Germany international 

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Bayern Munich have announced the signing of Nathaniel Brown from Frankfurt. Transfermarkt understands that Bayern and Frankfurt reached an agreement on a €50m fee, plus €5m in bonuses with the German international signing a deal with the Bundesliga champions until 2031. Including bonuses, Brown becomes 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 is also a significant deal. The Bundesliga club signed Brown for just €5.5m from 2. Bundesliga club 1.FC Nürnberg in 2024.

Speaking in a club statement, Brown said: “FC Bayern is one of the best clubs in the world. It means so much to me to have the chance to play for this club and it fills me with pride. I also come from Bavaria, which makes it even more special. I’ve always dreamed of playing for the biggest titles at the highest level; I set myself the highest goals and want to get the maximum out of me every day. I quickly had a great feeling in talks with the management. Vincent Kompany in particular showed me how he sees me and my development and absolutely convinced me.”

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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 have signed 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.