Neuer came from Schalke, a club with a hostile relationship to Bayern's ultras, and the transfer was greeted with banners rather than applause. The club went ahead anyway, replacing a long-serving goalkeeper in Jens Butt with a 25-year-old.
He kept goal for the 2013 and 2020 trebles, captained the side, and redefined the role by defending space far outside his box.
Why it worked: Bayern bought a position they did not obviously need to strengthen, on the judgement that goalkeeping itself was about to change.
On the fee
The figure above is a reported fee. Bayern, like most German clubs, do not confirm transfer amounts, so contemporary press reporting is the best available record and add-ons are rarely disclosed. Where a fee is disputed, this site says "reported around" rather than quoting a false precision.