Now it’s official: Lena Oberdorf will leave VfL Wolfsburg in the summer and move to FC Bayern. For a record transfer fee.
International soccer player Lena Oberdorf is moving within the Bundesliga from VfL Wolfsburg to long-term rivals FC Bayern in the summer. The 22-year-old is making use of a contractually stipulated exit clause, as confirmed by the club from Lower Saxony on Thursday. Her contract with the DFB Cup winners actually ran until 2025, but the Gevelsberg native signed a contract with Bayern until June 30, 2028.
The two clubs did not disclose the transfer fee. Sport Bild had speculated in recent days about a transfer fee of €200,000 to €250,000, while the Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung even reported more than €400,000. Either way, it is likely to be the most expensive transfer in the history of the women’s Bundesliga.
Worldwide, however, this is peanuts. Zambian international Racheal Kundananji is currently the most expensive female footballer in history. The 23-year-old is moving from Spanish first division club Madrid CFF to new team Bay FC from San Jose in the US professional league NWSL for a basic transfer fee of 735,000 euros, which could rise to 810,000 euros with a bonus.
“I had good talks with head coach Alexander Straus and head of department Bianca Rech and I really liked the club’s vision of what they want to achieve in the next few years,” said Oberdorf. “They also showed me where my potential lies and what I can still get out of myself.”
Oberdorf is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world and was also sought after by foreign clubs. She joined Wolfsburg from SGS Essen in 2020 and has already played 44 international matches. She was named best young player at the 2022 European Championship in England. Oberdorf struggled with her form and injuries at times last year. The VW club recently signed Janina Minge from league rivals SC Freiburg as her successor in Wolfsburg for the new season.
A piquant fact: Oberdorf had already been courted by Bayern as a teenager in Essen, but opted for Wolfsburg at the time – because she found the club “more likeable”, as she told Der Spiegel at the time. When asked about the famous Bayern song by Die Toten Hosen (“I would never go to FC Bayern Munich”), she told Sport Bild before the 2022 European Championship: “Yes, of course, I know it! I can’t imagine going to Bayern either.”
The 22-year-old from Gevelsberg in the Ruhr region added, referring to her sympathies for Schalke 04: “Even when Bayern played against Dortmund, I was more in favor of Dortmund. That says it all, doesn’t it? “
