While the goalkeeping situation remains fluid, Bayern have secured their defensive foundations by tying Dayot Upamecano to a new long-term deal until 2030. Eberl admitted the negotiations were difficult but necessary to avoid the spiralling costs of the modern transfer market. The Bayern chief pointed to staggering fees being paid elsewhere in Europe as justification for investing heavily in their own established stars.
“The negotiations were definitely not easy, but then again, they rarely are,” he said. “There are always issues, wishes, and expectations on both sides that need to be reconciled. It was clear from the beginning that Dayot wanted to extend his contract – then it was simply a matter of finding solutions. And we succeeded.”
Eberl added: “Of course, the contract extensions cost money. But it costs even more when I have to buy players of the quality of Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, or Dayot Upamecano – if you can even find them. For example, Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes would have been a great player for us. But when we see that he’s going to Liverpool at the age of 19 for a reported 70 million euros, we have to consider what’s best for Bayern Munich. And our answer was to pursue Dayot’s contract extension. He knows the club, is in his prime, and is one of the best center-backs in the world. From both a sporting and financial perspective, it’s the right decision. That’s why I’m calling it an ‘internal transfer’.”