Bayern Munich Bows Out of Transfer Race for Barcola and Gordon
Bayern Munich stepped away from blockbuster summer moves for Bradley Barcola and Anthony Gordon after baulking at the huge fees involved, leaving Liverpool and Barcelona to land two of Europe’s most sought-after wide forwards.
Bayern admire, but won’t match Premier League money
Vincent Kompany wanted a new winger and Bayern did their homework. Barcola was high on the list. So was Gordon. Both ended up elsewhere.
Speaking to Sport Bild, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl made no secret of his long-standing admiration for Barcola.
"To be honest, I already know Bradley from my time at Leipzig. I wanted to bring him to Leipzig," he said. "We sat down together and discussed it back then. That’s how I developed a closer relationship with Bradley. So there was always interest there. Of course, we also looked into him at Bayern."
The interest was real. The numbers were the problem.
Liverpool paid £123 million to prise Barcola away from Paris Saint-Germain as Mohamed Salah’s successor after the Egyptian brought an era-defining nine-year spell at Anfield to a close. For Bayern, that figure ended the conversation.
"When you hear about sums like that, it was too much for us," Eberl admitted. "With Luis Diaz, we made a decision that was also costly, but on a different scale than Bradley."
The pattern repeated with Gordon.
"It’s no secret that we were interested in Anthony Gordon for the left wing," Eberl conceded. "We decided we were not doing that because he was simply too expensive."
Gordon instead swapped Newcastle for Barcelona in a deal worth £69m, another fee Bayern refused to chase.
Liverpool go all in on Barcola
While Bayern pulled back, Liverpool pushed all their chips into the middle of the table.
Barcola became the club’s priority to fill the gaping hole left by Salah. The France international, a two-time Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain, wanted the move. That desire helped Liverpool fend off serious interest from Arsenal and close a deal that places him as the second-most expensive signing in the club’s history, behind record arrival Alexander Isak.
The price tag is eye-watering. The expectation is just as heavy.
Barcola has already begun to show why Liverpool were willing to stretch so far. He made his debut off the bench, replacing fellow new signing Victor Munoz on the hour mark in a controlled 2-0 away win at Ipswich. It was a gentle introduction, a first taste of the tempo.
His first start came under the Anfield lights in the Champions League, and the stakes rose immediately.
Early flashes at Anfield
Against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, Barcola produced glimpses of the direct running and sharp movement that persuaded Liverpool to commit nine figures.
Liverpool edged a 2-1 victory, with Alexis Mac Allister striking the decisive second-half goal. By then, Barcola had already been withdrawn, leaving the pitch with cramp as the intensity caught up with him. It was a reminder that adaptation to Iraola’s demands and the Premier League rhythm will take careful handling.
For Andoni Iraola, the message is clear: Liverpool have invested heavily, and Barcola’s talent is obvious, but his minutes will need to be managed smartly in the coming weeks.
Bayern reshape instead of spending
Missing out on Barcola and Gordon did not leave Bayern standing still. It forced a different kind of summer.
With no nine-figure winger arriving, the club moved to reshape Kompany’s squad and balance the books in other ways. Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown came through the door, while a sizeable group headed out.
- Joao Palhinha
- Alexander Nubel
- Daniel Peretz
- Noel Aseko
- Jonah Kusi-Asare
- Maurice Krattenmacher
- Lovro Zvornarek
all departed the Allianz Arena as Bayern trimmed and retooled.
Liverpool chose to pay the premium for a ready-made star to lead their next attacking era. Bayern chose restraint and restructuring.
The season will reveal which strategy truly carries more weight.
