Bayern Munich could have stiff competition from FC Barcelona and Real Madrid for Bayer Leverkusen center-back Jonathan Tah:
In the last summer, the strongest area of the FC Barcelona team was the center of the defense. The Blaugranes had a surplus of players in this position, with Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, Inigo Martinez, Eric Garcia, Clement Lenglet, and Pau Cubarsi all present in the squad for the two positions in the center of the defense.
However, Ronald Araujo was injured during the Copa America, and Andreas Christensen was also injured at the very start of the season. Jules Kounde had to play mostly as a right-back after Cancelo’s departure, and Clement Lenglet left on loan for Atletico Madrid.
Eric Garcia has been playing more as a midfield pivot this season, and Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi have been the players to play at the center of the defense this season.
While some of the injured players are expected to return to action in the coming few months, Barcelona are still being linked with other defenders in the market. One such defender is the Bayer Leverkusen center-back Jonathan Tah, whose contract with the German club is set to expire next summer.
However, while the Catalans can sign him for free, they will not be able to sign him easily. This is particularly the case as Fichajes reports that Real Madrid are also keeping their sights on the experienced defender, after having tasted success with similar operations in the past for David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger.
The Merengues are looking to bolster their defense after the season-ending injury suffered by Dani Carvajal. Similarly, David Alaba has also not yet returned after his ACL tear, and Eder Militao has also been facing physical problems since last season.
Meanwhile, some Premier League clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, and West Ham United have also made inquiries for the €30m-rated center-back. However, a recent report from SPORT indicated that Bayern Munich and Barcelona are the frontrunners for his signature, despite interest from several Premier League teams who have also reached out to his representatives.
Even though Bayern Munich will likely need a center-back or two next summer, it would not be the worst thing in the world if Real Madrid or FC Barcelona out-bid the Bavarians for Tah.
Freshly-minted FC Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has recently come under fire for…smoking:
Wojciech Szczesny recently reversed his retirement decision to join Barcelona, but he is not about to change how he lives his personal life, and that includes smoking.
After Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a long-term injury, Barcelona convinced the former Juventus keeper to sign as a free agent. Szczesny doesn’t believe that what he does off the pitch should be of any interest to anyone.
“There are things that I don’t change in my personal life and it’s nobody’s business if I smoke. I believe that it doesn’t affect what I do on the pitch, I work twice as hard,” Szczesny told Mundo Deportivo in an interview.
“I don’t do it in front of kids because I don’t want to have a bad influence on them. Sometimes somebody will take a photo from the trees where I have a cigarette, that’s on them, not on me.
“If somebody thinks that I will change the way I am in my personal life they can think again because I am who I am. I’ve been this way my whole life.”
Well, you know what they say…where there’s smoke…there’s fire.
Anyway, given his penchant for lighting up an occasional heater, shouldn’t he have considered linking up with Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid?
Bayern Munich is on break, but that does not mean that there is not a lot to talk about.
We have a lot to discuss on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show, so let’s get right down to it:
- A look at where each position group stands for Bayern Munich at this break. What’s working, what’s not, what we should keep an eye on moving forward.
- Breaking down “The Kompany Rules.”
- Talks are going well with Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala — let’s talk about where things stand.
- The return of the Entertainment Rundown — I delved into The Penguin…let’s discuss.
Manchester United, Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, and Liverpool FC could be vying for Eintracht Frankfurt attacker Omar Marmoush:
Omar Marmoush could emerge as an important target for some of the Premier League heavyweights as scouts watch the Egyptian in action.
According to Caught Offside, scouts from many top Premier League sides are monitoring Omar Marmoush, as some were present during Eintracht Frankfurt’s clash with Bayern Munich. Arsenal are one of those keen on the Egyptian striker, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United also in the mix.
Bayern Munich’s trip to face Eintracht Frankfurt was billed as a top-of-the-table clash, and it did not disappoint. In what was a topsy-turvy clash, Frankfurt snatched a late equaliser to settle the game at 3-3, with their Egyptian striker Omar Marmoush proving his big credentials.
Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all keen on the striker, while Chelsea are also in the mix. These sides are looking for a new striker in future windows, with one likely to arrive in the summer, as January deals will be a bit difficult and expensive.
Frankfurt are reportedly open to selling Marmoush for around €40 million, which would fit the budgets of those English sides. The 25-year-old wants to explore a Premier League move, which will come in handy if he continues with his good performances throughout the season.
Eintracht Frankfurt has liked what it has seen from defender Rasmus Kristensen and wants to work with Leeds United to make his loan permanent:
Eintracht Frankfurt are keen on signing on-loan Leeds United defender Rasmus Kristensen permanently, reports Sky Sports Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg.
The Bundesliga side’s hierarchy are believed to be pleased with the impact the 27-year-old has made there so far, and they are willing to activate the option clause in the loan deal which is reported to be worth between €10m and €12m.
Well, Bayern Munich is on break, so that means that the German national team takes center stage for the time being.
What better way to dive into what is going on with the squad and its preparation for the upcoming games than with the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show?
Germany has a litany of injuries to deal with as the following players will miss this set of games: Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, RB Leipzig’s David Raum and Benjamin Henrichs, FC Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen, Arsenal FC’s Kai Havertz, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Robin Koch.
Meanwhile Jamie Leweling, Tim Kleindienst and Jonathan Burkardt all received their first call-up. Robin Gosens and Kevin Schade are back as well…and Bernd Leno actually turned down a chance to join the team.
Clearly, this will look a lot different than it did last month. Let’s take a look at what we have for this combo Preview Show:
- Assessing where the roster stands with all of the injuries and absences.
- Why Julian Nagelsmann is going to get tested during this set of games.
- A look at the position groups and who could get a chance to stand out.
- Predictions on each match.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Milan Škriniar is unhappy with his playing time and could be made available in January:
Milan Skriniar has confirmed he’s not happy with current game time at PSG and there are concrete chances for his exit already in January.
Juventus can only be interested in case PSG open the doors to loan move. More clubs are also keen. pic.twitter.com/Z14YJP3wmU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 10, 2024
In the past, Bayern Munich has been linked to Škriniar. With the backline being iffy at best these days, would the Bavarians consider a winter swoop for the 29-year-old?
Paul Pogba is likely never going to suit up for Juventus again (at least as of now) and could be open to a move to MLS:
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is open to a move to MLS or the Saudi Pro League, reports Calciomercato. Pogba, 31, is set to return to training in January after his four-year ban for doping was reduced to 18 months, and it is expected that the Bianconeri will look to move him on due to his €10m per season salary.
Former Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui will miss some time after undergoing precautionary surgery for a heart issue:
As the Bundesliga heads into another early international break, things are starting to take shape. In this episode of ‘The Bundesliga Rundown,’ we dive into Matchday 6, featuring another showdown between the league’s top two teams.
Marcus shares his thoughts on Bayern Munich’s winless run, why Eintracht Frankfurt remains one of the most exciting teams to watch, and why Wolfsburg is performing better than their current league position suggests.
Additionally, Marcus will cover:
- Why Bayern fans shouldn’t be too concerned about the recent winless run.
- Is Omar Marmoush and Hugo Ekitike the most exciting attacking duo in the Bundesliga? Or is it Jonas Wind and Mohamed Amoura?
- Plus, a look at the vibrant, often overlooked football in Germany’s lower divisions.
