Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund? Bundesliga duo may end up in battle to land sporting director with Max Eberl under pressure at Bavarian giants

According to Sky and multiple other outlets, both Bayern and Dortmund have expressed concrete interest in appointing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Krosche as sporting director. Pressure is mounting on Bayern’s current sporting director Max Eberl following a series of failed transfer pursuits and internal discussions about the club’s future direction. Dortmund, meanwhile, are considering Krosche as a replacement for Sebastian Kehl. Both clubs are closely monitoring the situation, and Krosche’s contract is believed to contain a release clause.

Krosche has been Frankfurt’s sporting CEO since 2021 and has been instrumental in the club’s recent successes, including their Europa League triumph in 2022 and securing Champions League qualification. Dortmund explored a move for Krosche during their sporting crisis last season, but negotiations reportedly stalled as he chose to focus on Frankfurt’s campaign. Bayern’s recent transfer struggles - including big-money pursuits of Nick Woltemade and Luis Diaz - have put Eberl’s position under increased scrutiny. Internal tension and restructuring discussions at Bayern mean significant changes remain possible before the transfer window closes.

Krosche has a proven record of engineering lucrative transfers. Under his leadership, Frankfurt generated nearly €300m (£255m/$327m) in transfer revenue from relatively unknown players such as Randal Kolo Muani, Omar Marmoush and Hugo Ekitike. His knack for spotting talent and negotiating high-value deals has made him a sought-after executive across Europe, with Premier League interest previously reported.

His name has already been mentioned in the supervisory board, but there are also doubts about his suitability for the job in Munich despite his impressive numbers. Krosche negotiated the €95m (£81m/$104m) sale of Kolo Muani to Paris Saint-Germain, secured around €75m (£64m/$82m) from Manchester City for Marmoush and orchestrated Hugo Ekitike’s sale to Liverpool for €95m. Bayern’s annual payroll is reported to be €308m (£262m/$336m).

Additional reporting by Tim Ursinus .