Top five players to have played for both Bayern Munich and Manchester United

These players have played exceptionally in both the English and German clubs.

The powerhouses of Europe, namely Manchester United and Bayern Munich have dominated European football with some vigour in recent decades. Manchester United are three-time Champions of Europe while Bayern holds this accolade for a record 5 times. Throughout these years, many a player have played for both these clubs and taken them to great heights. But we will be focusing on the top five players to have played for both of these clubs. So, let’s have a look without further adieu:

5. Marcel Sabitzer

The latest addition to the squad of Erik Ten Haag, Sabitzer prized for his ability to play in different areas of the pitch. Combative, physical and in possession of a powerful long-range shot, his attitude and his concentration towards the game have been lauded by many managers. Though he fell out of favour when Nagelsmann took charge of Bayern Munich. He is relatively young and a loan move to Manchester United does seem a great deal for him to further showcase his talents.

The former Captain of RB Leipzig has played most of the football in Bundesliga with them. He made 177 appearances and scored 40 goals after moving to Bayern Munich in 2021. Though he fell off the pecking order at Bayern Munich due to the high calibre of their ranks. He was used diligently after he joined Manchester United on loan from the Bavarians in the 2023 January transfer window.

4. Daley Blind

Another individual to have graced both of these prestigious clubs is this man from the Netherlands. Capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, a left-back or an orthodox central defender, the former Manchester United man has often been deemed as tactically very adept. Also named Dutch Footballer of the Year after the 2013/14 season. Blind's sparkling form inevitably caught the eye of other clubs, and Manchester United secured his signature that summer. This allowed him to team up with compatriot Louis van Gaal.

Blind played for two seasons under LVG before Jose Mourinho took over at Old Trafford. He opened Blind's eyes to a different style of coaching. He returned back to his old club Ajax and won two successive Eredivisie crowns. Europa League winner with Manchester United, he joined the Bavarians on loan from Ajax on January 5th, 2023 which might prove crucial to Bayern Munich this season. An injury-hit side like theirs is going to relish the experience of a player like him in their ranks. Having made a total of 226 appearances for Ajax, he also made 90 appearances for The Red Devils in which he scored four times.

3. Bastian Schweinsteiger

Earlier in his career, he primarily played as a wide midfielder. Schweinsteiger - regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, due to his tactical awareness, positioning, passing and also due to his ability to read and control the flow of the game. He's often been described as a two-way midfielder capable of attacking, defending, and seamlessly transitioning between both aspects of the game. He is a world champion, multiple-time German champion and one of the superheroes at the 2014 World Cup final. A figurehead during his time at FC Bayern Munich.

The German broke through at Bayern Munich as an erratic and largely inconsistent left winger. He was converted into a central role by LVG during his spell in charge at the club. Making a mammoth 342 appearances for The Bavarians, he scored 42 times for them. He also clinched many titles including UEFA Champions League in 2013. Manchester United had never fielded a German national in their first team until he joined them in 2015 for a reported fee of 9 million. Although he fell out of favour under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. He is widely considered one of the greatest midfielders of his generation.

2. Mark Hughes

Possibly one of the most brilliant strikers to ever grace Old Trafford. Mark Hughes was a prolific goal scorer who probably created as many goals as he scored. He combined the deft touch and grace of a ballerina, the acrobatics of a gymnast and the extreme power of a sledgehammer, thanks to his thick tree-trunk-like legs. He fought hard for the ball and knew how to create opportunities for his teammates. During his playing career, he usually operated as a forward or midfielder.

He had two spells at Manchester United and also played for Barcelona and Bayern Munich, as well as the English clubs Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and finally Blackburn Rovers. Although most of his playing days revolved in England, he had a brief spell in Germany with Bayern Munich when he was loaned to the Bavarians. In that short tenure, he made just 18 appearances for Bayern scoring 6 times. He was then sent back to Manchester United again where he won two Premier League titles with them in his second spell.

Currently the manager of English League two side Bradford City. He is also renowned for managing clubs like Manchester City, Stoke City, and Southampton. In a total of 345 appearances for Manchester United, he scored 120 goals for them.

1. Owen Hargreaves

He was known as a hard-working and solid defensive midfielder who worked tirelessly to win the ball and provide his teammates with possession. He could pass, run, tackle, cross, shoot, play several positions, and take all set pieces. Owen could do everything to an impressive standard on a consistent basis. Owen began his career at Bayern Munich where he made 145 appearances for The Bavarians and scored 5 times in that spell.

Though most of his career was overwhelmed with injuries, Ferguson had added a dynamic, versatile midfielder of pedigree to his squad in July 2007 who could either slot in alongside Michael Carrick in a 4-2-3-1 formation or operate in a four-man midfield and, at 26, Hargreaves still had his best years ahead of him. He was the combative midfielder United’s midfield needed, possessing the ability to inject speed and energy into Ferguson’s tactical plans, but it failed to transpire in such a manner due to the injuries he sustained.

A promising talent, he could never reach his true potential despite making deliberate efforts to make a comeback. He only made 27 appearances for The Red Devils in which he scored 2 times.