Is Real Madrid leading Bayern Munich in a pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen and Germany superstar Florian Wirtz? At least one report indicates as much:
Real Madrid lead the race to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025, though the German champions would not consider selling him for less than £130m.
Football España captured a report stating that Wirtz might not be keen on Real Madrid, though, and also that some Bayern Munich players might be trying to convince him to move to Bavaria:
Real Madrid are not rumoured to be an option for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.
Los Blancos are monitoring the German international, alongside other Bundesliga targets, as part of a long term strategy. However, despite previous reports indicating the pair were growing closer to an agreement, that does not appear to be the case.
Wirtz had been linked with a 2025 move to Madrid, to allow for another year of development in Leverkusen, before making the switch to the Spanish capital. However, German football expert Christian Falk has told CaughtOffside that a future transfer move is unlikely due to Wirtz’s preference to play for Bayern Munich.
There is not expected to be any immediate movement in Munich or Leverkusen, but staying in Germany is preferable for Wirtz, as part of his longer term plan. Current Germany and Bayern Munich players are rumoured to be encouraging him to make the switch, ahead of a move to join the current La Liga champions, if offered to do so.
Wirtz’s stock is only going to continue to rise. The feeling here is that he will push to make a move to Bayern Munich in 2025. If the Bavarians pair down their roster and salary budget this summer as has been rumored, Bayern Munich could be in a strong position to make a powerplay for Wirtz next year.
Of course, this will all depend on Wirtz deciding when he is ready for the next step of his career and Bayern Munich’s willingness to pay a nine-figure fee for the 21-year-old.
If Bayern Munich wants to continue down the boneheaded road of selling Matthijs de Ligt, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain could make a play for the Dutchman:
Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt could be on the move this summer as the Netherlands international’s name has been in the transfer rumor mill. Moreover, the 24-year-old is reportedly one of the names Paris Saint-Germain want to pursue to bolster their defense.
With PSG lurking around, Manchester United might be pushing to ensure they land the defender, who is under contract until 2027. Recently, Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany reported that the Red Devils have begun internal discussions about potentially signing de Ligt, which could cost around £42 million.
Moreover, the player will be allowed to leave Bayern Munich this summer in case of a suitable offer. According to CaughtOffside’s latest report, there’s mutual interest between the two clubs, revealed through intermediaries, to start negotiations.
However, direct contacts haven’t been established yet. Now, the ball is in Manchester United’s court to make a decisive move. Recently, the 24-year-old was asked about his future but noted that ahead of UEFA Euro 2024, it isn’t the time to discuss where he’ll be playing next season.
“I’ve already said this is not the time for me to think about it,” de Ligt said. “We’re playing at the Euros now and that’s very important for me and the national team.
“That’s why I can’t say now what I think about this situation. But what I can say is that I’ve now played my second season at Bayern – I’m very happy. For now I’m focused on the Euros and then we’ll see what happens.”
Germany kicked off its EURO 2024 campaign against Scotland in a match that had a palpable buzz.
It was the EUROs after all.
The Germans were able to thrash Scotland 5-1 and pick up a vital first win in what the team hopes to be a long and successful run on its home soil. As always, we have some takes on the match, so let’s get to it and discuss everything that happened on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A look at Julian Nagelsmann’s lineup vs. Scotland.
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.
- Some thoughts on the electric atmosphere and how it might have played a role in Scotland coming out so tentative.
- Appreciation for Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Toni Kroos, and Niclas Füllkrug.
- What looked great and what Nagelsmann might need to keep an eye on.
- Germany was dominant and we were impressed…were you?
Paris Saint-Germain is confident that it will be able to convince Xavi Simons to stay:
The Xavi Simons situation won’t be resolved until after UEFA Euro 2024, but where the rising star will play next season remains uncertain. Recent reports suggest that the 21-year-old won’t be sticking with Paris Saint-Germain next season and is poised for a third consecutive loan spell.
Simons made a name for himself this past 2023-24 season at RB Leipzig, playing 43 matches across all competitions. His impressive stats, including 10 goals and 15 assists, haven’t gone unnoticed, drawing interest from several prominent European clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
With PSG having another saga on their hands, CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Johnson weighed in on the issue, noting that manager Luis Enrique could be the deciding factor. If the coach can assure him of a major role, perhaps that might convince the player to stay.
