How Bayern Munich narrowly missed out on signing Spanish-Moroccan Lamine Yamal for bargain €5m

Bayern Munich came close to pulling off one of the most sensational bargains in European football after holding advanced talks to sign Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal for just €5 million.

According to BILD, the Bundesliga champions were on the verge of completing the deal before a last-minute change of representation derailed negotiations.

Yamal, who has Moroccan heritage through his father and represents Spain internationally, was still tied to junior terms at Barcelona in 2022.

This meant Bayern only needed to pay a compensation fee to prise the teenager away from La Masia.

Former Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic reportedly met with Yamal’s then-agent Iván de la Peña and agreed a framework for the transfer, which would have extended into 2023.

However, the move collapsed when Yamal changed agents and joined Jorge Mendes’ management stable before the deal was finalised.

Mendes is said to have been unconvinced about the arrangement, prompting him to walk away from the agreement.

Around the same time, Barcelona offered the then 15-year-old his first senior-team opportunities, a decisive factor that helped convince him to stay at Camp Nou.

The Blaugrana’s faith has since paid off, with Yamal emerging as one of Europe’s most exciting forwards and earning a senior Spain call-up while still a teenager.