Negotiations advanced 

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Nathaniel Brown must have known that the question was coming. “Do you feel like you are already part of the Bayern Munich faction within the national team?” Brown paused and said: “I feel like I am part of the national team. It is fun to be part of it, and I don’t care whether a player is at Bayern, Dortmund or another team.” It was a diplomatic answer, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Eintracht Frankfurt left-back will soon move back to Bavaria, where he will join giants Bayern Munich.

Transfermarkt understands that Bayern and Frankfurt are nearing an agreement that would see Brown join the Bundesliga champions in a deal worth that could be more than what Bayern Munich paid for Michael Olise to Crystal Palace. Back in 2024, Bayern Munich paid just €53m to the Premier League club to sign Olise. Whether Brown will be more expensive remains to be seen. Frankfurt want €55m. Bayern are offering €50m plus add-ons. Either way, a compromise appears to be close.

It would be a significant package either way. Including bonuses, Brown would become the fifth most expensive signing in Bayern Munich history ahead of the already mentioned Olise. Only Harry Kane (€95m) from Tottenham, Lucas Hernández (€80m) from Atlético Madrid, Luis Díaz (€70m) from Liverpool, and Matthijs de Ligt (€67m) from Juventus were more expensive than the 22-year-old. For Frankfurt, it would be a significant deal. The Bundesliga club signed Brown for just €5.5m from 2. Bundesliga club 1.FC Nürnberg in 2024.

Brown: Future Bayern star picked Germany over the USMNT – Deal to impact Davies?

Although born in Amberg, not far from Nürnberg, Brown could also have represented the US men’s national team. Brown’s father is American, but the two are not in contact. Hence, Brown also turned down an invitation by Mauricio Pochettino to represent the United States. Pochettino’s loss has been Julian Nagelsmann’s gain. Brown was not only called up to represent Germany at this summer’s World Cup in the United States, but the left-back has won a starting role and scored an incredible goal for Germany in the 7-1 win over Curaçao. “It was an incredible moment,” Brown said. “I scored a goal and managed an assist.”

That productivity was also evident for Eintracht Frankfurt last season, where Brown scored four goals and provided four assists in 33 Bundesliga games. But part of the story is that productivity also decreased a bit as Frankfurt started to struggle towards the tail end of the season. But Brown’s package of speed, the ability to get behind defensive lines, and also his set-piece ability that has been unearthed over the last few days at the national team make him a fascinating prospect. Nagelsmann certainly believes that Brown is better suited to break through deep-sitting defensive lines.

Bayern’s bosses around Max Eberl and Vincent Kompany agree with Nagelsmann’s assessment, which is why they are now in the final stages of signing the left-back. For Bayern, Brown is a player for the future. They believe that Brown can add significant depth to the entire left flank. Brown’s addition is also a warning to Alphonso Davies. Rumours have suggested that Bayern could look to sell the Canadian, who is currently fighting to get fit in time to represent Canada at the World Cup. The truth is that Davies isn’t interested in leaving, but last season also showed that Bayern need more depth in the position, which is why the club has pushed hard to sign Brown from Frankfurt.