FC Bayern have signed Denmark international Pernille Harder and Sweden international Magdalena Eriksson. The 30-year-old attacking player and the 29-year-old defender move to Munich from Chelsea and have both been handed three-year contracts.
FC Bayern Women head of department Bianca Rech: "Today is a great day for FC Bayern because we've managed to bring two players of this quality to FC Bayern who are outstanding personalities not only on the pitch but also off it. That is very important for us and our goals. Both players bring a lot of expertise with them. They've played at a very high level for many years and have won titles. Especially in this young team, which is currently developing very rapidly, they'll be an important component."
Pernille Harder: "FC Bayern is a terrific club, the players and the team have a lot of potential. I definitely wanted to become a part of it. I also got a good impression of Alexander Straus. I had a good time in the Bundesliga and am looking forward to returning after three years. The way the German national team played at the European Championship last summer shows how the league has developed. I'm happy to be back in the Bundesliga and can't wait to play here again."
Magdalena Eriksson: "I had a good feeling right from the start. FC Bayern is an extraordinary club with an impressive history. I'm really looking forward to getting to know my new teammates, winning together, developing individually and also getting to know the culture of the club. The potential is simply huge and everything I've heard about the club and Munich has been entirely positive. One reason I wanted to come here is that I'd never heard so many good things from former players. All my Swedish teammates from the national team enjoyed their time here."
Head coach Alexander Straus: "Pernille and Magdalena are two top players with a lot of experience. They've won several trophies, participated in many big tournaments, at club level and also on the international stage with their national teams. They're a perfect addition to our team and bring even more quality to our talented squad. They'll take us to the next level. We're very excited about this."
Check out the reaction to signing Harder and Eriksson in our video:
Pernille Harder played for VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga from 2017 to 2020 before moving to Chelsea in the Women's Super League. The Denmark international scored 105 goals in 114 competitive matches for Bayern's long-standing rivals, and was voted "UEFA Women's Player of the Year" in 2018 and 2020. In addition, Harder was the first non-German player to receive the "Women's Footballer of the Year in Germany" award in 2020.
For Magdalena Eriksson, Bayern Munich is her first club in the Women's Bundesliga in Germany. After six years in the Damallsvenskan, the Swedish top flight, the defensive specialist moved to Chelsea in the Women's Super League in 2017. There, Eriksson developed into a team leader and captained the Blues from the 2019/20 season onwards. In 2020, the 29-year-old won the Diamantbollen, or Diamond Ball, the award for Sweden's best female footballer.
Magdalena Eriksson will wear the number 5 at FC Bayern, while Pernille Harder will sport the number 21 on her jersey.
Profile: Introducing Bayern's new signing Pernille Harder.
Topics of this article