Bara Sapoko Ndiaye has officially joined FC Bayern. Now that the youngster has signed a permanent contract, it’s also been confirmed which jersey number he’ll wear for the Munich club going forward.
Bara Sapoko Ndiaye’s transfer to FC Bayern is official, and the last remaining question surrounding the new signing has now been answered. The 18-year-old has since been officially added to the first-team roster on the record champion’s website.
At the same time, the Munich club has revealed the midfielder’s new jersey number: Ndiaye will wear number 39 for FC Bayern going forward.
This means the Senegalese player is now formally and fully integrated into Vincent Kompany’s squad. In the list of midfielders, Ndiaye is listed alongside Joshua Kimmich, Tom Bischof, Jamal Musiala, Arijon Ibrahimovic, Konrad Laimer, Ismael Saibari, and Aleksandar Pavlovic.
Ndiaye is expected to establish himself at Bayern
The youngster’s permanent signing had been in the works for some time. Ndiaye had previously been on loan from the partner academy Gambinos Stars and was able to convince club officials of his potential during his first few months in Munich.
After lengthy negotiations, Bayern finally reached an agreement with Gambinos Stars on a permanent transfer. Ndiaye signed a long-term contract running through the summer of 2031. According to media reports, the transfer fee is in the range of three to four million euros.
On the field, the 18-year-old has already taken his first steps with the first team. Last season, he made his competitive debut for FC Bayern under Kompany. He was then, surprisingly, named to the Senegalese World Cup squad.
Ndiaye was also given opportunities during this year’s preseason. In the 15-0 victory over FC Rottach-Egern, the midfielder caught the eye with a spectacular long-range goal. He was subsequently included in Bayern’s squad for their tour of Asia.
The Munich club clearly believes the youngster has what it takes to establish himself permanently at the professional level. “Bara is a great guy who has found his feet at FC Bayern in a completely new environment in a very short time and has quickly earned the team’s respect. We’ve been watching him for a long time; he was captain of his team, has made impressive progress over the past 24 months, and has continued that momentum in Munich,” explained sporting director Christoph Freund after the permanent signing.
Ndiaye himself described his long-term move to Munich as a major step: “Today is a very big day for me and my whole family. At FC Bayern, I want to learn from all these great players here every day and try to help the team. For me, a dream has come true; I’m very happy and would also like to serve as an example for other young players, like my teammates at the Gambinos Stars.”
Wearing the number 39, Ndiaye is now officially beginning his new chapter at FC Bayern. The next step for the 18-year-old is to earn playing time in a midfield packed with star players.