In 2022, Frankfurt signed Kolo Muani from Nantes on a free transfer. After the French forward scored 23 goals in 46 games during the 2022-2023 season, the German club quickly capitalized, selling him to PSG for $111 million.

Frankfurt continued its strategy of buying low and selling high with Omar Marmoush in 2023. After joining on a free transfer from Wolfsburg, the Egyptian forward scored 37 goals in 67 matches, becoming a Bundesliga star. In 1/2025, he brought Frankfurt $87 million when he moved to Man City.

Ekitike celebrates a goal for Frankfurt in the 2024-2025 Bundesliga. Photo: *Reuters*

Hugo Ekitike is the only one of the three stars Frankfurt had to pay for. After a loan spell in the latter half of the 2023-2024 season, the German club spent $19 million to buy him outright from PSG. This, too, proved a highly profitable investment. After scoring 22 goals in 48 games during the 2024-2025 season, Ekitike moved to Liverpool this summer for $93 million.

By buying and selling just three players in three years, Frankfurt turned a $19 million expense into $291 million in revenue. This $272 million profit is almost six times the $50 million after-tax profit of Bayern - the top Bundesliga team - in the 2023-2024 season.

According to Marca, Frankfurt's secret lies in attracting, developing, and selling young talent at the right time. They often focus on signing promising forwards in their early twenties. At this age, most players are still developing and can flourish in the right environment. Frankfurt provides them with maximum opportunities to play, showcase their strengths, and score goals.

Consistently shining in a top league like the Bundesliga attracts larger clubs. Many young players who perform well there move on to new heights in other leagues. In 2022, after being acquired by Man City from Dortmund, Erling Haaland scored 52 goals in 53 games, significantly contributing to a treble. A season later, Jude Bellingham also left Dortmund for Real, winning La Liga and the Champions League.

Last season, Frankfurt finished third in the Bundesliga. They will join Bayern, Leverkusen, and Dortmund in the Champions League group stage, with the possibility of facing Muani, Marmoush, and Ekitike.

Thanh Quy (according to *Marca*)