Vincent Kompany aims 'money' jibe at the Premier League after missing out on another major transfer target

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bayern Munich have had a mixed transfer window this summer.

They have managed to sign Jonathan Tah, Luis Diaz and youngster Tom Bischof, but they have been on the wrong end of several very public rejections, including Florian Wirtz, Nico Williams, and more recently Nick Woltemade.

Vincent Kompany made sure they didn't miss out on the Bundesliga title two years in a row last season, and wanted to make a major play for the Champions League this year, but his preparations have been stalled slightly with their failure to land their top targets.

Vinicent Kompany aims 'money' jibe at the Premier League after Woltemade snubs German giants to join Newcastle

Florian Wirtz of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield on August 15, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

(Image credit: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Kompany was asked why players like Writz and Woltemade are moving to the Premier League and he replied with 'money.'

Reporters in the room found it amusing before the Belgian followed it up by suggesting the Bundesliga needed to 'find a way to remain competitive' with the Premier League.

Nick Woltemade of VfB Stuttgart celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the DFB Cup Round One match between Eintracht Braunschweig and VfB Stuttgart at Eintracht-Stadion on August 26, 2025 in Braunschweig, Germany.

Nick Woltemade is set to join Newcastle United despite a summer long pursuit by Bayern Munich (Image credit: Ronny Hartmann/Getty Images)

He said: "I always remember going with Burnley to the Premier League. We got promoted to the Premier League and all of a sudden you have TV money coming in and it's £100m for promoted teams.

"And it [increases] for the other teams all the way to the top. So you go from a budget of £25-30m a year to all of a sudden having a budget of £120-130m for a promoted team, which would compete with the top six in the Bundesliga.

"At Burnley, we were competing on the market with Frankfurt and Wolfsburg for players and we had just come up. That's the reality. Sunderland are now buying players from Leverkusen and competing with AC Milan.

"That's just a financial reality. Now, when you have that £100m and you come into the Premier League, it means nothing because everybody else has got even more.

Harry Kane of Bayern is announced to the crowd ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group C match between FC Bayern München and Auckland City FC at TQL Stadium on June 15, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Harry Kane of Bayern is the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history at €95 million (Image credit: Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

"It's just the nature of what they've been able to develop there over many years, especially with the TV money and how they've promoted the league internationally. I don't think it's a debate for just Bayern Munich, I think it's a debate for the Bundesliga to find a way to remain competitive."

Over the past three transfer windows, Bayern Munich have competed three of the top five highest transfers ever into the Bundesliga in the shape of Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise, all coming from the Premier League incidentally

Bayern Muenchen unveils the signing of Luis Diaz of FC Bayern Muenchen on July 29, 2025 in Munich, Germany.

(Image credit: S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo's view, Kompany's argument therefore falls on deaf ears. Bayern Munich have a reputation for snapping up much of the talent in the rest of the Bundesliga, whether that's for money or on a free transfer, as was the case with Robert Lewandowski.

The Premier League, whilst possessing a lot of money, also have a huge amount of quality, with teams across the league competing deep into all European competitions every year. It's an attractive proposition for anyone looking to test themselves or take the next step in their career.

Ewan Gennery
Freelance writer

Ewan is a freelance writer and social media manager who has worked for The Athletic, GOAL, 90min and OneFootball. From Gelsenkirchen to Riyadh, he has covered some of the biggest games in football in his three years in the industry.

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