Bayern Munich’s Max Eberl looking forward to ‘internal transfers’

Bayern Munich executive board member for sport Max Eberl has been signaling — unsurprisingly — a quiet winter transfer window ahead for the Bavarians.

“The main task is internal transfers in the form of extensions,” Eberl relayed in earlier comments captured by DAZN (via @iMiaSanMia). “Then we have the squad set. Then we will probably not act extensively in the winter at all.”

BFW Analysis

It’s an interesting conundrum for the cost-conscious Bavarians. On the one hand, an internal ‘transfer’ — an extended contract — is a chance to avoid paying a transfer fee on an increasingly wild market.

On the other, signing bonuses are their own form of escalating market and some of Bayern’s extension candidates are also highly-paid veterans closer to the end of their primes than not.

We’ve seen Bayern try again and again to reduce salaries. And sometimes — as in the case of Leroy Sané — that has led the player to pursue a better offer elsewhere. Other cases, like Joshua Kimmich, last year, remain central.

Would Bayern be better served not succeeding in some of these internal transfer efforts? And what will happen with Serge Gnabry, Dayot Upamecano, and Leon Goretzka this season?