Sarpreet Singh is officially a Bayern Munich player.
Singh, 20, has signed a three-year deal with Bayern's youth side - who will play in the third division of German football next season - after a deal was agreed with Wellington Phoenix on Monday.
READ: Kiwi teammate 'stoked' over Singh's Bayern move
INS AND OUTS: Wellington Phoenix
EXPLAINER: How does the transfer window work?
Featured image: Bayern Munich
He had been on the radar of Bayern for some time but the club’s interest turned concrete when the four-cap New Zealand international starred for the Kiwis at the recent U20 World Cup in Poland.
It is one of the biggest Hyundai A-League transfers of all time, and comfortably the most significant transfer in the footballing history of New Zealand, topping striker Wynton Rufer’s signature for Werder Bremen in 1989 and ex-Phoenix flyer Marco Rojas’ move to Stuttgart from Melbourne Victory in 2013.
His move to Germany is also a sweeping endorsement for the Wellington Phoenix football academy structure – which has only operated full-time since 2016 and unearthed current first-teamers Louis Fenton, Liberato Cacace and Ben Waine.
"The owners of the club have invested many thousands of dollars into the club’s academy, and it has been a strategic priority for the club since 2011 when Welnix took over," said Phoenix General Manager David Dome.
"We were the first of all the A-League clubs to set up a full Academy system with the move of APFA from Christchurch, and the owners have persisted with the Academy and it has produced some fine footballers over the years, even if this generated little direct financial return.
"If the pathway to professional football and potentially the very highest levels was not clear before, it is now.
"It is vital for a young players development that they can play quality football on a regular basis and in the New Zealand context only the Phoenix can provide the direct pathway from the academy level all the way to the professional game.
"We are thrilled for Sarpreet and his family and are extremely proud of what he has achieved to get to this stage of his career."
Singh will wear No. 31 for his new team.
