"Pay a euro!" Kroos weighs in on the Bayern saga

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Konrad Laimer's contract extension at Bayern has been dragging on for quite some time now. Toni Kroos has a clear view on the matter and has made a recommendation.

Konrad Laimer's contract extension at FC Bayern Munich was once viewed as a mere formality, yet no deal has been finalised. On the contrary, the latest reports claim that the two parties' salary expectations are now further apart than ever.

Toni Kroos, a former Bayern Munich midfielder who moved to Real Madrid in 2014 for around €30 million with just a year left on his contract, has urged his old club not to repeat the mistake of undervaluing a key performer.

According to Kroos, Bayern must not repeat that mistake with Laimer, because "he is important to the team. He has proven his importance," Kroos stated on the Einfach mal Luppen podcast. "You mustn't underestimate the importance of paying even a euro to players who don't score 40 goals!"

"He's no Maradona," insists Hoeneß, digging in over Laimer.

Conor Laimer's current Bayern Munich deal expires in 2027, and both parties are negotiating an extension. Sky reports that the Austrian midfielder is seeking a salary of €15 million per year; he currently earns around €10 million per season, including bonuses. 

Following expensive extensions for Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Dayot Upamecano and Alphonso Davies, the club is using Laimer's negotiations to underline that they will no longer automatically grant every star request just to retain him.

"When you read what is allegedly being reported about his salary and his demands, you have to put it into perspective: Konny is a player I rate very highly. He is extremely important to the team, and just as much to the club's public image. He works incredibly hard for the team. But he's just not Maradona," club president Uli Hoeneß recently told DAZN.

He added: "Very few clubs in Europe can even offer what he currently earns. I don't know what Max (Eberl, ed.) and Christoph (Freund, ed.) specifically offered him, but it certainly won't have been what his agents initially demanded."

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Could Laimer depart Bayern on a free transfer? "We wouldn't lose much!"

With Laimer yet to sign a new contract, reports suggest the 28-year-old could depart at season's end. Bayern would have this summer as their final opportunity to secure a reasonable transfer fee before his deal expires in 2025.

Max Eberl acknowledged this timeline but stressed there are "two points of view" and added, "we have to see if we can find a way to bridge the gap at some point." When asked whether, in the absence of a contract extension, the club would be forced to sell him to avoid letting Laimer leave on a free transfer in 2027, Eberl replied with surprising calm: "He came on a free transfer, so we wouldn't lose much."

After his contract at RB Leipzig expired, Laimer joined Munich on a free transfer in 2023. His consistency and versatility have since established him as a key player for the German record champions, a status he retains this season. Losing him would still hit Bayern hard, given the club would then have to seek a potentially costly replacement.