“I mean, I don’t think that’s an ideal scenario because, at the end of the day, you don’t want to force somebody to be somewhere or buy into a situation against their will,” Johnson said on PSG Talking. “But also, at the same time, if there is a clear vision for him, you know, at the end of the day, he is the one who decided to accept the return to PSG and then the loan out to Leipzig.
“I don’t see why he would have such an issue if PSG turn around to him and say, right, we feel that you’re ready now. You’re going to be a key part of this from here on in. And like I said, it depends largely on how Luis Enrique sees it.”
The PSG player chatted with Eindhovens Dagblad and mentioned his focus is on the Euros, as the Netherlands looks like a dark horse contender in the competition.
“Right now, my focus is entirely on the tournament,” Simons told the outlet. “The intense competition in the German championship and the pressure we’ve faced have pushed my development to a new level.”
VfB Stuttgart is going to do everything in its power to keep Deniz Undav, but Brighton & Hove Albion might have an ace up its sleeve in Fabian Hürzeler:
⏳VfB Stuttgart planning the next steps in the negotiations for Deniz #Undav!
▫️Talks with Brighton are complicated and tough. Stuttgart have an option to buy worth around €20m, but Brighton have a direct buy-back option, which is higher than €20m. However, Brighton would… pic.twitter.com/z48lX0ls1f
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 15, 2024
⏳VfB Stuttgart planning the next steps in the negotiations for Deniz #Undav!
▫️Talks with Brighton are complicated and tough. Stuttgart have an option to buy worth around €20m, but Brighton have a direct buy-back option, which is higher than €20m. However, Brighton would not be allowed to resell him!
▫️Stuttgart’s major advantage is that Undav is 100% committed to staying with
@VfB
, and his management supports him in this!
However, Fabian #Hürzeler is determined to bring Undav back to Brighton!
Somehow, the weeks around here keep getting crazier.
Bayern Munich is a whirlwind of activity and the German national team is ready to kick off one of its most important tournaments in years.
Clearly, we have a lot to talk about, so let’s get to it on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- I’ve got a bad feeling about this…new regime. The current roster? The transfer plans? Something just does not feel right and the New World Order in Bavaria could be guiding Bayern Munich into an iceberg of failure.
- Is the front office purposely creating a leadership void to reboot the team’s mentality?
- Hiroki Ito is a good player, but does he make Bayern Munich better? What about Jonathan Tah? Will they be better than Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano?
- If Bayern Munich sells off De Ligt, it is incredibly dumb — especially if it is over money.
- Alphonso Davies looks like he could stay, while Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, and Serge Gnabry do not want to leave Bavaria…now what? Money could be an issue for all of these players as well.
- Here we go with Germany! Julian Nagelsmann’s legacy will start to be determined now. Did he already make a mistake by calling in Emre Can for Leon Goretzka?
After sacking Edin Terzic, Borussia Dortmund hired Nuri Sahin to take the reins:
Borussia Dortmund confirms Nuri Şahin as new Head Coach.
The former BVB player himself joined the coaching staff earlier this year and will now lead the team through June 2027. pic.twitter.com/aujDxwd9Vd
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) June 14, 2024
Bayern Munich could be making Crystal Palace attacker Michael Olise a priority at the behest of Vincent Kompany:
Chelsea, Newcastle United and Bayern Munich have all contacted Crystal Palace to register their interest in signing Michael Olise. Palace will only entertain offers of £60m (€71m) or more for the 22-year-old winger.
Olise has a release clause worth in the region of £60m and any deal will be complex, with percentages due to his former club Reading, Olise himself and Palace.
Bayern Munich’s offseason reload could be starting off in a big way as the club is planning on making a big splash immediately. In addition to that, there was a bizarre story put out by Sky Sport last week, which detailed six top players who could be sold this summer by the Bavarians.
Oh, and then there is the German national team and how things look after two friendlies. Yup, there is a lot to chat about, so let’s get to it. Here is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:
- A look at Bayern Munich’s rumored €40 million splurge on João Palhinha and what that might mean for the other midfielders on the roster.
- Delving into the six players who Sky listed as for sale this summer.
- Assessing where the German national team stands after underwhelming performances against Ukraine and Greece.