Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies has been strongly linked to Real Madrid for months, but because of the team dynamics, it might be tough for Los Blancos to manage having the Canadian on the pitch:
Real Madrid have been linked to Bayern Munich star left back Alphonso Davies for well over a year, as he has been viewed as the priority transfer target at Real’s biggest position of need.
Heading into the summer 2025 transfer window, Davies and Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold are widely viewed as the main two transfer targets for Florentino Perez, who is seeing the writing on the wall at both fullback positions.
The left back spot has been a problem for the Merengues since Marcelo’s decline in 2019, and while Dani Carvajal was a legitimate Ballon d’Or candidate last season at right back, he suffered a torn ACL this season.
Real Madrid don’t have any depth at right back, as the current starter is right winger Lucas Vazquez, who doesn’t have a backup. Meanwhile, at left back, Real Madrid are coping with a revolving door of options; they’ve even used Eduardo Camavinga in relief of sub-standard starter Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia in the past.
Just as with Leny Yoro this past summer, Real Madrid are taking a risk that Davies wants to join them so badly that he’s willing to curve playing for another top club in order to wait to join Madrid for free.
Real Madrid desperately need a left back, and Davies and former Madrid man Theo Hernandez are the two best options available. Davies became a tougher get ever since Bayern started enjoying their football again at the top of the Bundesliga table, so Los Blancos need to be wary of missing out entirely on the Canadian now.
One interesting thing to consider with the Davies-to-Madrid rumors — is the current glut of left-sided attacking players (Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo) an issue for Davies? Sure, the Canadian is primarily known now as a left-back, but his propensity for getting far up in the pitch in an area that is already dominated by a number of other players an issue? Maybe.
Real Madrid is having some issues making it all work at the moment, so adding Davies, who is best known for his attacking forays into the final third, could complicate spacing on the field even more.
Even if something falls through between Davies and Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, and Manchester City could all be players for the 24-year-old.
Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Kingsley Coman were recognized by WhoScored.com for their performances against Union Berlin over the weekend:
Are Bayern Munich emerging as the clear favourites for the 2024/25 Bundesliga title? In this week’s Bundesliga Rundown, Marcus delves into this question and explains why Bayern fans should look beyond the recent 4-1 loss to FC Barcelona and embrace the journey under new head coach Vincent Kompany.
This episode also covers:
- Why Tim Kleindienst is quickly establishing himself as one of Germany’s top strikers.
- Why Marcus is setting aside Gerardo Seoane’s past to focus on a promising future for Borussia Mönchengladbach.
- A special Bundesliga Spotlight segment on the biggest DFB-Pokal upsets in history!
Despite some rumors to the contrary, former Bayern Munich II coach Sebastian Hoeneß could stay on at VfB Stuttgart, despite interest from Bayer Leverkusen and several Premier League clubs:
Sebastian #Hoeneß does not rule out staying beyond this season. He fully identifies with the club and the fans. However, his decision to stay largely depends on whether VfB Stuttgart’s squad will be competitive.
His contract with #VfB runs until 2027, with a release clause… pic.twitter.com/9ystYoekr7
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) November 4, 2024
Sebastian #Hoeneß does not rule out staying beyond this season. He fully identifies with the club and the fans. However, his decision to stay largely depends on whether VfB Stuttgart’s squad will be competitive.
His contract with #VfB runs until 2027, with a release clause of €7-8m for Bundesliga and international clubs, as revealed.
He is at the top of Leverkusen’s list, and Premier League teams are also showing concrete interest. A decision on Hoeneß’s future is expected between March and April 2025.
Paris Saint-Germain is a fan of Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford, but does not plan a pursuit of him until after the season:
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is unlikely to depart the club in January, reveals Football Insider. It has been reported that the 26-year-old could be set to leave Old Trafford after struggling for consistency under manager Erik ten Hag over the last couple seasons. The report reveals that while the likes of Paris Saint-Germain have held an interest in Rashford, it is not expected that any interested party will make an approach midseason.
Bayern Munich is red hot, but has a challenge this week as it prepares to face off with Benfica in the Champions League.
While that topic along could carry a whole show, Bayern Munich also found out that it will play Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal’s Round of 16 — which ensures one of Germany’s top teams will be going home early.
Needless to say, we have a lot to talk about, so let’s get to it. Here is what we have on tap for the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A quick synopsis of where things stand for both Bayern Munich and Benfica.
- A look at Bayern Munich’s potential starting XI.
- A prediction on the Champions League.
- Why Bayern Munich could be in trouble against Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal — and why Xabi Alonso might be ready to unveil something special to stop Bayern.
- Where things stand on the contract situations for Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sane, and Alphonso Davies…and what if all four are re-upped? Will the team be better or worse for it? Let’s talk about whether or not all four should be back.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi is a wanted man. Liverpool FC, Manchester City, and Real Madrid are all interested in the fleet-footed right-back:
All three of Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid have expressed interest in signing Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi.
Neymar was taken off with an injury again. The attacker has had no luck:
Bayern Munich is back and looking powerful, but can it last? A lot of that will depend on how the team continues to come together over the course of this season.
Given that, there are several key issues that could play out in the coming weeks, which could affect some lineup decisions. Let’s talk about all of that and more:
- Jamal Musiala seems more likely to extend his contract than ever. What does this mean for the squad planning process moving forward?
- If Leroy Sané is eventually unhappy at Bayern Munich this season, it looks like he will have the chance to skip town pretty easily.
- Are we witnessing the final months of Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer at Bayern Munich?
- The Entertainment Rundown.
