Amid change at FC Barcelona, Frenkie de Jong could become the odd-man out. Of course, Bayern Munich and Manchester United — two longtime admirers of the Dutchman — could be there to swoop in and grab him:
Barcelona need to make at least a couple of important sales in order to address their financial situation. De Jong is seen as an important player, but at the same time, his market value and the interest he is garnering, make him an appealing candidate to be sold.
Manchester United continue to retain an interest in the Netherlands international while Bayern Munich also seem keen. De Jong has been out injured since weeks and if rumours about his future are true, the Dutchman may already have played his last game for Barcelona.
With Vincent Kompany coming in, it will be interesting to see which players are affected (both coming in and going out). If De Jong is available and Bayern Munich decides to pursue him, there would seem to have to be a fallout from the move.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer talked over how he has evolved over the years.
“I would say that 1716699968 maybe I am a bit calmer and I am more disciplined in my actions, though it always depends on the teammates we have, who is playing, how do I have to adjust as the goalkeeper, what game plan we have, what does the coach want, how high is the line how are we defending, how do we want to play out from the back? At the start [with Schalke], I’d say I was a bit wilder – I didn’t have this sense of calm, and maybe the charisma as well,” Neuer said. “It’s obviously been a long time since then when you look back on it. It’s also very normal, given that I’m now 38, that I’ve developed a fair bit since then. But it’s nice to cast your mind back to those days, and how things were at that time.”
Jürgen Klinsmann thinks Bayer Leverkusen’s double qualifies them for having one of the best club seasons ever.
“Yeah, I would say so. Obviously, if you ever have a run throughout the entire season unbeaten that is already happening very rarely. It happened to Arsenal many years ago. It is something very special and nobody expected it really. But in a certain way now looking at it in the past couple of years, how they have built with the football players, they were very lucky with Xabi Alonso, how he connected with the club so well. Still a very young coach and connected with that younger generation so that communication seems just perfect,” said Klinsmann. “But the team was built over the years by Rudi Voller, who is now the sporting director of the German FA. Step by step they found one piece after another and some talent that nobody could have expected would rise to the level of a Jude Bellingham. With Florian Wirtz, they have a talent who could be one of the big surprises of this European Championship. They brought [Granit] Xhaka in from Arsenal and he fitted in as the leader of that group in the midfield, running the entire show there.
“They have a strong defensive line so it just feels like it is all falling into place. The puzzle that they created and put together over the last four or five years now, has come together to the highest level possible and made this run possible. It is a fantastic story, a fairytale story that they are still living and we are all curious now how they will finish it off.”
Bayern Munich’s season might be over, but its offseason is already in full swing.
The coaching search could be over, the roster overhaul could be starting, and fans can only sit and wait for everything to play out.
What do we do in the meantime? Let’s discuss it all!
This is what we have on tap for the episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- Bayern Munich seems very close to hiring Vincent Kompany (where have we heard that before? Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralf Rangnick, Hansi Flick, Thomas Tuchel Roberto De Zerbi…) and why this time, fans should take it very seriously without feeling like Charlie Brown trying to kick that damn football.
- The positives of hiring Kompany — his playing experience, his ability to relate to players, his style preferences match Bayern Munich’s ideals.
- The negatives — no competitive big game experience, has never coached in major competitions for a high profile club, his locker room command might not jibe with the egos and personalities in Munich, and he just got RELEGATED. All that, plus Bayern Munich cannot afford to miss…again…on this hire.
- What’s the Weekend Warm-up’s verdict? Well, this might be a little risky.
- Aside of that, Chris Führich and Theo Hernandez could be on their way to Bavaria, while Jamal Musiala could be on his way out in 2025.
This guy…man, what a response on so many levels:
Tavaris…my man…you are a legend.
Manchester United’s Raphaël Varane might have Real Madrid, Chelsea FC, and Juventus taking a close look at him:
The entourage of Raphaël Varane have held informal talks with Real Madrid over a return to the Santiago Bernabeu, but Los Blancos do not appear to be interested in a reunion. Varane will leave Man Utd when his contract expires this summer.
Though Varane is unlikely to return to Real Madrid, he is a target for Chelsea, Juventus and Al Nassr.
When asked who his idols were growing, Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala did not have to think for too long.
“Without a doubt, (Lionel) Messi and Ronaldinho. I watched dozens and dozens of videos of them. I also had a (Zinedine) Zidane shirt when I was very little, number 10 of the French national team,” Musiala said. “I admired (Messi) a lot and he always fascinated me. I grew up watching Leo and Neymar. They were my favorites because they entertained me a lot and brought a lot of joy to the game. I always stopped to watch them: Leo scoring goals or Neymar doing those tricks with the ball. Then I would go to the garden and try to imitate them. I was always a fan of them.
“I am a reserved person, I don’t like to talk a lot or give many interviews. On the pitch, I always want the ball, to touch it a lot. I feel good that way. I think my true personality comes out on the pitch. In reality, I am an open person and even more so over the years. Sometimes I can be quiet on the pitch, but I always try to ask for the ball and tell my teammates exactly what I want.”
In about a week, Bayern Munich have become the laughing stock of the football world. Going all-in on trying to keep Thomas Tuchel for another year only to be rejected, and then finishing third in the Bundesliga after a devastating defeat to Hoffenheim — it’s the lowest point this club has seen in well over a decade.
Since Tuchel is now gone, it’s time to start blaming the people actually responsible for this circus. The board needs to answer for what is happening at this club.
In this episode, INNN and Samrin discuss the following:
- This is how the banter era starts.
- Tangent: Is Manuel Neuer finished? Probably not.
- How a lack of leadership at the top level has led to this current situation.
- Why people should have seen this coming.
- How this current coaching circus makes it even harder to find a new coach.
- What trying to keep Thomas Tuchel at the last minute says about the board.
- Why doesn’t Bayern Munich want to bring back Hansi Flick?
- Discussing the pros and cons of a potential Flick return.
- Some other final candidates, like Erik ten Hag (ew), Allegri (eww), and Mourinho (ewww).