According to one report, FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is still on the transfer radar of Bayern Munich. However, if the Bavarians truly (and there is a lot of doubt about on how true this report is) want De Jong, they will have to outduel Manchester United and Chelsea FC:
Paris Saint-Germain are no strangers to taking away a player from FC Barcelona and now the capital club could be eyeing another player heading into the summer of 2025.
Over the three years, the Parisians have made vital signings to bolster their midfield, bringing in the likes of Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz, and João Neves coming into the fold. However, could another midfielder be on the way?
SPORT reports that de Jong is focused on making his time in Barcelona a success. Although Manchester United, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich have all shown interest in him, PSG are also monitoring his situation closely. However, his main priority is to continue at Barça.
It seems like every year, there are de Jong rumors linking him away from Barcelona, but nothing occurs. Nonetheless, with his contract expiring in 2026, the Catalan side will need to decide whether to extend it or sell him next summer and secure a sum.
The Dutchman joined Barcelona in 2019, making 214 total appearances, scoring 17 goals, and registering 21 assists. The former Ajax man has also won one LaLiga title, one Copa del Rey, and one Supercopa de España.
As for how much the player will cost PSG should they pursue him, Transfermarkt puts de Jong’s value at €70 million.
At this point, it seems really unlikely that Bayern Munich would be in pursuit of De Jong. Barring Joshua Kimmich leaving or João Palhinha flaming out, it seems unlikely that Bayern Munich would spend the type of money required to get De Jong on another midfielder.
Manchester City is reportedly not entertaining the idea of selling prized striker Erling Haaland. However, Pep Guardiola’s club is looking to bring in a suitable backup — maybe someone like Juventus center-forward Dušan Vlahović:
Man City have no plans to sell Haaland and are instead looking for a new striker to provide some cover for the Norway international. Juventus hitman Dušan Vlahović is Pep Guardiola’s top target.
Bayern Munich’s scorching start has hit a little bit of a bump in the road, so this weekend’s match against Eintracht Frankfurt figures to be an important one.
No one — and we mean no one — wants to see the Bavarians enter this break on a three-game winless streak, so let’s get moving!
How does everyone feel about things? Let’s discuss the state of it all. This is what we have on tap for this episode of the Weekend Warm-up Show:
- Breaking down the Vincent Kompany conundrum — it is okay to criticize him as he goes along the path of figuring out how to make Bayern Munich the best possible team it can be. However, it is far too early to jump off the bandwagon (unless you want to pull the Charlie Day “Wild Card” move…which is always acceptable).
- An injury to Jamal Musiala has some fans holding their collective breath.
- Analyzing the German national team roster selections and how things might play out. Also, taking a look at who got left out from Germany’s squad.
- A show wrap up that includes some final thoughts headed into the weekend, plus an update on the Game of Thrones re-watch.
One player to watch during Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga match vs. Eintracht Frankfurt will be Omar Marmoush, who has been excellent this season for Die Adler:
Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, though it’s understood that he won’t be for sale until the next summer transfer window.
Christian Falk now notes that West Ham would be a ‘perfect club’ for the Egyptian international. However, the Liverpool-linked attacker is understood to be dreaming of a move to a top outfit like the Reds and Arsenal.
“West Ham are in need of a young striker and, in the end, their ability to sign Omar Marmoush will come down to a question of money. Frankfurt are not prepared to sell the player in January, however, and have set a €40-50m price tag for the next summer window,” the BILD reporter told CaughtOffside.
“Smaller clubs like Nottingham Forest (who unsuccessfully bid €30m this summer) and Fulham, who did hold interest in the player in the prior window, were ultimately not considered viable options for Marmoush to leave Frankfurt behind. That said, West Ham would have a chance next summer. Though, it shouldn’t go unsaid that Marmoush still dreams of playing for top Premier League clubs like Liverpool or Arsenal.
