Bayern might be a buying club in general, but they have also sold well in the past
Bayern Munich are not a selling club by default.
In fact, their sporting ambitions and success mean they are more of a buying club.
But that is not to say big players do not leave Bayern for pastures new. While some may have been looking for new challenges, some might be moving for sporting or economical reasons.
In the summer of 2022, they sold Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona for €45 million in what was a high-profile transfer saga.
It must be noted that while they've sold players like Lewandowski and Toni Kroos, a few like David Alaba and Niklas Sule have left on free transfers.
But still, Bayern have raked in over €580 million in transfer sales since the turn of the century.
Bayern Munich most expensive sales by season
Season
Biggest Sale
Transfer Fee
Total Sales
2022/23
Robert Lewandowski
€45m
€104m
2021/22
Michael Cuisance
€4m
€4m
2020/21
Thiago
€22m
€22.25m
2019/20
Mats Hummels
€30.5m
€54m
2018/19
Douglas Costa
€40m
€84m
2017/18
Medhi Benatia
€16.7m
€32.25m
2016/17
Mario Gotze
€22m
€52.3m
2015/16
Xherdan Shaqiri
€15m
€33m
2014/15
Toni Kroos
€25m
€48.7m
2013/14
Luiz Gustavo
€16m
€40m
2012/13
Nils Petersen (Loan)
€0.5m
€0.5m
2011/12
Mehmet Ekici
€5m
€5m
2010/11
Martin Demichelis
€3m
€6m
2009/10
Lukas Podolski
€10m
€22.95m
2008/09
Marcell Jansen
€8m
€10.9m
2007/08
Owen Hargreaves
€25m
€36.15m
2006/07
Paolo Guerrero
€2.5m
€2.5m
2005/06
Torsten Frings
€5m
€7.05m
2004/05
Piotr Trochowski
€1m
€1.03m
2003/04
Giovane Elber
€4.2m
€4.5m
2002/03
Carsten Jancker
€2.5m
€3.5m
2001/02
Patrik Andersson
€8m
€9.35m
2000/01
David Jarolim
€0.2m
€0.275m
Total
€585m
Bayern Munich top 10 most expensive salesGetty Images10Arturo Vidal | €18 million | FC Barcelona | 2018
Bayern Munich were certainly happy to get €18m from Barcelona for then 31-year-old Arturo Vidal in 2018, despite the fact they were making a loss on the outlay on him.
The impulsive Chilean came to Munich from Juventus for almost €40 million and did have some strong performances in midfield for Bayern, especially in the Champions League.
But in the end, Vidal, known for his tempestuous nature, lacked the consistency to become an integral part of the first team.
AdvertisementGetty Images9Renato Sanches | €20 million | LOSC Lille | 2019
Golden Boy award winner Renato Sanches came to Bavaria with huge expectations, but lived up to his talent and hype only sporadically at Bayern.
One of Bayern's most expensive buys, he came to the club at the age of 18 in 2016 and it seemed he had made the move too early. He saw his playing time limited and grew more and more unhappy. The price tag of €35 million was an additional burden for the young Portuguese, and a loan to Swansea didn't help either.
In 2019, the Portuguese was sold to LOSC Lille, where he was able to live up to his potential and convinced PSG of a transfer in 2022.
Getty Images8Mario Mandzukic | €22 million | Atletico Madrid | 2014
Mario Mandzukic joined Bayern in 2012 from Wolfsburg for about €13 million. A striker who always created nuisance for the opposing defenders, Mandzukic played a valuable role in Bayern's treble-winning 2012-13 season.
But after a season under Pep Guardiola, whom the Croatian never quite warmed up to, his story at Bavaria was over. Mandzukic went to Atletico Madrid in 2014. However, it was a good deal economically for Bayern.
Bongarts7Mario Götze | €22 million | Borussia Dortmund | 2016
The spell of talented Mario Gotze will probably be regarded as a failure by most at Bayern.
His transfer to in 2013 was a spectacular development, given that Bayern had poached him from arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund by triggering his €37 million release clause.
The attacking midfielder was seen as the top talent in German football at the time, yet he never really got going at Bayern.
Despite scoring the goal that won Germany the 2014 World Cup, Gotze continued to struggle with his club.
And so his transfer back to Dortmund in 2016 did not come as a major surprise, even if it represented a loss economically.