Missed bargain transfer! Why Bayern rejected Vuskovic | OneFootball

Luka Vuskovic is one of those talents that inevitably makes people in Munich wonder whether they have been too cautious. The central defender, who is now one of the most exciting defensive prospects in Europe, was offered to FC Bayern early on – on terms that seem almost absurdly cheap from today’s perspective

Vuskovic was on the table of Bayern scouts for the first time in February 2023. At the time, the Croatian was just 15 years old and an almost unknown quantity at the highest level. Nevertheless, the price tag was manageable. „He would have been available for three million plus two million in bonuses,“ reveals Christian Falk in the BILD podcast Bayern Insider

For a club like FC Bayern, this initially seemed like a classic bet on the future – with the corresponding risk. Internally, however, the decision was made against the transfer. The reason was less to do with the financial framework than with the sporting assessment

Skepticism in scouting – and a decision with serious consequences

photo: IMAGO

Particularly explosive: The rejection was apparently based on an internal assessment that is viewed critically today. Falk describes how the tenor at the time was: The player was „too arrogant on the ball“ and did not fit the profile that was envisaged for the club’s own defense

An assessment that in retrospect proved to be at least worthy of discussion, because while Bayern hesitated, the competition struck – and much more decisively

Real Madrid had the defender on their radar early on and are even said to have made an offer of around twelve million euros at one point. In the end, however, Tottenham Hotspur won the race, with Spurs investing around 15 million euros – a clear sign that they believed in the youngster’s enormous potential

Since then, his development has picked up noticeably, with loan spells increasing his market value to €40 million and attracting the interest of numerous top clubs

Bayern is watching – and rethinking

The personnel issue has not gone unnoticed in Munich, with Vuskovic’s name resurfacing in the wake of the recent discussions surrounding Dayot Upamecano and long-term planning in central defence. But the reality is clear: a renewed push would hardly be financially feasible today

What’s more, the Croatian still belongs to Tottenham. „It’s not that simple,“ emphasized BILD reporter Heiko Niedderer in the podcast. The Londoners now have a completely different negotiating position – and would „ask for a very, very high sum“

Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that Vuskovic is still in contact with Bayern. Jonathan Tah is said to be following his development closely and keeping in regular contact, as he recently revealed – a detail that shows how much the defender is now also being noticed in the Bundesliga

Whether more can come of this remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: FC Bayern let an opportunity pass that would probably be viewed differently today.