Bayern Munich receive more funding after signing new deal with Audi

Bayern Munich of Bundesliga on Tuesday announced that the club and the Ingolstadt-based premium automobile manufacturer Audi extended their partnership by another four years to 2029.

"I'm very happy about the early extension to our partnership with Audi. For FC Bayern, this agreement is an important strategic step into the future. FC Bayern and Audi have now been working together for more than one and a half decades in a way that is trustful, earnest and beneficial to both brands. Now it's assured that this partnership will continue for almost 10 more years," said Bayern's AG CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Players of Bayern Munich attend winter training camp in Doha, Qatar, January 9, 2020.

It has been 17 years since Audi and Bayern began cooperating and the auto giant already became one of the football club's three major outside shareholders – the other two are Herzogenaurach-based sports gear manufacturer Adidas AG and Munich-based financial services company Allianz SE.

"FC Bayern fits perfectly with Audi's strategic realignment. We want to be close to our fans, customers and potential customers. As the exclusive automobile partner of FC Bayern, we have the opportunity to present new concepts of mobility, electromobility and connectivity, and make them tangible," said Hildegard Wortmann, Audi board member for sales and marketing.

The Bild reported that the new deal will add about 50 million euros (about 55.8 million U.S. dollars) to Bayern's pocket, enabling the club to be more competitive on the transfer market.

Leroy Sane of Manchester City does rehabilitation training session at Manchester City Football Academy in Manchester, England, January 9, 2020.

It's no secret that Bayern have been looking forward to improving their wings and defense. Though the club cast their greedy eyes on Leroy Sane of Manchester City, the player's injury and Manchester's unwillingness kept Bayern from landing him last summer. Besides, Manchester City asked for over 100 million euros (about 112 million U.S. dollars) for Sane and it has never been Bayern's way to squander money like that.

They may have to change their way now. Like every season, injuries caught with Bayern. Niklas Süle, Lucas Hernández, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman are just a handful of their players who are now sidelined. Moreover, the competition has grown intense enough this season to force Bayern to take the other contenders, namely RB Leipzig, Borussia Mönchengladbach and, of course, Borussia Dortmund, more seriously than ever.