Ex-Bayern director on leader Kane, memorable Musiala meeting and 'special' Gravenberch

Harry Kane has his first Bundesliga title at the second time of asking and while his contribution to Bayern Munich can be measured in goals – 36 and counting this season – those who helped to sign him believe he has brought more to the squad.

Bayern’s former technical director Marco Neppe played a significant role in bringing the England captain to Bavaria and still regards Kane, signed for over £100m in the summer of 2023, as one of the most memorable acquisitions during his decade at the club.

“You cannot change the market, you have to accept it and find the best way for your club. Yes, you have to take care to increase the value of your squad but it is about making those short-term and medium-term calculations,” Neppe tells Sky Sports.

“You might have players at the start of their journey. You might have a player who you know that in two years will deserve this spot in the team. A big signing can carry things on their shoulders while allowing some of these young talents to grow in the shadows.

“With Harry, he made the players feel like they could score even if we were under pressure. They see Harry in the dressing room and know this is a player who can change the match in a second. He does not need five metres. Just a second and he scores.”

Technical director explained

Neppe departed Bayern earlier this season after a decade at the club, the former footballer working his way up from a scouting role to that of technical director. “At 80 or 90 per cent of other clubs, the role would have been called sporting director,” he argues.

But what is a technical director in his view? “I came from the recruitment side but there is not just one way. I suppose it is a bit like playing between the lines because you need to be really close to the dressing room too and understand that energy,” he explains.

“Do not underestimate this. We are speaking about 50 to 80 people around the first team at these big clubs. Ultimately, it is about players, who we expect to perform, but we have to protect that environment around them. This is how I understand the role.”

Neppe, still only 38, understands that role better than most, having been part of a hugely successful era for Bayern. The squad that won six trophies in 2019/20, including the Champions League, was constructed at a relatively modest cost for a super club.

For Neppe, the recurring theme of our conversation is the message that this is not about mere recruitment, the act of identifying the most talented players. The role is about squad management, treating a playing staff as a living organism, a constant balance.

“We all played these manager games on the computer when we were teenagers. It was easy. You just click here and click there. But it is not just a case of, ‘We need a right-back, here are the best five right-backs.’ It is a culture thing. There is a lot behind it.

“Are there opportunities to upgrade? Are there profiles you are missing? And then, it is about decision-making, timing and having the imagination to see what each player will add to your team, what it will mean for the energy, the style. And that is super complex.

“For example, you need to feel the dressing room. Is there not enough pressure? Is there too much pressure? It might be that you are missing an easy-going guy, a Brazilian type who is relaxed ahead of that big match, someone who can help the guys just breathe.”

Memorable Musiala meeting

Kane, an experienced player signed for a Bundesliga transfer record fee, is an exception, really. Much of Neppe’s focus has been on bringing in some of the best young talent from around Europe, fuelling Bayern’s ongoing success. But not every deal comes off.

He chased Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and tried to persuade Jude Bellingham to sign when he was still at Birmingham City. Jamal Musiala did join from Chelsea while still a teenager, although Neppe concedes that he felt like the one being interviewed.

“With Jamal, it was a conversation that was different to all others before, especially given his age. I cannot remember a conversation like it in my life. You expect different answers when you meet an 18-year-old person to a 30-year-old person or whatever.

“He surprised me with how clear he was with his goals and ambitions. He was sure about the next step, what he needed to improve, which World Cup he wanted to play in, and I was like, wow, this personality I did not expect. Everything was so clear with him.

“He was just so prepared. This is a conversation with the technical director of Bayern Munich, so these are my questions, these are my answers. It came from his heart but he was so focused. On the plane back to Munich, I was like, wow, you will remember this.”

Sweating over Kimmich tip

Neppe’s first signing that he argued Bayern should make might just remain his best. Joshua Kimmich had been playing in the second tier of the Bundesliga but he spotted something in the current captain who has gone on to win the title nine times in Munich.

“My shirt was sweating that day when the guys asked me, ‘Do you really think Bayern Munich have to sign Kimmich?’ We were starting to change the strategy, signing younger players. But a player from the second Bundesliga? If you try this as your first signing…”

It paid off. “We strongly believed in him. It is a signing I will always remember.” But there have been many. “I will remember Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, Harry Kane. It is not always the big one. Mathys Tel was a really interesting signing. Noussair Mazraoui too.”

Never doubted Gravenberch

Some signings become legends, others need to move on to find their path. On the face of it, few would regard Ryan Gravenberch as one of Bayern’s best buys, having stayed just one season, but Neppe is not surprised by his subsequent success at Liverpool.

“I am super happy for Ryan. He is a special midfielder. When we signed him from Ajax, we were 100 per cent convinced. And, honestly, we never doubted his qualities. We knew he would bring it someday. We saw exactly what he is now showing at Liverpool.

“But sometimes it is about needing some patience too. Even in his first season at Liverpool, it was not easy. It is a momentum thing. There are so many stories in football where big careers start because of an injury to another player and they take their chance.

“Look at Alphonso Davies, the start of his career at Bayern was due to the fact that David Alaba and Lucas Hernandez were injured at the same moment. He got his opportunity. But it is not luck. In the long run, these players will always show their level.

“We are talking about players but I prefer to talk about human beings, how they think, what are their triggers, their goals? How invested are they in their own success, in the team? How resilient are they to be able to overcome the tough moments in football?”

Neppe can still celebrate Bayern’s success, but makes the point that football is always about the next signing, the next match. “In football, you do not have time to look back. Maybe when I am 65 with my grandchildren.” For Neppe, it is about the next job now.