Will Bayern Munich continue the race for Kenan Yıldız?

Press reports have revealed that Bayern Munich might withdraw from the race to sign Kenan Yıldız if a European rival with greater financial resources enters the fray next January.

• read more: Confrontation inside Real Madrid's dressing room turns into a "physical altercation"

Bayern regrets letting the player leave in 2022

Kenan Yıldız was a Bayern Munich player; in the summer of 2022, the Bavarian club allowed the Turkish star to leave on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract—a move that marked a major turning point in his career.

Despite regretting that move, it appears Bayern Munich does not wish to rectify the error in the upcoming market and has no intention of making a new move for the player.

Here is a complete rewrite in English, restructured as a narrative while keeping the statements in quotation marks:

Christian Falk, speaking exclusively to CF Bayern Insider, confirmed that Kenan Yildiz has attracted attention from a host of clubs across Europe. In his view, the young attacker is a exceptional talent, and Bayern Munich's decision to let him depart on a free transfer now looks like a clear misstep — one that has become too late to undo.

"It is TRUE: Kenan Yildiz is on the list of many teams in Europe. He's a big talent and I think that Bayern Munich made a mistake in allowing the player to leave on a free transfer. But now, it's too late for FC Bayern. If they got him back at the club, they would be admitting to having made a mistake, and it would also mean paying a lot of money to correct this error."

As things stand, Falk explained that interest from Bavaria is not particularly intense at the moment. Still, because the player's representatives maintain a close relationship with the club, the possibility of a move is never entirely off the table.

"It's not very hot at the minute, but the agents are close to the club, so it's always a discussion in terms of whether this is a viable option. If other clubs, like Real Madrid, come in and are prepared to pay big money, then Bayern Munich are out of the poker."

Falk also pointed to the irony of Yildiz's history with Bayern — he once came through the club's youth ranks and, had he remained in Munich, might have developed into a backup option behind Harry Kane. But as Falk noted, football rarely unfolds according to the ideal script.

"It is interesting that Yildiz used to be a Bayern youth player and could have ended up providing backup to Harry Kane had he stayed put in Munich. Of course, football doesn't always work out in the dream scenario. And in this case, Bayern Munich are not in the driver's seat."

The only scenario in which that could change, Falk suggested, would be if the attacker suddenly became a bargain opportunity in the January transfer window — a possibility that gains relevance given the club's ongoing hunt for a left-sided winger to relieve the visibly worn-down Luis Diaz.

Bayern Munich needs reinforcements for the left wing

With Arijon Ibrahimovic having been sent out on loan to FC Augsburg, and with no clarity over how many minutes Tim Binder will actually see this season, FC Bayern's need for fresh faces is plain to see.

Yet even if Yildiz were to hit the market in January at a fairly reasonable price, doubts would remain as to whether he is the right solution at this particular moment.

There is no denying his output — a more than respectable 21 goal contributions across 47 appearances in all competitions during 2025/26. Still, this is a player who has yet to feature this season after suffering a broken foot.

Hazem Mlhem |

Editorar, en

Hazem Mlhem est un rédacteur sportif expérimenté, animé par une passion pour le football africain.

Related teams and leagues

Bayern Munich

Real Madrid

LaLiga Spain