FC Bayern 2026/27 season preview: Transfers, pre-season, predicted lineup and predictions

A full preview of FC Bayern’s 2026/27 season — including summer transfers, pre-season results, predicted starting XI and expectations for the upcoming campaign.

FC Bayern players Kimmich, Laimer and Ito during a photo shoot.

Photo: Leonhard Simon / Getty Images.

After defending the Bundesliga title last season, Bayern Munich enter the 2026/27 campaign with one clear objective: to stay on top. Vincent Kompany's side have strengthened an already formidable squad over the summer, while also beginning to place greater faith in the next generation.

There are still questions surrounding Jamal Musiala following his recent medical issues, but Bayern otherwise appear to be in an excellent position. With their biggest rivals going through a lot of changes and the Bavarians seemingly even stronger than last season, another dominant Bundesliga campaign could be on the cards.

Pre-season preparations

Bayern's pre-season did not exactly begin according to plan, however. Kompany's side suffered a 1-2 defeat against Wehen Wiesbaden in their opening friendly. The full truth is, however, the result needs to be put into context: Bayern fielded just one player who had enjoyed regular first-team minutes the previous season in Tom Bischof.

And the youngster made the most of his opportunity, scoring Bayern's first goal of pre-season from the penalty spot.

Bischof would go on to enjoy an impressive summer. The midfielder looks ready to take another step forward after an encouraging first season in Munich, and with Leon Goretzka having left the club, there is now a clear opportunity for the 21-year-old to establish himself as a more important member of Kompany's squad.

Bayern's traditional summer meeting with Rottach-Egern provided a much more familiar result. The Bavarians ran riot in the fan-friendly fixture, cruising to a 15-0 victory.

The club then headed to South Korea for their marketing fan tour, where they faced Jeju United and Aston Villa. Bayern won both matches 2-1, with the victory over Villa particularly encouraging as the team began to show signs of returning to the level they had reached at the end of last season.

Their final two pre-season matches offered further evidence. Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3-1 in the Telekom Cup before beating Heidenheim 4-2. Kompany's team showed their attacking quality and looked increasingly sharp ahead of the new campaign.

But both games were overshadowed by a worrying moment involving Jamal Musiala.

The German international collapsed during both matches, initially leading to concerns that the extreme summer heat had played a role. It was later revealed that Musiala had suffered so-called absence seizures, a form of epileptic seizures.

As a result, Musiala was unavailable for Bayern's first competitive match of the season: the Supercup against Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern nevertheless got their hands on the trophy, beating Dortmund 2-1, with the attacking trio of Luis Díaz, Harry Kane and Michael Olise already looking ready to pick up where they left off.

Now, Bayern turn their attention to the Bundesliga. Their opening match could hardly be more interesting: VfB Stuttgart, the same opponent Bayern defeated in the 2025/26 DFB-Pokal final to end their previous campaign with silverware.

Transfers

Bayern have been busy early on in the transfer market, spending heavily to improve their squad while simultaneously making room for younger players.

The two headline arrivals are Ismaël Saibari and Nathaniel Brown. Saibari has arrived from PSV Eindhoven for a reported €50 million, while Brown joined from Eintracht Frankfurt for the same fee. Both players significantly increase the quality of Kompany's squad.

Saibari is particularly interesting because of his versatility. The Morocco international can operate in several attacking positions and should provide Kompany with another option alongside Musiala, Serge Gnabry and the rest of Bayern's attacking stars. He should also be able to provide cover for Harry Kane up front.

Brown, meanwhile, gives Bayern another high-level option at left-back and will compete directly with Alphonso Davies for the position -  at least that's what everyone thought when Bayern brought him in. In the Supercup, Brown played as an attacking midfielder - and was one of the stand-out performers of the night!

Bayern have also made Bara Sapoko Ndiaye a permanent part of the squad after his previous loan spell. The young midfielder is another example of the club increasingly looking towards its younger players.

There have been significant departures, too. Leon Goretzka and Raphaël Guerreiro have left the club on a free, while Nicolas Jackson returned to Chelsea after his loan spell ended. Goalkeeper Alexander Nübel, who was under contract at Bayern since 2020(!) also departed, joining Besiktas, while Daniel Peretz and Jonah Kusi-Asare have moved on to the Premier League.

The other departures include João Palhinha (to Benfica), Noël Aséko (to Frankfurt), Maurice Krattenmacher (to Elversberg) Lovro Zvonarek (to Estrela Amadora) and Armindo Sieb (to LAFC). Wisdom Mike looks set to leave to Club Brugge as well.

The most important departure from a squad-building perspective is undoubtedly Goretzka. His exit opens up minutes in central midfield - and could, as mentioned above, provide the perfect opportunity for Bischof to establish himself fully.

Predicted starting lineup

Kompany has plenty of options at his disposal, but Bayern are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation:

Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer – Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Brown – Kimmich, Pavlović – Olise, Saibari/Musiala, Díaz – Kane

The biggest question mark is obviously Musiala. When fully fit, the German remains one of Bayern's most important players. However, following his recent medical problems, Kompany is unlikely to rush him back into a full-time role.

That could give Saibari a chance to establish himself early in the campaign. The Moroccan, Musiala and Gnabry are likely to share plenty of playing time throughout the season.

There is also the well-known, interesting situation in goal. Manuel Neuer remains the No. 1, but Jonas Urbig is expected to receive even more playing time than last season. Bayern want to prepare Urbig for life as their long-term goalkeeper, while Neuer himself suggested that this could be the veteran's final season before retirement.

Competition exists at left-back, where Davies and Brown will fight for the starting role. On the opposite side, Konrad Laimer appears to have an advantage over Josip Stanišić at the moment.

In midfield, Tom Bischof could be the first player Kompany turns to whenever either central midfield position needs to be changed. His pre-season performances have certainly strengthened his case.

Prediction for the 2026/27 season

Bayern Munich look ready to defend their Bundesliga title - and there is little reason to expect their domestic dominance to disappear anytime soon. In fact, the Bavarians may be even stronger than they were last season.

Their biggest stars are fit and coming off impressive performances at the summer World Cup, while the arrivals of Saibari and Brown have added further quality to an already stacked squad.

At the same time, Bayern's main domestic rivals do not appear to have strengthened to the same degree. That could create a familiar problem for the Bundesliga: Bayern may simply be too good for everyone else.

Last season's title race was already effectively decided relatively early. This time around, Bayern could potentially put the championship beyond doubt even sooner.

Bayern are also putting greater faith in their academy and young talents. Ndiaye is now part of the permanent first-team setup, while 19-year-old Tim Binder was one of the biggest winners of pre-season after impressing on the right wing. Maycon Cardozo also caught the eye and could receive more regular opportunities, while super-talent Lennart Karl is expected to take another important step forward this season.

That could make Bayern's squad particularly interesting: the established superstars remain, but Kompany has an increasingly exciting group of young players waiting for their chance.

The one major uncertainty is Musiala. If he can return safely and eventually reach his best level again, Bayern's attacking options become almost frightening. And with Díaz, Kane and Olise already looking sharp, the champions have every reason to be confident.

Prediction: 1st place.

Bayern should win the Bundesliga again — the only real question is: how will they fare in the UEFA Champions League? This writer thinks, that this might be the season for the Bavarian giants to go all in and get back on the European throne.