Greg . 1 week ago

The man behind the Ekitike manage who could become Bayern Munich's new sporting director

Markus Krosche, sporting director at Eintracht Frankfurt, has been at the centre of some of the most impressive transfer deals over the last years, and there is now speculation that his remarkable success could potentially acquire him a position as Max Eberl's replacement at Bayern Munich.

The majority of European clubs pursue a common strategy where they try to spot and purchase young talent at an early age in order to build them into valuable assets, and then sell them for significant profits in order to remain competitive and produce revenue for the club at the same time.

However, what separates the clubs is how well they carry out that plan.

 Looking at transfer profits over the last decade, no club seems to have implemented that strategy to better effect than Eintracht Frankfurt.

Over the last six years, they have completed transfer deals including Randall Kolo Muani, Omar Marmoush, and Hugo Ekitike, which have handed over them no less than €363 million, making them one of the biggest challengers to Bayern Munich’s stronghold on the German Bundesliga.

 At the heart of that development, you will locate Markus Krosche, sporting director of Frankfurt, who joined the club four years ago from RB Leipzig.

 Under his leadership, the club won the UEFA Europa League in 2022, progressed to the Champions League Round of 16 and reached the DFB-Pokal final in 2023, and secured third place in the Bundesliga last season, earning a return to Europe’s top competition.

Off the pitch, Krosche has drawn praise for his strategic player recruitment.

His concentrate on data-driven scouting, combined with a willingness to permit players to move on when they seem ready to take the next step in their career, has created a succession of attracting talented players who view Frankfurt as a stepping stone to bigger clubs.

Already before his arrival, former German international striker Fredi Bobic possessed taken the first steps towards launching Eintracht Frankfurt's lucrative transfer philosophy with very promising results, but Krosche has taken that development one step further.

A list of Frankfurt's most lucrative deals over the last eight years:Hugo Ekitike, signed from PSG (in April 2024) for €16.

5 million, was sold to Liverpool for €95 million (July 2025)Omar Marmoush, signed from Wolfsburg (May 2023) on a free transfer, was sold to Manchester City for €75 million (January 2025)Randal Kolo Muani, signed from Nantes (March 2022) on a free transfer, was sold to PSG for €85 million (January 2023)Willian Pacho, signed from Royal Antwerp (January 2023) for €13.

5 million, was sold to PSG for €40 million (August 2024)Jesper Lindstrom, signed from Brondby (July 2021) for €7 million, was sold to Napoli for €30 million (August 2023)Sebastian Haller, signed from Utrecht (January 2017) for €12 million, was sold to West Ham for €50 million (July 2019)Luca Jovic, signed from Benfica (April 2019) for €22.

5 million, was sold to Real Madrid for €60 million (June 2019)Jonathan Burkhardt could be Krosche's next transfer coupČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Marc SchuelerKrosche, who established a car leasing company to build his business acumen after his active career, in his first season with Frankfurt won the Europa League with Oliver Glasner as a coach, but there was a problem looming on the horizon with a squad that was among the oldest in the Bundesliga.

 Today, Frankfurt have the youngest squad in the league thanks to Krosche's well-built strategy of spotting talent at an early age.

Among a squad bursting with exciting prospects, 20-year-old Hugo Larsson (signed from Malmo), 21-year-old Fares Chaibi (from Toulouse) and 25-year-old newly purchased striker Jonathan Burkhardt (from Mainz) could be the next in line to be offloaded to some of Europe's biggest clubs for enormous profits.

Krosche has previously clarified to Sky Sports that part of the magic in identifying the right players through scouting data is to work one year ahead: "We have to be early in the market.

"We have to be better than the rest because we cannot afford mistakes.

We have to be faster and more efficient.

So, by October, we will have a clear idea of who we want to sign next summer.

This is a big advantage because other clubs are not in the market at that time.

"German football legend Lothar Matthaus, who today works as a TV expert for Sky Sports Germany, praises Krosche's dealings in the transfer market.

 "Markus Krosche is the transfer king!" he said.

"And even if the Ekitike sale will weaken them at first, I am motivated by the calmness of how those engaged around Krosche work.

They know exactly what they are doing.

As I know him, he has already performed with foresight with Jonathan Burkardt.

"Despite these many departures and the huge transfer sums, some of which is reinvested, Frankfurt always makes a nice profit.

These are goals and dreams that many Bundesliga clubs do not accomplish.

Success, transfer profits and happy spectators: what more could you want?"While Krosche has been working his magic at Frankfurt, the same certainly can't be said over his colleague at German giants Bayern Munich, Max Eberl.

There is a saying in Germany that "what Bayern wants, Bayern gets," but judging from Eberl's lack of success in the transfer market, that saying currently has a hollow ring to it.

 Max Eberl is under heavy scrutiny at Bayern MunichČTK / DPA / Sven HoppeBayern did manage to lure German international Jonathan Tah to Sabener Strasse, but during the summer, they missed out on names like Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Nico Williams (Athletic Club), and Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade, making it one of the most disappointing transfer windows in decades for the German champions.

 That has now triggered speculation in the German media over whether Krosche is likely to replace Eberl, who is being criticised from all sides in Germany, not least from Matthaus.

"The money they spent on contract extensions for Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala, and Joshua Kimmich, plus the way Eberl managed the discussions around Florian Wirtz and Thomas Müller.

Such mistakes have become common in recent years and are not good for a healthy energy within the club and also for the external image, which has become shaky in recent years," he argues.

The question is now if Bayern, on the support of a chaotic transfer window, choose to hand Krosche a chance to steady the ship in Munich.