“I don’t think, at the moment, he’s a striker made for the big six in England, but West Ham would be a perfect club for him. Meanwhile, he’s performing very well in Germany and tops the Bundesliga scoring chart ahead of Harry Kane.”
Newcastle United is looking to ink Alexander Isak to a contract extension before Arsenal FC or Chelsea FC can make an attempt to grab him:
Newcastle United want Alexander Isak to sign a new contract amid fears Arsenal or Chelsea could reignite their interest in the striker.
Bayern Munich is coming off of two games without a win and will be looking to add three points to its total with a tough matchup on the road against Eintracht Frankfurt.
After earning a 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen and dropping a 1-0 decision to Aston Villa in the Champions League, Bayern Munich will seek to see its vaunted attacking group get back to its high-scoring ways.
That could prove to be a difficult task against a talented and dangerous Eintracht Frankfurt side, who is currently sitting in second place, just a point behind Bayern Munich. This is what we have on tap:
- Why this match will tell us a lot about both teams.
- A look at where each team is in the table and the recent form of each squad.
- A look at the rosters and injuries for Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
Sensing the vultures circling around prized midfielder Merlin Röhl.
The 22-year-old just signed a contract extension with SC Freiburg a few weeks ago and is also battling a syndesmosis ligament tear. Still, Liverpool seems to be kicking the tires on the youngster, but will reportedly stop short of trying for a January move:
Merlin Röhl, Freiburg’s ‘little Messi’, is understood to have caught the eye.
Liverpool could yet try to sign the Bundesliga midfielder in the summer transfer window provided all goes well with his recovery from a severe ankle ligament tear.
“I don’t think a Liverpool move for Merlin Röhl will happen in January. First off, he’s injured at the moment,” Christian Falk informed CaughtOffside.
“It was my story at BILD that first shared details of the Reds’ interest. Freiburg reacted very fast, as they were fully aware of Liverpool’s interest. So, they handed him a new contract on September 18. This is a particularly interesting point, as Freiburg have been very secretive about the length of the contract agreed. So, you see that Liverpool’s interest has made them very nervous.
“Röhl’s a very good player who’s also featuring with Germany’s youth team. Some call him ‘young Messi’; he’s not quite the same player but sometimes, yes, such skills come to the fore. I think Liverpool are watching him for the future and will see how he comes back from injury. He’s definitely a topic for the future – not for the winter window, but, if he recovers well, perhaps Liverpool will try again in the summer. Ultimately, Freiburg can’t offer the kind of contract that would withstand an offer from Liverpool.”
FC Barcelona could be toying with the idea of loaning our prized youngster Ansu Fati this winter:
Barcelona are willing to loan out Ansu Fati in January if they are able to replace the winger, according to Diario Sport.
The 21-year-old is looking to reignite his career after a disappointing loan at Brighton & Hove Albion last term. Agent Jorge Mendes looked into possible new clubs in the summer, but a deal couldn’t be agreed which suited all parties.
Ansu had an injury in preseason and has only played 28 minutes this term — 26 of those coming with the Blaugrana already four goals up in their 5-0 win against Young Boys in midweek. The club have decided that Ansu needs to go out on loan for the second half of the campaign so that he can get minutes and find a rhythm.
Barca had decided to keep Ansu because it was difficult to find another winger who could fit into their salary limit. Sporting and financial aspects will be taken into account in November, when the club will make the decision on Ansu’s future, but they will only let him leave if a replacement can be found.
Bayern Munich’s second Champions League match of the campaign was no cake walk.
The Bavarians battled Aston Villa, but fell short in a 1-0 loss that was the first loss of the season for the Bavarians. There is a lot to talk about, so let’s get to it. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A look at the starting XI and why there were some reasons to raise an eyebrow over the starters.
- A rundown of the substitutes and scoring.
- Bayern Munich scuffled in the first half despite controlling possession. What worked? What didn’t?
- What we learned from this match about Bayern Munich.
