5 players Bayern Munich should have never sold

Kroos elevated himself to a whole new level at Real Madrid
Kroos elevated himself to a whole new level at Real Madrid

#3 Renato Sanches

Bayern Muenchen v Fenerbahce - Audi Cup 2019 Semi Final
Bayern Muenchen v Fenerbahce - Audi Cup 2019 Semi Final

Renato Sanches joined Bayern Munich in 2016 for €35 million, making him the most expensive Portuguese player to play in the Bundesliga. He also became the first Portuguese international to play for the Bavarian club.

At the time, he was merely 18 years old, and his three seasons at the Allianz arena were nothing but underwhelming. The young midfielder made just 53 appearances across competitions at Bayern Munich and managed to score just two goals. An unproductive loan spell at Swansea city didn't help his cause either, where he infamously passed the ball to an advertising board.

There was a mounting fear that the Portuguese golden boy's case would turn into what could have been. But he was able to find his feet again at LOSC Lille, where he re-established himself as one of the finest midfield talents in Europe. Sanches helped Lille defy the odds of winning Ligue 1, defeating Paris Saint-Germain. He made 23 appearances in the title-winning season.


#2 Lucio

Bayern Muenchen v Inter Milan - UEFA Champions League Final
Bayern Muenchen v Inter Milan - UEFA Champions League Final

Lucio was definitely the best centre-back in the Bayern Munich squad over a period of five years. During his tenure at the Allianz Arena, the defender won the DFB-Pokal trophy and three Bundesliga titles. But the Brazilian was deemed surplus to requirements by the then-manager Louis van Gaal and was sold to Inter.

After leaving Bayern Munich in 2009, Lucio would go on to have the most successful term of his career. He was made the captain of the Brazilian national team, and he also won the iconic treble with Inter in the 2009-10 season. The Brazilian defender also got the better of his former employers in the Champions League final that season.


#1 Toni Kroos

Juventus v Real Madrid - UEFA Champions Le ague Final
Juventus v Real Madrid - UEFA Champions Le ague Final

Unsurprisingly, the number one choice on this list, Toni Kroos, was sold to Real Madrid for just a paltry amount of €25 million. This move would go down as one of the transfers of the decade, as the German transformed into one of the greatest midfielders of his generation at the Bernabeu.

The Bavarian club did not value him before he went on to achieve even greater success at Real Madrid. The club offered him a contract worth 40 percent less than what Kroos demanded, which was an utter disrespect to his world-beating abilities.

It was a rare lapse in judgment by one of, if not the most competently run clubs in Europe. Die Roten underestimated Kroos' potential. The 2014 World Cup winner was one of Los Blancos' midfield pillars in their historic three-peat UEFA Champions league triumph from 2016 to 2019. He still continues to be first team regular at Real Madrid.

Quick Links

Edited by Nived Zenith
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications