A week after Bayern Munich was knocked out of the Champions League, ending their hunt for the one trophy capable of satisfying them, the club has announced they have signed both Mats Hummels from Borussia Dortmund and Renato Sanches from SL Benfica. The transfers, both reportedly worth around €35 million, are a reminder that Bayern Munich are still the kings of Germany, and arguably the highest profile club in the world. Order, you could say, has been restored.
The deal for Hummels stripped Bayern’s biggest domestic rival, Dortmund, of one of the best center-backs in the world, and would have been shocking had two similar transfers from Dortmund to Bayern not happened in the past 3 years: Bayern signed star attackers Mario Gotze back in 2013 and Robert Lewandowski in 2014.
But putting Hummels’ transfer aside, the real coup appears to be 19-year-old midfielder Renato Sanches.
Sanches played well against Bayern when Benfica faced off against them in this year’s Champions League quarter-finals. He is a strong presence who uses his body and spatial intelligence incredibly. He is aggressive, both in order to retain and regain possession, and he seems to be a decent enough passer. Tie all that up with the one or two long range rockets he has on his resume, and you can begin to see why Bayern paid €35 million for him, with the possibility of an additional €45 million in additional performance based compensation by 2021.
Bayern had to beat out some serious competition for Sanches, and did so quickly and efficiently. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Bayern entered the running for Sanches and closed the deal for him with in the span of two days. That Bayern could so quickly beat out clubs like Manchester United, who reportedly chased Sanches for months, shows both the draw of the Bavarians, and the financial might they posses.
As for Benfica, they stand to make a pretty penny on Sanches, especially if the rumor that he was initially acquired in exchange for 25 soccer balls is true. €35 million is a great return on a few pieces of cloth and polymer.
Renato cost Benfica 25 footballs(to be received if he signed a professional contract) when he joined from childhood club Águias Musgueira.
— Jan Hagen (@PortuBall) May 10, 2016
But regardless of what Sanches was purchased for as a child, Bayern’s acquisitions of him as well as Hummels stand to be the swoops of the summer.
We haven’t been this impressed with a Bayern move since Robben volleyed in that corner kick to knock United out of the Champions League back in 2010.
Shameless. I couldn’t resist, United.
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