THE Premier League’s record-breaking transfer window has significantly impacted German football, with even Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich feeling the financial pressure from English clubs.
Four of the Premier League’s most expensive summer signings arrived from Bundesliga clubs, costing a combined 380 million euros plus additional performance bonuses.
Liverpool secured both Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike among their high-profile acquisitions from German teams during this transfer period.
Premier League clubs collectively spent more than three billion euros this summer, setting a new record for transfer window expenditure.
This financial disparity has sparked intense debate within German football about potential structural reforms, including the controversial 50+1 ownership rule.
Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn criticised German football administrators for being too conservative and risk-averse in their approach.
“The league is playing too safe and has forgotten how to take risks,“ Kahn stated on his LinkedIn account, questioning whether Germany should remain a talent development league.
Kahn highlighted structural restraints that prevent bold decisions, though he stopped short of directly calling for the abolition of the 50+1 rule.
The 50+1 rule requires German clubs to maintain majority ownership through member associations, effectively limiting external investment opportunities.
Only Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg operate outside this rule due to their long-standing corporate relationships, and both have won league titles in the past two decades.
Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes acknowledged the Premier League’s financial dominance, stating that German clubs have little choice when English clubs come calling.
Several Bundesliga clubs including Borussia Dortmund, Leverkusen, RB Leipzig and Stuttgart each sold at least one player to Premier League clubs for fees exceeding 50 million euros.
Rolfes suggested that professionalising youth academy programmes represents the key strategy for offsetting the Premier League’s economic advantage.
Stuttgart’s recent success demonstrates how strategic investment can transform a club’s fortunes, with Porsche’s 100 million euro minority stake providing crucial financial support.
The club qualified for the Champions League in 2024 after a 15-year absence and won the German Cup the following season.
Stuttgart received 85 million euros for Nick Woltemade, who had joined the club on a free transfer just one season earlier.
Even Bayern Munich found themselves unable to compete financially for top targets like Wirtz and Woltemade, both of whom chose Premier League moves.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl admitted the club had to exercise financial prudence during the transfer window, limiting their options.
When asked about the Premier League’s appeal, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany simply responded “money” during a press conference.
The Premier League’s growing financial power challenges Bayern’s traditional dominance in German football, where they have won 34 league titles.
This summer’s transfer activity demonstrates how English financial muscle is making it increasingly difficult for Bayern to acquire their domestic rivals’ best players. – AFP