Bayern Munich signs Konrad Laimer
Bayern Munich signed midfielder Konrad Laimer on a free transfer after his contract with RB Leipzig expired. The Austrian central midfielder is leaving Leipzig after six years with the club, where he won the German Cup twice, including in his final game. Laimer, 26, signed a contract extension through 2027.
Laimer was a target for Premier League sides last summer as he approached the end of his contract in Leipzig but Bayern also lodged their interest and have been confident of wrapping up a deal for the Austria international for months.
He has penned a contract with the German champions until 2027 and will follow in the footsteps of Dayot Upamecano and Marcel Sabizter to seal a move from Leipzig to Allianz Arena in recent years. A talented player from the Red Bull school of football, Laimer made 190 appearances for Leipzig in all competitions.
Laimer is Bayern’s first signing since the club fired Oliver Kahn as CEO and Hasan Salihamidi as sporting director last month. However, it was widely reported that arrangements to sign Laimer were made long before Kahn and Salihamidi left.
Konrad Laimer becomes Bayern’s first signing of the summer, and the Thomas Tuchel era, and could be followed by a new striker as the Bundesliga champions look to add more firepower in attack.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani is seen as a likely target, with Tottenham’s Harry Kane expected to be too expensive, although the Frenchman has recently teased a potential move to the Premier League instead.
Laimer scored for Leipzig against Bayern last month in a 3-1 win for his old club, leaving Bayern in second place behind Borussia Dortmund in the standings heading into the final day of games. However, after Dortmund drew with Mainz, Bayern beat Cologne to win the title on goal difference. On the quarter finals in the champions league, Man city had victory over Bayern Munich in aggregate reaching the semi finals.
Laimer has a reputation in the engine room as a high-energy presser, which made him a favourite of ex-Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann when the two were at Leipzig.
Konrad Laimer about his transfer
The Austria international, a versatile central midfielder who has been known to fill in at right back, will primarily provide competition for Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka in the middle of the park.
“It’s a dream come true for me. Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I will give everything for the club and the fans,” Laimer said of his four-year deal in Munich.
“Bayern always has the highest goals – just like me. I’m in the right place here. I’m only capable of giving 100 per cent, and that’s what I’ll put into every training session from day one. I can hardly wait.”
The Austrian is also known for his long-range shooting, as Bayern Munich discovered when he scored two of his ten Bundesliga goals against his new club.
“We are delighted to have signed Konrad Laimer. He comes to us as a two-time DFB Cup winner – and together we will now hopefully celebrate many more great victories and titles here at Bayern,” new CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen added.
It’s clear Laimer has the right mentality for Bayern. He’s barely set foot in the city and is already talking about winning titles. He knows what to say and what he must do, already showing a kinship with the fans that hopefully the fans will return after the initially polarising nature of his transfer.
We know Laimer is a man of his word too as he has been praised for his relentless work rate by his previous coaches and showed he was fully committed to RB Leipzig even in his last few weeks as a player, scoring a potentially title-deciding goal against Bayern and putting in some of the best performances of his career while knowing he won’t be at the club in just a month or so.
