Has Saibari Been Signed as a Replacement for Musiala? Eberl Responds to the Speculation

This summer, FC Bayern signed Ismael Saibari, among others. The attacking player came from PSV Eindhoven, and his transfer was finalized fairly quickly; essentially, everything was settled before the World Cup.

Some experts have recently speculated that Saibari’s signing came about in part because Bayern had long been aware of Jamal Musiala’s health issues.

This was precisely the topic raised with Max Eberl, FC Bayern’s sporting director, during the DFB Cup match against VfL Osnabrück—by ARD expert Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Eberl Explains the Saibari Deal

After all, Bayern officials have now emphasized on multiple occasions that Musiala’s situation has been known for some time—not only to the club’s leadership but also to the team. This naturally fuels speculation, especially since Saibari is also a player who features in central midfield.

Photo: IMAGO

Eberl clarified: “We lost Nicolas Jackson because his loan had ended. So it was clear to us that we wanted to sign an attacking player, regardless of Jamal. That was always the plan. We first tried to sign Anthony Gordon, but at some point he became too expensive for us. Then we had Ismael as our top candidate, and we said that he’s a bit different from Gordon, but that’s not a problem.”

He continued: “He can play not only on the wings but in four different positions in the attacking line. We then felt that he could be a really good fit.”

With a smile, the sporting director added: “We’re very, very glad that the deal was finalized before the Brazil game.”

In Morocco’s World Cup match against the Selecao, Saibari impressed on the world stage and scored a spectacular goal.