Top stars prefer to play in the Premier League: Bundesliga in search of identity

Wirtz, Ekitiké, Sesko, and even Xhaka: The Bundesliga has lost several top players this summer. It's all down to money, of course. But there are other reasons as well.

The English Premier League has been lavishing money on the transfer market this summer. And it's still doing so. According to "transfermarkt.de," the 20 clubs have invested more than €2.3 billion in new players so far. By comparison, the German Bundesliga, the Spanish Primera Division, and the Italian Serie A have so far totaled €1.9 billion in transfer spending—combined, that is.

In their search for new players, the team managers from the British Isles also found success in the Bundesliga this summer. The departure of international Florian Wirtz to Liverpool FC was particularly painful, as he could have easily moved to Munich. The Anfield Reds also signed Wirtz's colleague Jeremie Frimpong and later Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko is leaving the Bundesliga for Manchester United , Dortmund's Jamie Gittens is moving to Chelsea , and Bayern's Mathys Tel is now playing for Tottenham Hotspur .

Leverkusen's Granit Xhaka could have played in the Champions League with Leverkusen next season, but prefers to fight against relegation with newly promoted English club AFC Sunderland , and Hoffenheim's Anton Stach now plays for Leeds United . Stach is a good example of the enormous sums of money that change hands. The newly promoted Premier League club paid a whopping €20 million for the defensive midfielder, who isn't exactly considered a superstar in this country. Southampton FC also paid a relatively large sum of €8 million for Cologne's Damion Downs, who was still playing in the second division last season.

Others are trying their luck elsewhere. For example, international player Leroy Sane, who now plays for Galatasaray in Istanbul. And with Thomas Müller ending his career in Vancouver , the league is losing one of its defining figures. And the transfer window isn't even over yet. Leipzig's Xavi Simons is reportedly close to signing with Chelsea.

Among the newcomers, i.e., players coming to the Bundesliga from foreign clubs, superstars are hard to come by. The only notable example is Colombian Luis Diaz, who is moving from Liverpool to Bayern, thus taking the opposite route. The German elite league is primarily made up of up-and-coming and promising top talents such as Jobe Bellingham (Dortmund), Jarell Quansah, Malik Tillman (both Leverkusen), and Johan Bakayoko (Leipzig).

One wonders if the Bundesliga is only attractive as a stepping stone anymore? The number of superstars is certainly decreasing. Bayern Munich have Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala – that's it.

Oliver Kahn reflected on this question in an interview with "Kicker." The German elite league "still doesn't play a particularly big role internationally ," the former national goalkeeper and former Bayern Munich board member concluded: "When I talk to people anywhere in the world, they don't see much difference between the Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1. The Premier League and La Liga stand out clearly." That's why he can "well understand" young star Wirtz.

However, those in charge "should give some thought if one of Germany's best players prefers to move to England rather than FC Bayern," said Kahn. He sees German football as having "a deceptive appeal." Full stadiums, an outstanding atmosphere, or perfect conditions are no longer enough these days.

Leipzig's sporting director Marcel Schäfer has no problem with the Bundesliga's role as a springboard. "It makes us somewhat proud to have developed the next player for the Premier League and one of the biggest clubs in the world," he said. Two years ago, Leipzig sold Josko Gvardiol to Manchester City for €90 million.

One thing is clear: German clubs can't compete financially. "We can't and won't enter this race unconditionally if players are attracting interest from the top clubs," Eintracht Frankfurt board spokesman Axel Hellmann told Kicker magazine. "The earning potential on the international market has changed."

This also applies to leagues that are rather unattractive from a sporting perspective. For example, Frankfurt recently had to let Ekitiké and Tuta leave for Qatar at the peak of their footballing career, while Stuttgart's Enzo Millot is moving to Saudi Arabia at the age of 23.

To change that, German football must redevelop its identity. "When I watch German football right now, I deliberately ask myself the question: What does German football actually stand for today?" said Borussia Dortmund's agent Matthias Sammer: "I can't identify it." Apparently, many stars can't either.