5 players who Bayern Munich sold for the most profit

Bayern Munich have not been known to capitalise on player sales as more often than not, they undercut their players and lost their values. However, who are the 5 players who Bayern Munich sold for the most profit?

READ MORE: The 5 most expensive Bayern Munich signings of all-time

5 players who Bayern Munich sold for the most profit

For continuity reasons, transfer fees will be courtesy of Transfermarkt. Furthermore, "profit" is simply calculated based on the fee paid BY Bayern Munich when signing minus the fee paid TO Bayern Munich when sold. That said, please do not rely on this fun-intended article for accurate profit margins.

5. Sebastian Rudy (€16m profit)

Sebastian Rudy signed for Bayern Munich on a free transfer from Hoffenheim in 2017. He only spent one season in Bavaria before he was sold to FC Schalke for €16m. Since Bayern Munich did not pay anything upfront in the way of a transfer fee, this €16m can be considered as raw profit, making him the fifth most profitable sale in Bayern Munich history.

4. Ryan Gravenberch (€21.5m profit)

Ryan Gravenberch was not given much of a chance to prove himself at Bayern Munich but with respect to the higher-ups, they saw an irresistable chance to generate some easy profit on the young player. Signed from Ajax in 2022 for €18.5m, the midfielder spent one season at Bayern Munich as a rotational player, before being sold to Liverpool for €40m in 2023.

This transfer sequence saw Bayern Munich pocket a tidy €21.5m in profit over the course of just one year. Great business at the Allianz Arena.

3. Toni Kroos (€22.7m profit)

Due to retire in the summer of 2024, Toni Kroos has had a marvellous career. Despite making more of a name for himself at Real Madrid, Kroos remains one of the greatest midfielders to play for Bayern Munich.

Kroos was a product of the Bayern Munich youth academy, but they did pay a €2.3m transfer fee to secure him in their academy in 2006. He spent seven years in the Bayern Munich first team before being sold to Real Madrid in 2014 for €25m, netting €22.7m profit for Bayern Munich.

2. Owen Hargreaves (€25m profit)

Bayern Munich paid nothing for Owen Hargreaves, who was a successful member of their youth academy. The English midfielder spent seven years with Bayern, winning four Bundesligas and the Champions League, before he was sold to Manchester United for €25m in 2007

1. Robert Lewandowski (€45m profit)

Considering how well Robert Lewandowski played after leaving Bayern Munich, fans probably wish he stayed. However, since he was signed from Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer and sold to Barcelona for €45m in 2022, the Poland international can be considered the most profitable Bayern Munich transfer in history.