Bilal El KhannoussPlayer·Bilal El Khannouss has thrown his support behind a potential move to Bayern MunichTeam·Bayern Munich for Morocco team-mate Ismael SaibariPlayer·Ismael Saibari, as speculation grows over the PSV striker’s future.
Saibari is heavily linked with a summer transfer to the BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga club, with recent reports suggesting a verbal agreement may already be in place between the parties. While no deal is announced, the public backing from a fellow Morocco international adds a new dimension to one of the emerging stories of the European window.
The 22-year-old joined PSV’s academy in 2020 and made his first-team debut later that year. Since then he has become a central figure in Eindhoven, making 142 appearances in all competitions and helping the club to three consecutive EredivisieCompetition·Eredivisie titles and two KNVB Cups. His output last season underlines why a club of Bayern’s stature is interested: Saibari scored 19 goals, the joint-highest tally in the PSV squad, and contributed 28 goal involvements overall with a further nine assists, leading the team in that category.
Those numbers frame him as a forward capable of influencing matches both as a finisher and as a creator, attributes that fit the demands of a Bayern side traditionally built on a high-possession, front-foot style. A move to the BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga would also deepen the growing Moroccan presence in Germany’s top flight, a trend El Khannouss is keen to see continue.
El Khannouss, who plays his club football for Stuttgart, stressed that he does not seek to influence Saibari’s decision but made clear his admiration for the striker’s quality.
"To be honest, I don't interfere in other people's careers."— Bilal El Khannouss.
"He's a very close friend of mine, but I don't meddle in such private matters."— Bilal El Khannouss.
"I don't know if it's true or not. I hope so for his sake because he really deserves it."— Bilal El Khannouss.
"Of course ! He's an incredible player."— Bilal El Khannouss.
"And I wish him the best of luck in playing for a big team. I hope it happens."— Bilal El Khannouss.
The timing of this endorsement is notable. Saibari has just delivered a statement performance on the international stage, opening the scoring for Morocco with a stunning chip from outside the box in a 1-1 draw with Brazil at the World Cup. Announcing himself in such fashion, in his tournament debut and against five-time world champions, only strengthens the perception that he is ready for the next step in his career.
From Bayern’s perspective, the profile is attractive. Saibari offers proven end product at club level, big-game temperament from the World Cup and familiarity with high-press, possession-oriented football. For PSV, his departure would mark the end of a highly productive spell, but also represent the kind of major outbound transfer that has long been part of the club’s model.
For Morocco, the potential transfer is another marker of a generation increasingly embedded at the top end of European football. Saibari’s rise at PSV, El Khannouss’s progress in the BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga and their shared impact on the national team underline a talent pipeline that now stretches across several elite leagues.
Nothing is final until contracts are signed and both clubs confirm the move, and El Khannouss himself underlines that he has no inside knowledge of negotiations. Yet his assertion that Saibari "really deserves" a move to a "big team" captures the wider view of a forward whose performances for club and country have brought him to the brink of a major career decision.
If Bayern complete the deal, they would be adding a versatile attacker entering his prime years, while the BundesligaCompetition·Bundesliga would gain another World Cup goalscorer with the capacity to shape games in the final third. If the move does not materialise, Saibari returns to PSV as a title-winning, World Cup-tested focal point who has already proved he can carry significant attacking responsibility.
Either way, the coming weeks look set to define the next phase of his trajectory — and El Khannouss has made clear that, wherever Saibari lands, he believes his friend is ready for the stage.
Moroccan players celebrate a goal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Credit: Di Sports Photo Agency/IMAGO
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