MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich signed Germany left back Nathaniel “Nene” Brown from Bundesliga rival Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported fee of 55 million euros ($63 million) on Friday.
The Bavarian powerhouse said the 23-year-old Brown had signed a contract through June 2031.
“He made his mark at the World Cup and showed why we’ve been looking at him for a while. He’ll expand our options in both defense and midfield,” Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said.
Born in Bavaria to a German mother and American father, Brown could have played for the United States. He was a key part of the Germany Under-21 team which lost the European Championship final to England last year and said he wanted to stay with Germany.
He was first choice at left back for the World Cup, and one of the few players to emerge from the tournament with their reputations enhanced after Germany’s shock exit to Paraguay in the first knockout game. Brown has now made eight appearances for the senior team.
Brown joined Frankfurt from Nuremberg for 3.5 million euros in 2024 and scored seven goals in 75 competitive games for the team, including eight Champions League appearances last season.
“Nene has made impressive progress at Eintracht Frankfurt. We obviously would have liked him to stay with us, but he also expressed a desire to take the next step in his career,” Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche said.
Brown is Bayern’s second signing of the offseason after Morocco’s Ismael Saibari from PSV Eindhoven, and his arrival signals the club’s concern about injuries to Canada star Alphonso Davies.
“It means so much to me to have the chance to play for this club and it fills me with pride,” Brown said. “I also come from Bavaria, which makes it even more special.”
The player said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany played a big role in convincing him to join.
“Kompany in particular showed me how he sees me and my development and absolutely convinced me,” he said.
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