
It was always somewhat of an eyebrow-raising signing, and the player himself has recently revealed he had the opportunity to join a different club before deciding on Bayern, and given his career path, he probably regrets turning them down.
While speaking with Spanish radio station Cadena SER this week, Bryan Zaragoza revealed for the first time that he was close to joining Barcelona before ultimately coming to Bayern, a move that didn't quite work out for the Spaniard. Zaragoza went on to say:
"Yes, there was a possibility that I would sign for Barcelona. There were contacts."Bryan Zaragoza
Bryan Zaragoza's career could have looked completely different
The Spaniard has technically been a Bayern Munich player since 2024 but has spent almost all of his time away from the Allianz Arena. He's had loan spells at Osasuna, Celta Vigo, Roma, and is on loan at Espanyol this season, with the player having no future at Bayern. It was a bit of a rushed transfer at the time, with Zaragoza not supposed to arrive until the following summer, but they brought him in in January, and from there it just never really worked out.
He's more comfortable in his native Spain, with adapting to the language and environment of Germany being tough for him; and with hindsight being what it is, he is probably regretting not making the move to Barcelona. He was also competing with the likes of Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, and Jamal Musiala for minutes, which was never going to be an easy task.
As mentioned earlier, the Spaniard is spending this season on loan at Espanyol, with the loan becoming permanent if Espanyol stays in La Liga and if he plays a minimum of 45 minutes in 20 league matches. It would be an €8 million permanent option, and for the player, it would be best for him to stay. It's not harsh to say he has no place in the Bayern squad, so moving away to a place where he'll get regular minutes is what's best. And who knows, even though he's playing for Barcelona's direct rival, maybe he could catch their eye and finally get the move to the Camp Nou.
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