The 21-year-old joined Elversberg from Bayern during the summer for €2m after spending last season on loan at Hertha BSC.
Krattenmacher has made an impressive start to life with his new club, despite beginning each of his first four Bundesliga matches on the bench. The Germany youth international has already scored three goals, including a spectacular strike against Bayern in Elversberg’s 2-1 defeat.
According to Bild’s Bayern Insider podcast, the German champions can bring him back for €7.5m, meaning they have retained a route to re-sign a player who has quickly attracted attention with his performances.
Krattenmacher’s contract with Elversberg runs until 2030 and reportedly contains a separate €9m release clause.
That means Bayern Munich could potentially bring the attacking midfielder back for less than the amount another club would have to pay to activate his exit clause.
The situation is likely to ensure that several clubs continue monitoring Krattenmacher’s development, particularly given his rapid impact in the Bundesliga.
The Munich-born player has already made clear that regular football is an important part of his development, rather than immediately returning to Bayern and potentially finding himself short of opportunities.
Asked in September about a possible return to the club, Krattenmacher said: “Of course, it is every young player’s dream to play for FC Bayern. But I am someone who wants playing time at this age.”
He added: “I think sometimes you have to take detours. Supposedly take one step back, so that you can then take two steps forward.”
For now, that approach is paying off at Elversberg, where Krattenmacher has quickly established himself as an attacking threat despite initially being used from the bench.
Bayern, meanwhile, have protected their position. The buy-back option means they can reassess his progress in the future without necessarily having to compete with the market price or other interested clubs.
With his Elversberg contract running until 2030, Krattenmacher has time to continue developing, while Bayern retain the option to decide later whether bringing him back to Munich is the right next step.