Bayern Munich nearly signed Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal in 2023: Report

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :September 10, 2025 at 9:07 PM

Modified at :September 10, 2025 at 9:07 PM

(Courtesy : LaLiga Content Hub)

The German club came close to signing the youngster.

If not for agent Jorge Mendes, Lamine Yamal might have been wearing a Bayern Munich jersey today. Mendes played a crucial role in blocking his move away from Barcelona at the age of 14.

According to the German newspaper Bild, Yamal was courted by Bayern Munich at the tender age of 14. The German club made serious attempts to sign the player. Bayern’s scouting department showed his clips to the club’s hierarchy.

Impressed by Yamal’s performance, Bayern Munich’s then sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and technical director Marco Neppe made contact with the player’s agent Ivan de la Pena.

With talks taking place, Bayern’s pursuit of Lamine Yamal further grew as they hoped to sign him. His then agent, De la Pena, informed the Bundesliga club that he would discuss with Yamal’s family and their interest in the club.

However, Yamal joining the club could only have been materialised when he had turned 16 in July 2023. But the deal came to a halt at the last moment after Lamine Yamal switched representation by going under Cristiano Ronaldo’s former agent, Jorge Mendes.

Jorge Mendes played a crucial part in keeping Yamal with Barca

LaLiga FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal — FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal could have joined Bayern (Photo via Getty Images)

When Bayern contacted Mendes, the agent presented them with a fee of around €5 million (£4.3m), which was enough to convince Yamal’s family. However, the German club took time to make a decision, which resulted in the deal never happening and ultimately Mendes preventing the move.

Meanwhile, Yamal’s meteoric rise at La Masia saw him make his Barcelona debut aged 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days.

His stellar performance for the club at such a young age guaranteed him a regular spot in the first team as he became an undisputed starter in the squad.

To fend off interest from other European clubs, Barcelona extended Yamal’s contract until 2031 in May with a significant pay rise. The deal came into effect on his 18th birthday.

He is one of the few untouchable players at Barcelona and is seen as the future star who will only solidify his reputation in world football.

Why couldn’t Bayern sign Yamal?

The club hesitated to pay the fee Mendes demanded for him.

How old was Yamal when Bayern approached his agent?

He was 14 years old.

For how many years is Yamal’s current Barcelona deal valid?

His contract lasts until 2031.

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Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.