Bayern Munich News: It will take nine figures for Real Madrid to get FC Bayern’s Lennart Karl

Bayern Munich have slapped a nine-figure price tag on teenage winger Lennart Karl and told every suitor—including persistent admirers Real Madrid—that even €100 million may not be enough to secure the Germany youth international.

The Bavarians are determined to make Karl, who turns 20 on 22 February, the face of their next decade. His current deal will automatically roll over until 2029 on that birthday, and sporting directors Max Eberl and Christoph Freund are already working with agent Michael Ballack on an extension through 2031, a move designed to be completed before this winter’s World Cup kicks off.

“Bayern won’t sell this player. They don’t want to sell this player,” a senior club source told Bavarian Podcast Works. “He’s German, he’s from the campus, and he’s a central part of Vincent Kompany’s rebuild. Even if the new contract talks hit a snag, the answer in January will still be no.”

Real Madrid, long-time collectors of Europe’s elite talents, have monitored Karl since he broke into the first-team squad last autumn. Yet sources inside the Allianz Arena insist the European champions would have to start any conversation at “well over €100 m” and then hope Bayern even agree to sit at the table. For context, Bayern paid €70 m last summer for 29-year-old Luis Díaz, a purchase now regarded as a bargain after the Colombian’s blistering start—10 goals and nine assists in 19 Bundesliga matches that have catapulted him to the top of SciSports’ global player index.

Karl’s statistical output has been more modest while he juggles league, cup and Championsliga minutes, but coaches value his direct dribbling, defensive work-rate and marketing appeal as a home-grown star. Despite a minor media stir caused by recent interview comments in which he admitted “every kid dreams of Madrid,” Karl remains popular with supporters and, crucially, indispensable to Kompany’s tactical blueprint.

Elsewhere on Säbener Straße, deadline-day whispers that Arsenal tabled a late offer for Leon Goretzka were confirmed genuine. The 29-year-old midfielder, however, elected to honour an earlier pledge to stay through the winter window, rebuffing the Gunners and long-time admirers Atlético Madrid in the process. Goretzka’s representatives continue to field enquiries from Juventus, Milan, Napoli and Premier League clubs, leaving the door ajar for a summer exit.

Bayern’s focus now returns to retaining their brightest prospect. Unless a bidder is prepared to smash the Bundesliga transfer record—and potentially the €150 m mark—Lennart Karl will be wearing red and white well into the next decade.