Lamine Yamal. Photo: Imago

Lamine Yamal sensationally nearly joined Bayern Munich in 2022, but one hurdle prevented the move from happening.

Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is already one of the brightest young stars in world football, but his career could have taken a dramatically different turn had Bayern Munich succeeded in pulling off a bold transfer move in 2022.

According to German newspaper Bild, Bayern were on the verge of securing a deal for the winger when he was just 15 years old. 

Then-sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic personally travelled to Madrid to meet with Yamal’s representative at the time, former Spanish international Ivan de la Peña. 

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The plan was for Yamal to join the German giants as soon as he turned 16, with his family reportedly ready to accept a €5 million package.

The deal, however, collapsed before it could be finalised. Super-agent Jorge Mendes – who has represented among others, Cristiano Ronaldo –  stepped in and took Yamal under his management, immediately changing the course of negotiations. Mendes’s involvement nullified Bayern’s prior agreements and left the Bundesliga club empty-handed.

Aware of Bayern’s interest and determined not to lose their academy jewel, Barcelona acted decisively. 

The Catalan club offered Yamal the opportunity to debut for the first team even before his 16th birthday—a clear signal that he was central to their long-term plans. For the youngster, this was a turning point. Rather than considering a lucrative switch abroad, he chose to stay at Camp Nou and continue his development in the club he had grown up in.

That decision has since paid off handsomely for both player and club. Yamal has rapidly established himself as one of the cornerstones of Barça’s new generation, becoming the youngest player ever to score in La Liga and breaking records with Spain at international level.

For Bayern Munich, the failed pursuit now looks like a major missed opportunity. Had the “heist” succeeded, Yamal could have been part of the Bavarian giants’ rebuild. Instead, he has become the face of Barcelona’s revival, carrying the hopes of a club eager to reassert itself at the top of European football.

Speaking after one of his early appearances, Yamal summed up the dream that Barcelona gave him: “This was my dream…” he said, reflecting on his first-team breakthrough.

What began as a collapsed transfer now looks like fate. Thanks to one failed move and Barcelona’s timely intervention, Lamine Yamal remains firmly on course to become the next global superstar of Spanish football.