FC Barcelona could be eyeing a unique set of transfers by targeting Bayern Munich midfielders Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka:
According to journalist Jordi Gil from SPORT, Barcelona are currently keeping a close eye on Bayern Munich’s midfielders Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, as well as Paris Saint-Germain’s Fabian Ruiz, for potential reinforcement in the midfield.
With the club’s financial situation expected to improve next season, it has been suggested that Barça may have more flexibility in the transfer market soon. Interestingly, their attempts to sign a top-class pivot have not been successful so far. Their efforts to secure players like Kimmich or Mikel Merino have not worked out. However, the possibility of pursuing Kimmich remains open. The German star has not renewed his contract with Bayern Munich and will be a free agent by the summer of 2025.
This could present a golden opportunity for Barcelona to make a move, especially if Bayern fail to reach a renewal agreement with the player. Hansi Flick would be more than happy to have Kimmich back in the squad. The midfielder has returned to his central role this season after spending years as a right-back. His versatility and ability to adapt to different attacking roles make him an ideal candidate for Barça’s midfield.
Meanwhile, Goretzka’s situation at Bayern Munich is also uncertain. His contract runs until 2026, but if no renewal takes place this summer, Bayern might consider transferring him. Flick is keen on the idea of bringing Goretzka into the fold, though Bayern seem unclear about his future at the club.
Manchester United had been considering signing free agent midfielder Adrien Rabiot and now it knows exactly how much it will take to get him:
Manchester United have been told they will need to pay Adrien Rabiot a weekly wage of £220,000 in order to sign him as a free agent. Arsenal have also been linked but they too have been put off by such demands.
Per Football Insider (via 90Min.com), the wages might be too high for the Red Devils to ink the Frenchman:
Man Utd are also unlikely to bring in free agent midfielder Adrien Rabiot due to his hefty wage demands.
Bayern Munich is back in action this weekend after the international break — and man, it is good to have the Bundesliga back in tow.
We’ll talk about the excitement for more BuLi ball and whole lot more on this episode. This is what we have on tap:
- Chuck talks about the choppiness of this opening schedule and the return of the Bundesliga after the international break, before jumping directly into the latest controversy surrounding Didi Hamann’s comments regarding Jamal Musiala. Is Hamann correct in saying that Musiala is “Individualistic”?
- Can Bayern Munich weather the storm and get a deal with Musiala done? If so, how does a potential pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and the eventual return of Paul Wanner work?
- Is Hansi Flick eyeing a unique double-dip into Bayern Munich’s roster for the summer of 2025 transfer window?
When hunting for a new coach last spring, Bayern Munich was linked to Zinedine Zidane. At the time, it was assumed that learning German or coaching in English would be two things that would preclude such a move. As it turns out, those reports were probably correct:
One report indicates that Bayern Munich would like to bring in Marc-André ter Stegen, but the goalkeeper does not want to leave FC Barcelona:
Bayern Munich would like to sign Marc-André ter Stegen as a long-term successor to Manuel Neuer, but he has no interest in leaving Barcelona.
Bayern Munich will be back in action this weekend and will be facing Holstein Kiel.
As you might recall, Bayern Munich was unceremoniously bounced by Holstein Kiel in the DFB-Pokal during Hansi Flick’s final season with the club (FCBayern.com):
Bayern have a score to settle with Kiel from the only previous competitive encounter. That came in the second round of the 2020/21 DFB Cup when a 6-5 defeat on penalties saw the holders knocked out by the then Bundesliga 2 side in wintery January conditions at the Holstein-Stadion.
Even with Holstein Kiel struggling with its promotion, this should be a fun match for fans to soak in after the international break. Let’s take a look at what we have on tap for this episode:
- A look at where each team is in the table and the recent form of each squad.
- What to watch for with Holstein Kiel.
- A remembrance of the #ArpTrain movement (RIP).
- A look at Bayern Munich’s injury situation.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman might know where he wants to play next:
Kingsley Coman was at the center of transfer rumors all summer, with both FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly eyeing him. However, the player has another preferred destination.
