Bayern Munich has a new toy coming out of the World Cup. And it’s not one of the usual household names everyone expected.
The German champions announced Tuesday they’ve reached a deal to bring in Ismael Saibari from PSV Eindhoven, with the Moroccan forward set to join after his national team’s run in the tournament wraps up. The club handed him a contract through June 2031. He’ll wear No. 34 for the Bavarians.
Why Saibari fits a specific need
At 25, Saibari isn’t a project. He’s a versatile attacker who can play across the front line, and Bayern’s board member for sport Max Eberl made it clear this wasn’t some impulse buy. The club had him on the radar for a while. They got in early, laid out a clear path, and made sure he knew they wanted him before other suitors could get a foothold.
“We’re delighted to have secured the services of Ismael Saibari, one of the most exciting forwards at the World Cup,” Eberl said in the announcement. “Transfers like this don’t happen on the spur of the moment but are the result of long-term planning. The key factor was that we made our position clear to him early on because we were aware of Ismael’s skills and were able to show him a clear future with us from the start. Ismael Saibari will bring extra quality and unpredictability to our attacking play.”
The Vincent Kompany factor
It’s worth noting Saibari specifically name-dropped the Bayern manager as a major reason he signed off on this move. Vincent Kompany hasn’t been in Munich long, but his reputation — and probably some conversations about how the Belgian sees Saibari fitting into his system — clearly made an impression.
“As a child, you dream of signing a contract with a club like FC Bayern,” Saibari said. “Everybody knows it’s one of the world’s biggest clubs. FC Bayern compete for the biggest titles like the Champions League every year, and I want to win as many trophies as possible here. FC Bayern’s play suits me, I can play my own style of football here, and I’ll work hard every day to help the team. Coach Vincent Kompany played a key role in my decision. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Saibari has been spending this summer with Morocco at the World Cup being co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. It’s a decent bet he wanted the transfer wrapped up before the knockout rounds so he could focus on the tournament without the noise. Bayern clearly obliged.
Coming out of PSV, where he established himself as one of the Eredivisie’s more dangerous attacking threats, Saibari gives the reigning Bundesliga champs another option in the final third — something they’ll need if they’re serious about finally getting over the hump in Europe again. The deal is done. The only question now is how quickly he adapts to playing in a side that expects to control nearly every match it plays.
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