Bayern Munich have announced the signing of Tom Bischof from Hoffenheim on a pre-contract agreement.
The 19-year-old midfielder, a German youth international, will join a free transfer in the summer.
He has signed a deal through to 2029 at the Allianz Arena.
“Tom Bischof is one of the biggest German talents, who’s also attracted international interest,” Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said.
“At the age of just 19, he’s already gained a lot of experiences in professional football, in the Bundesliga as well as in the DFB Cup and Europa League. Tom is an ideal fit for our philosophy as a technically gifted midfielder.
“We’re pleased he’s decided to take his next steps at FC Bayern. Tom has all the attributes to establish himself at the highest level.”
New arrival for 2025/26 season: #FCBayern sign Tom Bischof. 🔴⚪
All information: https://t.co/vMfnYLP5Us pic.twitter.com/X6kRH29EOe
— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) January 21, 2025
Bischof has made 24 appearances in all competitions for Hoffenheim this season, including 16 in the Bundesliga where he has scored two goals.
Who is Bischof and why is he so highly rated?
A Hoffenheim academy graduate who made his Bundesliga debut at 16, Bischof has represented Germany at U16, U17 and U18 level. The watchable, left-footed central midfielder has started 15 Bundesliga games for TSG this season and has also been ever-present during the club’s Europa League campaign.
He has shone in a team that have struggled and has been the outstanding performer in a side that sit 15th in the Bundesliga, one place above the relegation playoff place. No surprise, because Bischof is generally considered one of the country’s biggest prospects of the coming generation. A tenacious but talented all-round midfielder, he won the Fritz Walter Gold Medal in the U19s — given to the best German player in their age group — and is also a set-piece expert.
In completing the transfer, Bayern will feel that they have potentially constructed a central midfield to last most of the next decade. Munich-born Aleksandar Pavlovic, 20, is already a full German international and integral part of Vincent Kompany’s side, and a potential partnership with Bischof feels both balanced with and without the ball, and capable of providing outstanding support to the attacking part of the team.
Bayern already have a clutch of talented young players around whom their new era will be build. Jamal Musiala (21) is already a star, of course, and Michael Olise (23) has had a terrific first season in Germany. Mathys Tel (19) will surely realise his enormous potential in attack at some point, while Alphonso Davies — still 24 — is likely to sign a new contract and commit his future to the club in the coming days.
Bischof can be added to that group as soon as he arrives, with Bayern looking increasingly well-stocked for the years ahead.
(Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
