Bayern sign World Cup breakout Ismael Saibari from PSV on a five-year deal
The Morocco midfielder, one of the standout performers at the World Cup, joins Bayern Munich until 2031 after a season that brought 15 goals and the Eredivisie Player of the Season award at PSV.
Jul 2, 2026
Bayern Munich have signed Ismael Saibari from PSV Eindhoven, moving quickly to land one of the players who has caught the eye at this summer’s World Cup. The 25-year-old Morocco international has agreed a five-year deal that runs until 2031, and joins a Bayern side adding to its attacking options under Vincent Kompany.
From Eindhoven standout to Bayern signing
Saibari arrives on the back of the best season of his career. He scored 15 goals and set up eight more in 27 league appearances for PSV in the 2025-26 campaign, the sort of end-product that turns a promising player into a target for Europe’s biggest clubs. It also earned him the Eredivisie Player of the Season award as PSV retained their title. Reports put the fixed fee at just under 50 million euros, rising towards 52 million with add-ons.
An attacking midfielder by trade, he does his best work arriving late into the box rather than leading the line, and that knack for goals from deeper positions is part of the appeal for a Bayern team looking to spread its scoring around more next season.
A World Cup that made up minds
If PSV built his reputation, the World Cup cemented it. Saibari scored in all three of Morocco’s group games, then held his nerve to convert the winning penalty in the round-of-32 shootout that knocked out the Netherlands and sent Morocco into the last 16. Bayern were watching, and they were not the only ones.
“We’re delighted to have secured the services of Ismael Saibari, one of the most exciting players at the World Cup,” Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said.
Kompany the deciding factor
Saibari made clear that the manager was central to his decision. “As a child, you dream of signing a contract with a club like Bayern. Everybody knows it’s one of the world’s biggest clubs,” he said, before adding that “coach Vincent Kompany played a key role in my decision. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
For Kompany, it is a statement signing in a window where Bayern have made no secret of wanting more firepower. Getting the deal over the line while Saibari is still in the middle of a World Cup run only underlines how keen they were to beat the competition to him.