Bayern Munich announced on Tuesday that the club had signed Tom Bischof on a free transfer from … [+] Hoffenheim (Photo by DANIEL ROLAND/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Bayern Munich has completed the signing of talented midfielder Tom Bischof. The 19-year-old German youth international will join 1899 Hoffenheim on a free transfer in the summer and receive a contract until 30 June 2029.
Bischof has been one of the breakout stars of the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign. In what has been a difficult campaign for Hoffenheim overall, Bischof has been one of the few players to stand out scoring two goals and three assists in 24 games across all competitions. As a result, his market value on Transfermarkt has jumped from €3.5 million ($3.65 million) to €12 million ($12.5 million).
With that in mind, interest in Bischof was high this season. Although one of the club’s biggest talents, the midfielder was on an expiring contract. As a result, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Eintracht Frankfurt were all interested in signing Bischof.
Bayern Munich pushed hard from day one. Last summer, the Rekordmeister missed out on super talent Assan Ouédraogo. Like Bischof this year, Schalke talent Ouédraogo had several options and came close to joining Bayern Munich but ultimately opted to join RB Leipzig instead.
A youth national team player, Bischof is considered one of the brightest talents in German football … [+] (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images for DFB)
Getty Images for DFB
That wasn’t going to happen this time with Bischof. Both director of sport Max Eberl and sporting director Christoph Freund worked hard to ensure that Bischof would make his way to the Säbener Straße. And ultimately, they got the signing across the line.
“Tom Bischof is one of the biggest German talents, who’s also attracted international interest,” Freund said in a club statement. “At the age of just 19, he’s already gained a lot of experience in professional football, in the Bundesliga as well as in the DFB Cup and Europa League. Tom is an ideal fit for our philosophy as a technically gifted midfielder. We’re pleased he’s decided to take his next steps at FC Bayern. Tom has all the attributes to establish himself at the highest level.”
Why was Bayern after Bischof? Chance creation. According to Opta, Lamine Yamal has created more chances among teenagers playing in Europe’s top five leagues than Bischof. According to FBREF, Bischof is in the 98th percentile with 4.98 shot-creating actions when compared with positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days.
“Tom Bischof is an exceptional player with huge potential, a very good left foot, great set pieces, great passing,” Eberl said. From the summer, he’ll face the competition in our squad. He definitely has big potential and can help us”
How will he fit in at Bayern? Eberl, Freund, and head coach Vincent Kompany believe that the 19-year-old can help Bayern Munich immediately. Indeed, Bischof is understood to be the natural successor to Leon Goretzka.
Although Goretzka has been excellent in recent weeks, scoring two goals against Wolfsburg last weekend, for example. The understanding still is that Goretzka will be allowed to leave the club next summer. In his stead, Bischof is supposed to form a new midfield axis with top star Jamal Musiala and Aleksandar Pavlovic.
That aspect made Bischof opt for Bayern over some other clubs. Although it is a big step up, Bayern Munich offered an opportunity for first-team football rather than sending out the player on loan for seasoning. It is how they got Bischof; now it is up to the player to make the most of the opportunity.
