Daily Schmankerl: Conflicting reports — is Manchester United in or out on Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies; Erling Haaland set to leave Manchester City for Real Madrid in 2027?; Fake news on Joshua Zirkzee wanting to leave Manchester United?; and MORE!

Alphonso Davies did not have a banner day vs. FC Barcelona in the Champions, but was it enough to scare off Manchester United? Maybe:

Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies received some strong criticism after a poor display for the club in their 4-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League last night.

One imagines there’ll be a few names on United’s list in that position, so maybe Davies isn’t the only one, and it will be interesting to note if clubs take notice of his harsh rating from Bild, as cited by the Daily Mail.

The report quotes Bild as describing Davies as ‘defensively mediocre’ – and that’s certainly not the kind of thing that’ll impress any United scouts who might have been watching.

Davies can certainly do better than this, so might benefit from playing at a different club and under a different manager, with the jury still out on Vincent Kompany, who was a surprise appointment as Bayern manager in the first place.

The Belgian tactician was relegated with Burnley last season, though he’s long been respected and highly regarded in the game, and it seems that convinced Bayern to gamble on him, though it remains to be seen how much longer they’ll stick with the former Manchester City captain.

However, Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg thinks that the Red Devils are actually getting more serious about the Canadian:

Manchester United’s interest in Alphonso #Davies is becoming more concrete ✔️

#MUFC have been gathering extensive information on Davies for several days. The 23y/o would be a desired transfer for the vacant left-back position, as recently revealed.

In recent months, Manchester United have already made an informal inquiry with the player’s camp.

At present, there are no new talks about a contract extension with FC Bayern. Davies could leave the club as a free agent next summer.

Manchester City star Erling Haaland had long been rumored to have interest in a move to Real Madrid, but it was thought that the arrival of Kylian Mbappé at the club might ruin that desire.

Maybe not:

Erling Haaland is interested in signing for Real Madrid after he leaves Manchester City, with his contract set to expire in 2027.

How about…no?

Bayern Munich ran the gamut of emotions from “We’re back!” during a 4-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart to “Oh, no!” after getting dismantled 4-1 by FC Barcelona in the Champions League.

So, we are here to address all of it and why waste any more time in bantering? Let’s get to it. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:

• Where can Bayern Munich go from here? What should fans feel good about.
• Yes, Bayern Munich can run the table in the Champions League — League Phase.
• In an odd way, FC Barcelona taught us all how important Aleksandar Pavlović is to this team.
• Despite some recent poor performances, Vincent Kompany is shielding his players from the heat.
• What should fans be concerned about?
• Reality is hitting about the career shelf-life for Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller.
• João Palhinha might not be as good as advertised, but give him time.
• Tough decisions are going to need to be made soon on the wing and center-back positions.
• Oh…and about that report from Christian Falk on internal “debate” over Kompany’s tactics. Let’s discuss that…

Former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick is not ready to change his style, even if it sometimes put his backline in a tough spot:

Flick was quizzed about the team’s commitment to the high-press philosophy, and here is what the German coach had to say. As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, here is what he had to say:

“We have many coaches who are paying attention to this, but it is our philosophy to press as much as possible with and without the ball. We need to get closer to being a compact unit and not leave spaces between lines.”

“What we’ve done is great, especially in the second half against Bayern. It’s not easy to train, and we will have to adapt and balance the loads so that the training sessions aren’t too intense. The players are doing wonderfully, and they have adapted and are adjusting to the match.”

“I believe in the team, and we have many qualities, and that’s what we want to see. Everyone is playing at their best and supporting each other. When we are united, it is our greatest strength.”

As of now, it is hard to argue with Flick’s results. What this looks like in May, however, will be more important than Barca’s record right now.

Just a few days ago, rumors had been floating that Joshua Zirkzee was already thinking about leaving Manchester United. Sky Sport’s Florian Plettenberg says those rumors are false:

Been told that Joshua #Zirkzee does not intend to leave Manchester United in winter ✔️

The 23y/o believes in his qualities, wants to establish himself, and sees himself as the number one striker. #MUFC

Rumors about his intention to leave the club are fake news, according to sources.

Tuttosport (via 90Min.com), however, is sticking with its story and says Juventus could be a destination for Zirkzee:

Juventus have emerged as the most likely loan suitors for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, who has struggled to settle at Old Trafford since his move from Bologna.

Bayern Munich will look to bounce back from its Champions League defeat at the hands of FC Barcelona with a Bundesliga game against a VfL Bochum squad that is in complete turmoil.

Will Bayern Munich play angry and show resilience or will they sulk and meander through an unmotivated effort against an inferior team? The feeling here is that the Bavarians are going to want to show…something. Heart? Energy? Whatever…Bayern Munich should be playing with a purpose and that will create issues for VfL Bochum.

This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show:

• Why VfL Bochum is the perfect “get right” game for Bayern Munich.
• 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 VfL Bochum and the Bayern Munich.
• A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
• A prediction on the match.

Rumored Bayern Munich transfer target Xavi Simons is going to be out of action for a few weeks after picking up an injury against Liverpool FC:

Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak could be eyeing a future elsewhere in England and Arsenal FC might be willing to give him a new home:

Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak has no plans to agree to a new contract which opens the door for a move to Arsenal, reports the Daily Mail.

The Sweden international is currently under contract with the Magpies until 2028, however, the report reveals that preliminary discussions towards the end of last season saw Isak reluctant to agree to a new deal. A major reason why Isak and his representatives were not keen to put pen to paper on a new deal was due to his ambition to play in the UEFA Champions League.

Those talks towards the end of last season have come to an end and that there are no current discussions over a fresh contract, with both the club and player believing a new contract is not required.

This news will be of interest to Arsenal, who have held an interest in the 25-year-old. The report claims that the Gunners would “likely be in a position to commit a British record sum” on Isak, with the north London giants keen to add to their forward options. Arsenal are in need of a recognised out-and-out striker, which could see the Gunners look to strike a deal for the Swede.

The 27-year-old has been one of Barça’s best players this year, starring with a hat trick in the 4-1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich, but there have been tough times since he joined from Leeds United in 2022.

Per talkSPORT (via 90Min.com), Isak also wants a release clause included in any deal that he might (or might not) sign:

Isak is stalling on signing a new Newcastle contract after demanding to become the club’s top earner. The Swede also wants a release clause to facilitate a future exit from the club, with Arsenal keeping a keen eye on the situation.

Bayern Munich travelled to Spain to take on FC Barcelona…but this was not your older brother’s Barca.

Hansi Flick had his team aggressive, creative, and relentless (shades of his tenure at Bayern Munich) and maybe most importantly, Flick had his squad prepared to take advantage of Bayern Munich’s iffy backline — and that is exactly what the Catalans did to snare a 4-1 victory.

Needless to say, there is a TON to talk about, so let’s do it. Here is what we have on tap for the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:

• A look at the starting XI.
• A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.
• Neither coach backed down from their aggressive tactics.
• Why Bayern Munich’s lack of awareness and discipline on the backline is (and has been a problem).
• Missing on Hansi Flick this summer is a decision that will continue to be rued.
• Yup, we are Frustrated, Inc.
• Where does Bayern Munich go from here?