Saibari's stunning World Cup goal against Brazil cranks up pressure on Bayern to seal €53m deal

Ismael Saibari gave Bayern Munich fresh urgency to finalise their reported €53m pursuit of the PSV midfielder on Monday, scoring a composed chip over Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson to put Morocco 1-0 up against Brazil in their World Cup Group C opener.

Bayern had already submitted a bid worth €53m (£45.7m) for the 25-year-old this week, according to reports, but PSV are holding out for the full fee paid up front rather than in instalments. The two clubs have been in talks, with a reported €5m add-on the sticking point between them.

The goal itself was a statement of quality on the biggest stage. Brahim Diaz slipped a ball in behind the Brazilian defence, and Saibari timed his run to perfection, getting clean through before lifting the ball delicately over the onrushing Alisson outside his area. That he did so against a backline featuring Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães with such apparent ease only underlined why Bayern have been tracking him.

Morocco arrived at this tournament with genuine ambitions after reaching the semi-finals at Qatar 2022, and were considered among the competition’s dark horses once again. Brazil, meanwhile, came in under new manager Carlo Ancelotti following a turbulent qualification campaign, with the weight of expectation firmly back on the Selecão.

Saibari, who is Belgian-raised and has been at PSV since 2020, broke into the first team in 2022/23 and has not looked back. Last season he scored 19 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions, playing a central role as PSV romped to the Eredivisie title.

With a performance of this visibility, Bayern may find the transfer market moving against them quickly. Other clubs now have every reason to enter the race, and the German side could find that quibbling over a €5m add-on proves costly if a rival moves decisively.