Bayern Munich ‘Lining Up’ Dani Olmo for January Transfer—Barcelona Need Him to Stay

The No. 10 is an important player at Camp Nou, if not a regular starter.

Dani Olmo is a Barcelona player in his heart. | Jose Luis Contreras/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Bayern Munich are reported to be exploring a potential January approach for Barcelona and Spain attacking midfielder Dani Olmo, who formerly played in Germany with RB Leipzig.

Olmo had a strong 2026 World Cup with Spain, starting five out of seven matches for the championship-winning team. But his role since returning to club action has primarily been as a backup for Fermín López—Olmo has started just twice in La Liga so far this season.

According to Sky Sports, Bayern are “lining up” a move in preparation for the winter transfer window. It appears to be motivated by contingency planning, given the ongoing interest from elsewhere in key creators Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala.

Olmo is also an obvious choice for Bayern given his prior record with Leipzig and the club’s “long-term interest” in him dating back to those Bundesliga days. The Spaniard was there from January 2020, ironically debuting against Bayern, before Barcelona paid $68.3 million (€60 million) in 2024.

The last few years haven’t been without drama, though, as Olmo was forcibly deregistered midway through 2024–25 because of Barcelona’s financial limitations. He could have walked away as a free agent but government intervention allowed him to keep playing.

If Barcelona were to sell, then €70 million ($79.7 million) is the reported asking price.

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Why Barcelona Need to Keep Olmo

Olmo is an important squad asset. | Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Selling Olmo in January would weaken Barcelona’s depth. Fermín might be the preferred choice in the No. 10 role, but Hansi Flick has not ignored Olmo this season. Despite making only two La Liga starts, he began the Champions League victory over Feyenoord earlier this month and has played at least from the bench in every domestic match.

There is a clear need for him, especially if Barcelona are to remain competitive across four competitions this season—particularly in pursuit of a La Liga three-peat and a first Champions League triumph in what will be 12 years come the final next June.

Any injury to Fermín, who missed the World Cup because of a broken foot and has had four spells sidelined with muscle issues in the last two seasons, would put Barcelona in a serious bind if Olmo is not there to step in.

From Olmo’s perspective, he’s 28—29 shortly before the end of the season. Does he want to play second fiddle to somebody else at this stage of his career? A fresh challenge with another elite club, even with its own stiff competition for places, might appeal.

Olmo has already left Barcelona once before for the betterment of his career, quitting La Masia aged 16 in a surprising transfer to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. He debuted a few months later, still 16, and made 124 appearances by the time Leipzig bid. Olmo earned his first Spain cap while playing for Dinamo in 2019, validating his decision to go there.

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