Bundesliga Faces Ongoing Talent Drain as Premier League Clubs Flex Financial Muscle

The exodus of top Bundesliga players to England has continued this summer, with several high-profile stars leaving Germany for the Premier League, raising concerns over the growing gap in financial power between the two leagues.

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany highlighted the trend on Friday as reports emerged that Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade, once a Bayern target, is set to join Newcastle United for a club-record fee of €85 million plus bonuses.

Speaking at a press conference in Munich, Kompany reflected on his time in England and said the appeal of the Premier League comes down to finances. “Money,” he said with a smile, before explaining how promoted clubs in England now compete directly with established sides in Germany.

“When we got promoted with Burnley, the TV rights came in and it was 100 million pounds — for a promoted team. With Burnley, we were competing on the market with Frankfurt for players and with Wolfsburg. When Sunderland are buying players, they’re buying them from Leverkusen,” Kompany noted.

The departures have been numerous. Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz joined Liverpool in a deal worth €125 million plus bonuses, while teammates Jeremie Frimpong and Granit Xhaka also moved to England. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko followed suit.

Kompany’s comments were echoed by Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund, who described the financial clout of English clubs as overwhelming.

“The money Premier League clubs can spend is brutal and extreme,” Freund said. “Newcastle is a good club, but hasn’t been in the top tier in recent years. It says something fundamental when you see how many players are moving from the Bundesliga to the Premier League — and the sums of money involved.”

According to estimates, Premier League sides have already spent around £2.7 billion (€3.1bn) on transfers before the season began, dwarfing Bundesliga expenditure.

While a handful of moves have gone the other way, including Bayern’s signing of Luis Díaz from Liverpool for up to €75 million, and Dortmund’s recruitment of Jobe Bellingham and Carney Chukwuemeka, the trend remains tilted heavily toward England.

Bayern themselves know the cost of competing in this market. In 2023, they broke their own transfer record with the €95 million signing of England captain Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur.

Punch