The long-serving gaffer has said that he had been on the verge of signing a trio of youthful Bayern stars back in 2008.
Ralf Rangnick has disclosed that he almost completed the signings of Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels and Holger Badstuber throughout his period in Hoffenheim.
Rangnick, that has been a key figure for RB Leipzig recently as head coach and athletic manager, handled Hoffenheim from 2006-11 in between two different stints in Schalke.
Rangnick says he almost completed deals for Muller and Badstuber, but Bayern vetoed those suggested deals at the last minute.
At the moment, Muller had only started playing Bayern’s reservations and Badstuber was a year away from making his Bayern debut.
Muller has since become one of Bayern’s most decorated players, while Badstuber showcased for the club from 2009-17 and now plays Stuttgart.
“In 2008, we agreed with Thomas Muller and his adviser Ludwig Kogl and absolutely wanted to borrow him at the moment,” Rangnick informed Sport1.
Uli Hoeness relayed this amount into the then-manager Jan Schindelmeiser at the moment.
“However, Hermann Gerland vetoed it and so Muller remained with Bayern. At the time we were in advanced talks with Holger Badstuber.”
Muller and Badstuber went on to debut for the club soon after the transport pursuit, with Badstuber coincidentally making his first appearance against Hoffenheim.
In addition to his pursuit of Muller and Badstuber, Rangnick revealed that the club went after Hummels in 2008 as Bayern appeared to send out the defender on loan.
“It was comparable with him at the start of 2008. We also wanted to bring him on loan and there was an arrangement,” Rangnick said.
“But Uli Hoeness set his foot down with Hummels. He did not need him to be loaned to Hoffenheim but to Dortmund.”
Hummels went on to star for Dortmund before 2016 prior to making a return to Bayern Munich.
