Thomas Müller has proven to be one of Major League Soccer’s standout signings, leading the Vancouver Whitecaps to second place in the Western Conference. However, before completing his move, the German legend admitted he was open to joining a European giant ahead of his departure from Bayern Munich.
At 36 years old, and with his contract at Bayern set to expire at the end of June 2025, Müller was facing a major career decision — whether to stay in Europe or take on a new challenge abroad. Despite interest from the Whitecaps, the German star also considered the possibility of joining one of his former rivals.
Speaking to Blickpunkt Sport, Müller revealed the one scenario that could have convinced him to remain in Europe: “I wanted to leave Europe… maybe I had one or two options in mind to stay. For example, I could’ve imagined a future at Barcelona.”
The former Bayern star went on to explain how a familiar face might have played a decisive role in that move. “If Hansi Flick, who knows me very well, had called me and said he liked the project there, I could’ve imagined it,” he said, referring to Flick, who coached him at Bayern from 2019 to 2021 and later with the German national team between 2021 and 2023.
Thomas Mueller of FC Bayern Munich celebrates with teammate Serge Gnabry after scoring against FC Barcelona.
Müller concluded by praising the Catalan side: “Barcelona is a top-level club where you know exactly what people expect from you.” The veteran also acknowledged that his former teammate, Robert Lewandowski, could have played a big part in pushing for his potential signing on a free transfer.
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Müller: A headache for Barcelona
In recent years, Bayern Munich have dominated Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, becoming one of the Spanish club’s toughest opponents. At the center of that rivalry stood Thomas Müller, a long-time nightmare for the Blaugrana.
Müller faced Barcelona 10 times in the Champions League, winning eight of those matches with Bayern and losing only two. The German midfielder scored eight goals and provided two assists in those encounters, including the unforgettable 8–2 victory in the 2019–20 campaign, one of the most lopsided results in Champions League history.
