On 14 July 2011, Bayern confirmed the transfer of Boateng to the German club for a fee of €13.5 million on a four-year deal. He was given the same number 17 shirt he wore at Manchester City and for most of his time with Hamburg. He made his debut on 27 July 2011 as a second-half substitute for Rafinha during the 2011 Audi Cup in a match against Milan. His Bundesliga debut for Bayern came in a 0–1 home defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach, on 6 August; an error between himself and fellow new signing goalkeeper Manuel Neuer allowed Igor de Camargo to score the only goal. The team finished the season as runners-up in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League, with Boateng playing the finals of the latter two tournaments in their entirety. He made 48 appearances during the 2011–12 season.