Luis Díaz moves to FC Bayern for 75 million euros – the third-highest transfer fee in Bundesliga history

Not so long ago, the atmosphere was always more excited when Bayern Munich made transfers during the summer break. When Sadio Mané arrived from Liverpool in 2022 , one could almost have gotten the impression that a state visit was imminent in Munich, so meticulous was the reporting on what the Senegalese striker was up to. A year later, the transfer of Harry Kane brought the attention to a peak. The English superstar, whom Bayern spent €100 million on, was received like a member of the English royal family.

However, things are now proceeding with a downright calm approach to the transfer of Colombian Luis Díaz. The 28-year-old joins from Liverpool FC and is the urgently needed winger that FC Bayern Munich is looking for: He has proven his international caliber and is considered a professional with impeccable professionalism. However, this is offset by the transfer fee that Bayern are expected to pay Liverpool, according to consistent media reports.

The total is €67.5 million, and including performance-related bonuses, the sum could rise to €75 million. Well-informed sources usually report a gross annual salary of €14 million—which should represent a small saving compared to German international Leroy Sané, who left FC Bayern for Istanbul.

In the club's long history, however, it is the third-highest transfer fee (and thus also in the Bundesliga) that Bayern have ever paid. Only Kane and French defender Lucas Hernández , who never justified the €80 million investment, were more expensive. Quite unlike Kane, who not only brought a certain glamour to Munich but also scored goals with clockwork regularity. If Díaz were to position himself somewhere between these two, with a slight leaning towards Kane, he would certainly not be a flop.

However, one thing is already clear: Taking all factors into account, Bayern have never made a more expensive transfer than this one. This may seem paradoxical at first glance. But one need only consider his age. The Colombian, who has signed a five-year contract in Munich, is 28 years old. He lacks the star factor that Kane possesses. And when Bayern signed Hernández in 2017, he was only 23.

It's entirely possible that Díaz is currently in the prime of his career, which could perhaps last another two or three years. He scored 41 goals in 148 games for Liverpool, along with 23 assists. However, his performances for Liverpool have been nowhere near as outstanding as Kane's for Tottenham Hotspur, even though his coaches praise him to the skies. He certainly doesn't represent a future model for Bayern. Things might have been different if Nico Williams had opted for Bayern from Athletic Bilbao. At 23, his prime as a footballer is almost certainly still ahead of him.

In this respect, Luis Díaz is, in a way, a symptomatic transfer. A certain level of quality is being acquired for a great deal of money in the hope that Díaz will quickly solve the problems on the wing. There's one main reason why Bayern are so generous with Díaz: Those in charge, especially the now heavily criticized sporting director Max Eberl, felt under pressure to act, which they are now addressing by signing Díaz.

On three other occasions, things didn't go well for Munich: Florian Wirtz, a sought-after Leverkusen player, decided against Bayern, Nico Williams declined, and FC Bayern has reportedly made no significant progress with Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade either. Woltemade is currently Germany's most prominent striker; VfB would be handsomely rewarded for a transfer. However, a move for Woltemade would indeed be an investment in Bayern's future.