Munich: Bayern Munich are on the verge of signing Morocco’s World Cup star Ismael Saibari. Media outlets including Bild and Sky, as well as transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, reported on Monday that the German champions have reached an agreement with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven for a fee of around ?55 million ($64 million). The midfielder is said to have agreed a contract with the Munich side running until 2031. Saibari’s medical is reportedly set to take place in North America while the World Cup is under way, with Bayern doctor Jochen Hahne already in the United States with the German national team. The 25-year-old has already made headlines in the tournament with his goal in the 1-1 draw with Brazil in Group C. He was named Eredivisie Player of the Year after playing a key role in PSV’s third consecutive league title, while he was in the Morocco side that was controversially crowned as Africa Cup of Nations champions in 2025 after Senegal’s victory in the final was overturned. Born in Spain, Saibari moved to Belgium as a child and played for the youth teams of Anderlecht and Genk before joining PSV’s reserve side in 2020 and emerging into the first team in 2022. The Morocco star is not the only World Cup debutant set for a lucrative transfer to Bayern Munich. Germany left-back Nathaniel Brown is also expected to join the German champions from Eintracht Frankfurt for a similar fee of around 55 million. — dpa
Morocco’s Ismael Saibari celebrates scoring their first goal. — Reuters
