The discussions surrounding Jamal Musiala at FC Bayern continue to gain momentum. After Uli Hoeneß recently expressed public doubts about the 23-year-old’s athletic future, Markus Babbel has now weighed in as well. The former Bayern pro believes the Munich club is in a difficult situation given the national team player’s ongoing health issues.
The main focus is on Musiala’s long-term contract. As recently as February 2025, the attacking player extended his contract through the summer of 2030. With this extension, he became one of the top earners at Germany’s record-holding champions. According to media reports, Musiala is now said to be earning more than 20 million euros per season.
Given the numerous absences, Babbel now wonders whether Bayern went too far financially with the contract extension. In an interview with Sky, the former national team player expressed clear doubts about the balance between salary and playing availability.
Babbel: “We simply paid too much.”
“He was given a contract designed for an absolute top player. And absolute top players are usually always on the field. They’re very rarely injured. And Jamal is simply very prone to injuries,” Babbel explained.
The 54-year-old even believes that those in charge at Säbener Straße might now be taking a critical look back at their decision at the time.
“We simply paid too much. He would certainly have signed for less,” Babbel said, expressing his assumption about the internal assessment of the Musiala deal.
For the former Bayern defender, the issue is less about the offensive star’s fundamental abilities and more about his availability.
Musiala has had to cope with several health setbacks in recent months. In addition to the aftereffects of his serious injury at the 2025 Club World Cup, he was most recently sidelined due to a torn muscle fiber in his right thigh.
Added to this is an illness that has also recently been discussed publicly.
“High levels of dissatisfaction” at FC Bayern?
Babbel believes that the difficult situation is now also causing discontent within the club. “And then there’s the illness on top of that—everyone was surprised by that, too. And I think there’s a high level of dissatisfaction within the club right now,” explained the former Bayern pro.
However, Babbel did not provide any specific insights into internal discussions among club officials. Rather, his statements should be understood as a personal assessment of the current situation.
Uli Hoeneß had already sparked discussion over the weekend with remarkably blunt remarks. “What he’s capable of right now is no longer what’s in his contract,” explained Bayern’s honorary president, referring to Musiala’s current situation.
Stefan Effenberg, too, had recently suggested on SPORT1’s “Doppelpass” that, given the health setbacks, the Munich club might be “having second thoughts about extending Jamal Musiala’s contract.”
For the national team player, the priority for now is returning to the field. Following his recent muscle injury, Musiala has since rejoined team training. However, a specific date for his competitive comeback has not yet been set.
Bayern continues to hope that their star forward will regain his former form in the long term. However, recent statements by Hoeneß, Effenberg, and Babbel show just how intensely Musiala’s athletic prospects and his lucrative contract are now being discussed.