Former Bayern Munich executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has revealed the German giants were outmaneuvered by Borussia Dortmund in the race to sign Ousmane Dembélé from Stade Rennais in 2016. In an interview with German outlet t-online, Rummenigge admitted Bayern had been keenly tracking the young French winger but lost the transfer battle to their Bundesliga rivals.
Rummenigge explained that Dortmund's advantage stemmed from a shared kit supplier with Rennes at the time. "We absolutely wanted to sign him," Rummenigge stated, acknowledging that Puma's sponsorship of both clubs helped facilitate Dembélé's move to Signal Iduna Park instead of the Allianz Arena. The transfer, which was completed for a reported fee of €15 million, marked a significant early career move for the player.
Dembélé's subsequent career path saw him make a big-money €105 million move from Dortmund to Barcelona just one year later, in 2017, before eventually joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2023. Rummenigge reflected on this trajectory, noting, "He was a wonderful player, but as we saw, he quickly emigrated from Dortmund to Barcelona." The admission highlights a rare transfer market miss for Bayern, a club renowned for its successful recruitment of young talent.
The former Bayern CEO also discussed another French talent from Rennes, Désiré Doué, who joined PSG this summer. Rummenigge confirmed Bayern had held negotiations for the midfielder but were ultimately unsuccessful. He suggested Doué's preference to remain in his home country was a decisive factor, calling such outcomes "part of the game" and stressing that relations between Bayern and PSG remain good.
These revelations offer a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes competition for top European prospects. Bayern's sustained interest in players from Rennes' famed academy underscores the club's extensive scouting network. While Dortmund successfully secured Dembélé, who developed into a World Cup winner with France, the episode remains a notable 'what if' in recent transfer history. The news emerges as Bayern and PSG continue to be frequent competitors both on the pitch in the Champions League and in the market for emerging stars.
