The question now is whether sporting director Max Eberl can avoid the same outcome a second time.
The German champions had reached an agreement on personal terms with Anthony Gordon before Barcelona outbid Newcastle United with a £69.3 million offer and secured his signature for the Camp Nou. Eberl had been unwilling to meet Newcastle's asking price. The Catalans were not.
Bayern Munich's search for a left-wing backup to Luis Díaz now focuses on Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig — and a near-identical dynamic is threatening to play out. Diomande, 19, contributed 13 goals and eight assists for Leipzig this season and has drawn interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid and PSG. Leipzig have publicly insisted he is not for sale this summer and are valuing him at around €100 million.
Liverpool are understood to be pushing hardest. The Reds want Diomande as a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah — a frontrunner target rather than a speculative one. Bayern journalist Christian Falk has reported that Munich's plan is to target Diomande in 2027 by waiting for Leipzig to include a release clause in a new contract, but that timeline depends on Liverpool not closing the deal this summer.
Last summer, Bayern's patience ultimately paid off. They missed out on Nico Williams, Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola, Malick Fofana and Rafael Leão before landing Díaz for €70 million — a move that proved inspired. Whether that template applies again is the internal debate at Säbener Straße.
Sky have reported that whoever Bayern identify as their new target will cost less than Gordon's fee. Eberl's shortlist is forming, but with Liverpool accelerating on Diomande and Barcelona having already beaten them to Gordon, the window is threatening to become uncomfortable before it has properly begun.