That time Bayern Munich turned down €100 million for Thomas Müller in 2015

· BavarianFW

Here is the edited text with corrections for spelling, missing words, and sentence structure: Thomas Müller could have become one of the most expensive departures in Bayern Munich history long before the club ever reached the era of nine-figure transfer fees. In 2015, Manchester United reportedly put an offer worth around €100 million on the […]

Thomas Müller could have become one of the most expensive departures in Bayern Munich history long before the club ever reached the era of nine-figure transfer fees.

In 2015, Manchester United reportedly put an offer worth around €100 million on the table for the Bayern academy product. Müller was only 25 years old, already a World Cup winner, and firmly established as one of the most important players in the Bayern squad.

And Bayern Munich said no.

While we had always heard that it was a big offer, with some rumors pointing to nine figures—which, at that time, would have been tough for any club to turn down.

Müller recently looked back on the proposal during an appearance on the podcast “The Late Run” (via Tz ), confirming that Manchester United had made a massive offer for him: “In 2015, United offered around €100 million. But I had a contract, and Bayern said no.”

The possibility of moving to Manchester was not something Müller simply dismis sed. There were several reasons why the Premier League appealed to him, perhaps the biggest being the presence of Louis van Ga al. Van Gaal had played a major role in Müller’s development at Bayern Munich, helping establish him as a fi rst-team player before eventually taking over at Manchester United. The prospect of working with his former mentor again was therefore a significant factor .

> “The offer was very good and it gave me the chance to work with my mentor again,” Müller e xplained. “Moreover, I was in my mid-twenties and felt I was ready for the Premier League.”

Ultimately , though, Bayern made it clear that Müller was not for sale.

Interestingly, Müller does not look back at the d ecision as a missed opportunity. Instead, he vie ws Bayern Munich’s refusal to accept €100 million as one of the biggest compliments the club could have given him.

> “I was also happy that Bayern said no. Because it was a huge compliment that they turned down €100 million and signaled to me: ‘You’re our man.’”

Th e decision was followed by an even stronger commitment from Müller himself. Just a few months later, in December 2 015, he extended his Bayern Munich contract through 2021. Of course, the rest is FC Bayern history. Müller remained at the club for another decade, became one of the defining players of the modern Bayern era, won virtually every major trophy available, and eventually left Munich as a club legend.

Bayern Munich could have taken €100 million fo r Müller in 2015.

Instead, the club kept its Raumdeuter —and got nearly a decade more of Mül ler.

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