With the signing of Jamal Musiala, FC Bayern has probably pulled off one of the biggest transfer coups in the club’s history. The youngster moved to Bayern from Chelsea FC in 2019 and has since developed into a real top star. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has now revealed that the signing of Musiala was not originally planned at all.
Jamal Musiala is undoubtedly one of the biggest shooting stars in European football. At just 21 years of age, the attacking all-rounder has developed into a regular and key player for FC Bayern and the German national team.
Bayern paid just €200,000 to Chelsea FC almost five years ago to secure Musiala’s services. His market value is now estimated at 110 million euros. As has now become known, Munich had a good dose of luck when signing the DFB international.
As former board chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealed in an interview with t-online, Musiala was not Bayern’s focus at the time: „In principle, he was a by-product of the unsuccessful transfer of Callum Hudson-Odoi, to be honest,“ and added: „We are glad that he ended up here at Bayern Munich.“
Musiala transfer? „A lucky twist of fate“
The background to Rummenigge’s statement: Bayern were very interested in Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea FC in the summer of 2019. Former sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic in particular was keen to lure the winger to Munich at the time. Talks with the Blues were already at an advanced stage, but in the end the two clubs were unable to agree on a transfer fee.
After the Hudson Odoi deal fell through, Jamal Musiala became the focus of Bayern’s attention and subsequently moved to the German record champions: „In hindsight, that was a happy twist of fate,“ Rummenigge emphasised.
The 68-year-old is a big fan of Musiala: „His development is excellent, we don’t need to talk about that: The talent for movement, the dribbling, his goalscoring ability and the way he sets up goals – what he’s doing is already at a very high level.“
At the same time, however, he warns that Musiala is only at the start of his career: „At 21, he’s still a very young player. You have to accompany him a little on his way. And by that I also mean the media a little,“ Rummenigge appealed, referring in particular to the exaggerated media coverage in the „people business of football“.
