Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane toying with FC Barcelona future?; Arsenal to pounce on Lennart Karl?; Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund to each re-up two stars?; PSG to miss another star for Bayern showdown?; and MORE!
According to a report from Sport (via Semper Barca), Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane could consider joining FC Barcelona:
Harry Kane could become one of the most talked about players in the upcoming transfer window as the English striker is reportedly considering the possibility of joining FC Barcelona. The Bayern Munich striker has a €65 million release clause, making him one of the most promising world-class strikers available next summer.
According to SPORT, Kane’s representatives have already held conversations with several clubs, including some from Saudi Arabia. Despite these discussions, the player does not rule out continuing his adventure in Germany. However, Barcelona have already been informed of the terms of a possible transfer and are closely monitoring his situation.
FC Barcelona is once again exploring the idea of recruiting an experienced striker. The club’s previous gamble on Robert Lewandowski paid off when the Polish striker joined Bayern Munich and produced excellent results. Lewandowski’s contract is coming to an end and his recurring injuries suggest he may not continue beyond this season.
The Catalan club are evaluating different options for their attack, but their decision will largely depend on their financial situation and their ability to finally comply with La Liga’s 1:1 spending rule. Julian Alvarez remains their preferred option, even if his transfer fee is too high. They also identified younger players like Levante’s Etta Eyong as potential long-term prospects.
Kane’s salary could pose another challenge. He is currently reported to earn €25 million gross at Bayern Munich, a figure Barcelona could perhaps match, although Premier League clubs and Saudi sides are expected to offer much higher wages. Tottenham Hotspur are also reportedly keen to bring back their former captain, which could make the competition for his signature even tougher.
Despite this, Barcelona remains an attractive destination for Kane.
Right now, it seems hard to imagine Kane leaving Bayern Munich. The team is sensational, Kane dominates everyone and his family seems comfortable in Bavaria. If Kane were to leave Bayern Munich, it seems England would be the logical choice.
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There is, however, an attraction to FC Barcelona, and Hansi Flick is the kind of coach who would focus the entire attack around Kane. That might be enticing, but it still feels like if Kane actually moved anywhere (which seems very doubtful at the moment), it would be England.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “Well, I’m sure they’re hoping they can sign a player of Upamecano’s caliber on a possible free transfer this summer.
“Look, as you said, he is under contract at the Allianz Arena until the summer and discussions about a new deal are ongoing between Upamecano’s representatives and Bayern Munich.
“Bayern will hope they can persuade the France international to stay, but he will have plenty of options and there is no escaping it.
“At the moment it’s probably an open race for signing as there will be so many clubs willing to sign him on a free transfer if a new deal cannot be agreed.
“But Bayern are doing everything they can to convince the Frenchman to stay.”
This follows confirmation from club director Max Eberl that Bayern want Upamecano to extend his contract and have no plans to let him leave as things stand.
Bayern Munich picked up a great victory against Bayer Leverkusen and now head into a showdown with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Let’s discuss everything that’s currently happening with the club in this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show. Here’s what we have on hand:
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An introduction to Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and why today could be special for a number of teams.
Some of Vincent Kompany’s crazy ideas are paying off. The experiment with Tom Bischof at left-back helped achieve many goals and is one of the examples of how Kompany has built trust within the team.
News and notes from the General Assembly: Record turnover, re-election of Herbert Hainer as president and continued struggle to make waves internationally through marketing. Can Bayern Munich break through in other countries or does it require more effort from other Bundesliga teams to make the league more marketable?
Why have Bayern Munich and the championship itself struggled to break through abroad? Let’s explore.
Arsenal could be seduced by what they have seen from Bayern Munich phenomenon Lennart Karl:
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta should have money to spend in January if he wants to sign specific players immediately. However, as first reported here for the Daily Briefing, there won’t necessarily be a rush to spend more money in the upcoming winter transfer window, with the club thinking longer term.
Arsenal decided not to enter the market last January despite a major injury crisis, then ended up making numerous changes over the summer.
The Gunners remain in a good financial position, so there could be a decent budget for Arteta to work with, although it is too early to know for sure if the club will actively pursue anyone just yet.
I’ve been told of three long-term targets to watch out for, with Arsenal considering youngsters such as Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Bayern Munich’s Lennart Karl, although the latter is probably not too realistic.
The north London giants could also be in the mix for Barcelona’s Marc Casado, although it is not yet clear how realistic a deal is as Chelsea are believed to be further along in the race for his signature.
Apart from that, Arsenal will focus on new contracts for star trio Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice in the near future.
Borussia Dortmund is doing everything in its power to revive Karim Adeyemi and Nico Schlotterbeck:
Borussia Dortmund are negotiating new contracts for defender Nico Schlotterbeck and striker Karim Adeyemi, but whether a release clause should be included is a point of discussion in both situations.
It wouldn’t be a big shock to see either commit to Dortmund long-term, but both will have options. Bayern Munich, Liverpool and FC Barcelona are among the teams reportedly interested in Schlotterbeck.
Bayern Munich hosted Bayer Leverkusen in a match that had all the makings of a trap match.
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Of course, the Bavarians would have found it difficult to look beyond Die Werkselfbut a Champions League showdown against Paris Saint-Germain looms in a few days.
Clearly, the potential for disaster was there, but Bayern Munich managed to stay focused on the task at hand and claim a 3-0 victory over Bayern Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena.
Let’s talk about how it all played out in this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
A look at the selections in Bayern Munich’s starting lineup… who stood out, who struggled and more.
An overview of scores and substitutions as the match progresses.
A few final takeaways from the match.
Liverpool could look to flex their financial muscles further with new deals for Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai:
Liverpool plan to hand midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai new contracts.
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This could be a projection, but Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé might have received a blow hard enough to keep him out of Tuesday’s showdown with Bayern Munich:
Paris Saint-Germain managed to win 1-0 at home against OGC Nice in Ligue 1 thanks to their super-sub Gonçalo Ramos who perfectly celebrated his 100 appearances for the club. This victory is important and places the Parisians at the top of the championship, with only two points ahead of their rival, Olympique de Marseille in the standings.
Now the club will face Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich in a European heavyweight clash on Tuesday, a team who have gone unbeaten in their first 15 games this season. To face this difficult challenge, Luis Enrique and his team will have to do without Désiré Doué, who suffered another injury setback against Lorient in the frustrating 1-1 away draw in midweek.
According to French media outlet L’Equipe, the 28-year-old complained of severe thigh pain immediately after their win over Nice at the weekend, as he said during a conversation with PSG teammate Achraf Hakimi: “My thigh hurts, it hurts so much!” While the club’s medical staff are said to be closely monitoring the situation, a decision regarding his participation in the clash is expected to be made on Tuesday. It is therefore almost certain that the French international will not feature in the starting XI, even if he was present at training on Sunday and participated with his teammates.