Sydney FC in shock swoop for Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller

Sydney FC are in talks to sign former Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller in what could be one of the greatest marquee coups in A-League history.

Müller, 35, is a free agent after departing Bayern, the only club he has ever played for, at the end of the recent FIFA Club World Cup after more than 500 games across nearly two decades, and is seeking a new experience to round out his career.

Could Thomas Müller land at Sydney FC next season?Credit: Getty Images

Though reports have linked him to Major League Soccer in the United States – and some have gone as far as to say he has already made up his mind – this masthead can reveal that the Sky Blues have been in discussions with Müller and his representatives for several weeks about an A-League switch, and that they remain an outside chance of convincing him.

An answer either way is expected within the next week or so, with the club recently informed that they are one of the final two options he is considering. The other is in MLS, and that is believed to be his favoured option, but Sydney are still in with a shot.

Sources with knowledge of negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Müller – a 13-time Bundesliga winner, two-time UEFA Champions League winner, and part of the Germany squad that won the 2014 World Cup – had been impressed with the pitch made to him by Sydney FC.

Two of his former teammates are already at the club: Brazilian star Douglas Costa, who he played with between 2015 and 2017 at Bayern Munich, and the retired Alexander Baumjohann, Sydney’s head of player management who spent a year on the books at Germany’s biggest club and is believed to be spearheading the attempt to sign him.

Thomas Müller lifts the World Cup in 2014.Credit: Getty Images

His recruitment would be an enormous boon for the financially stricken A-League and for Sydney FC, whose board has undergone an off-season restructure with the departure of long-time chairman Scott Barlow. Jan Voss, a German-Australian business executive and president of Ferrari Australasia, has replaced Barlow as chairman, while the club’s foundation chairman Walter Bugno – hugely influential in their ‘Bling FC’ era – is back on the board as a director.

No A-League club – not even the Sky Blues – can compete with the wages that Müller would be able to attract in the US or elsewhere; like any high-profile player who decides to move to Australia, it would involve him prioritising the low-key lifestyle he would be able to enjoy in Sydney over money.

Sydney FC declined to comment. Müller’s management was also contacted for comment.

Coach Ufuk Talay said earlier this month he was on the lookout for a creatively minded midfielder to add to his squad, someone who operates “between the lines” and scores goals. Müller would fit the bill nicely, having played predominantly as an attacking midfielder or second striker for Bayern; he has previously described the role he specialises in as a raumdeuter, which means ‘space interpreter’ in German.

Douglas Costa and Thomas Müller in their days together at Bayern Munich.Credit: Getty Images

He made 49 appearances for Bayern in all competitions last season, suggesting he is far from a spent force despite his advancing years, and in his 17 seasons with the club has contributed more than 200 goals and assisted more than 200 others for teammates.

Müller also finished second in the 2014 World Cup golden boot award and was named behind only Lionel Messi as the tournament’s best player. He scored 41 goals in 131 appearances for Germany, retiring from international football only last year.

With Costa entering the second year of his two-year marquee contract, the upcoming 2025-26 season is set to be the last in which A-League clubs will be able to have two marquee players, whose salaries are not counted under the salary cap. Under changes proposed by the Australian Professional Leagues in April – not yet agreed to by players’ union Professional Footballers Australia – clubs will be restricted to just one marquee from the 2026-27 campaign onwards.

The Sky Blues, who face Western United next week in the Australia Cup’s round of 32, have two more foreign player slots remaining in their squad for next season after the departures of Anas Ouahim and Patryk Klimala. Costa, fellow Brazilian Leo Sena and Joe Lolley, who was recently denied a release to join rivals Perth Glory, are the other imports at the club.

Talay enters the new season under immense pressure after missing out on the finals last season with one of the A-League’s best squads on paper, also falling short of reaching the final of the AFC Champions League 2. Despite significant fan discontent, he signed a one-year contract extension to carry on in the job next season.

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