Hugo Ekitike, Randal Kolo Muani, Omar Marmoush, Sebastian Haller, Luka Jovic, and the list of top strikers that German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt have managed to nurture and sell for top profits goes on. Though there are many clubs across Europe that have developed the reputation of producing some of the most talented footballers in the world, the story in the Bundesliga has made everyone in the football ecosystem stop and take notice.
Eintracht Frankfurt have generated a whopping profit of over 300 million euros over the last 6 years by just selling their strikers. The man behind this exemplary vision of signing young, talented players for a relatively cheap price and nurturing them into world beaters is Markus Krosche.
It was in 2017 that Krosche started his role as a Sporting Director after brief coaching stints with SC Paderborn and Bayer Leverkusen. It was as a Sporting Director that Krosche truly justified his football talents and earned respect all across the globe.
Markus Krosche, As Sporting Director:
SC Paderborn (2017-2019): Helping guide Paderborn from the 3. Liga to the Bundesliga, an unthinkable achievement for a club of that stature.
RB Leipzig (2019-2021): Though it was the now German national team manager, Julian Nagelsmann, who made headlines for the quality of football his RB Leipzig team played and the results they produced, Krosche was the man behind the incredible squad the club managed to build.
Leipzig didn't just build high-quality players but also sold some big ones like Dayot Upamecano and Marcel Sabitzer to Bayern Munich. His work helped Leipzig challenge Bayern's dominance, but Nagelsmann's departure derailed the project to a large extent.
Eintracht Frankfurt (2021-present): Since joining Frankfurt, Krosche has earned the tag of a 'transfer market genius'. The 44-year-old's work turned the club into a profit-making machine when it came to transfers. Be it the development of youth and profitability on transfer ins and outs, Krosche has navigated the football world like Magnus Carlsen on a chessboard.
Eintracht Frankfurt paid a combined €16.5M for Randal Kolo Muani, Omar Marmoush and Hugo Ekitike.
They sold them all for a combined €255M.
Unbelievable business from the Bundesliga club. pic.twitter.com/f7G8UyXxNZ
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) July 21, 2025
Some of his most successful transfer deals include the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Randal Kolo Muani and Omar Marmoush, who were later sold for tens of millions. Despite such significant sales, Eintracht Frankfurt has also managed to secure European qualifications on a regular basis. The club even won the Europa League in 2022.
Krosche's success as a Sporting Director has been such that some of the biggest clubs in the world, including the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, are reportedly monitoring him.
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