Bayern Munich missed out on signing Spanish teen sensation
Spain has been one of the best teams at Euro 2024. The Spanish team plays an attractive style of football, dominating possession and being direct in the attack at the same time. FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has been one of the stars for Spain in the two group games. The teenager was courted by Bayern Munich before he broke through at FC Barcelona.
According to Sky Sports, Bayern had Yamal as one of their top transfer targets when he turned 14. Hasan Salihamidzic and Marco Neppe were eager to bring Yamal to Munich. They held concrete talks with the player’s representatives, but he eventually decided to stay at FC Barcelona.
Die Roten have been proven right about Yamal’s potential. The 16-year-old was the only bright spot for Barcelona in a dismal season, chipping in with ten goal contributions across 22 La Liga appearances.
Yamal has already established himself as a key player for Spain. Bayern would have hit a jackpot if they had convinced him to join in 2022. Jamal Musiala and Yamal would have been the face of Bayern for several years in two crucial positions.
Bayern continue to focus on signing the best young talents from across the world before they become superstars. They may not sign every top talent, but the approach remains aggressive in youth recruitment.
The focus on youth signings and development has been taken to the next level after the arrival of Christoph Freund. The Austrian sporting director is renowned for signing brilliant young players for RB Salzburg. He has already helped Bayern clinch the signing of highly-rated Australian winger Nestory Irankunda. The young winger is expected to train with the first team and get game time with the reserves team next season.
Bayern also tried to sign highly-rated Assan Ouédraogo from Schalke this summer. However, the transfer was not financially feasible for Die Roten. The youngster has joined RB Leipzig. Rekordmeister will certainly keep a close eye on his development. Along with several senior signings, Bayern will be busy with youth signings this summer as they wouldn’t want to miss out on another Yamal.