Barcelona’s manager, Hansi Flick, who previously coached Coman at Bayern Munich, and PSG, Coman’s boyhood club, both have strong ties to the player, which could explain their interest.
While Barcelona and PSG are the loudest suitors for the player who is under contract until 2027, the Frenchman reported wants a move to England. Last month, L’Equipe journalist Loïc Tanzi stated that Liverpool was one of the teams keen on the player.
According to AS (h/t TuttoJuve), Coman remains available for sale. The French winger intends to leave Bayern Munich, but only for the Premier League. The Bavarian club expects offers next January: if a suitable amount comes in, they will not hesitate to accept it.
Last season, Coman made 27 appearances for Bayern Munich, scoring five goals and recording three assists. Coman left PSG in 2014 and joined Juventus, but he was loaned out to Bayern Munich in 2015 and has been with the German giants ever since.
Real Madrid looks like it has wrapped up goalkeeper Andriy Lunin:
⚪️ Real Madrid and Andriy Lunin have reached an agreement on new deal valid until June 2028.
Current deal was due to expire in June 2025 but after staying at the club this summer, Lunin will sign new deal as @marca reports.
It’s expected to be official soon, per @jfelixdiaz. pic.twitter.com/Gm7OA3n0jx
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 11, 2024
The Germany national team and the Netherlands battled to a 2-2 draw at Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam that left a lot of German fans unfulfilled.
It was a game of “could have”, “should have” and — while not wholly unexpected — definitely frustrated fans of Die Mannschaft.
BFW’s Marclk made his solo podcast debut to break down the match, so give it a listen as he covers everything from A to Z that went down in a match that many likely feel should have had a much different outcome.
Well, at least we all have Bayern Munich ready to strike back into action this weekend. It could be a whole lot worse!
Former Borussia Dortmund left-back Nico Schulz has landed on a new squad — MKE Ankaragücü, who plays in the Turkish second division club. This comes just four years after Schulz, a former German national team selection, moved from Hoffenheim to BVB for €25.5 million.
If you are wondering how Schulz’s career went so off the rails, it was due to a domestic abuse incident:
Schulz was also absent from team training for a long period of time after his former partner filed a criminal complaint against him for various cases of domestic violence. The proceedings for grievous bodily harm were dropped last February due to a lack of evidence, and Schulz had to donate 150,000 euros to charitable organizations. He had also paid his ex-partner an undisclosed amount in damages prior to the trial.
During his “off year” Schulz trained with SV Babelsberg 03:
For Schulz, who was unable to find a club in Germany and whose training with regional league club SV Babelsberg 03 recently caused a lot of discontent among fans, Ankaragücü is the first stop abroad. The twelve-time national player played 61 games (one goal) for BVB, most recently on May 7, 2022.
Erling Haaland wants a release clause place into his next deal:
Erling Haaland has demanded a release clause of €120m (£101.3m) in talks over a new contract with Man City, who are reluctant to meet his demands amid fears other clubs could easily meet that figure.
Once again, a Bayern Munich star has been snubbed from a major award shortlist. Yes, that’s right — Jamal Musiala hasn’t made it onto France Football’s top Ballon d’Or Top 30. The longstanding agenda against Bayern Munich continues. Ribéry 2013, Neuer 2014, Lewandowski 2020, 2021 … and now this.
Paul Wanner has been incredible for Heidenheim this season so far, and is starting to turn heads. The player might even receive a call up to the German National team soon. This could bode really well for Bayern Munich, who would be looking to replace the footballing legend that is one Thomas Müller.
Meanwhile, Florian Wirtz has also been tearing it up for Germany alongside teammate Jamal Musiala. This leaves Bayern with a lot to ruminate on for the coming transfer windows. And gives us a lot to talk about in this flagship episode.
In this episode, Schnitzel and Ineednoname discuss the following topics:
- Jamal Musiala’s snub from the Ballon d’Or shortlist.
- How much these awards matter for the club’s standing and attracting top players.
- Musiala’s stellar form for Germany.
- Florian Wirtz’s performances for Germany.
- Florian Wirtz or Paul Wanner?
- Would Wanner be the perfect Müller replacement?
- INNN and Schnitzel agree on multiple things (WHAT?!!!)
