Daily Schmankerl: FC Barcelona, Manchester United to battle with Bayern Munich over Jonathan Tah?; Benjamin Šeško turned down Arsenal move; Hoffenheim makes manager change; Real Madrid phenom wants exit?; PSG star on the move; and MORE!

Bayer Leverkusen center-back Jonathan Tah almost joined Bayern Munich last summer before talks stalled.

Now, as a free agent in the summer of 2025, Tah could have more suitors than just Bayern Munich. Both FC Barcelona and Manchester United could be in the mix:

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona and Manchester United have already made contact over the possibility of signing Tah next year. The report explains that Barca and United see Tah as a solution to their respective defensive problems.

United signed two centre-backs in the summer as Matthijs de Ligt joined from Bayern Munich and Leny Yoro, who has yet to make a competitive appearance, after his incredible emergence at Lille. Tah’s consistent performances in the heart of Xabi Alonso’s defence have attracted the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The Germany international is an attractive option for any team looking to strengthen their defence due to his ability to read the game, his dominance in the air and his leadership qualities. Over the past two seasons, Tah has built a reputation as one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick reportedly wants to add his experience to the La Liga side’s defence.

Tah was heavily linked with a move away from Bayer Leverkusen after lifting the Bundesliga title. The defender agreed to personal terms with Bayern Munich and would have signed a five-year contract with them, however, the club failed to reach an agreement with Leverkusen over the player’s transfer fee which was set at €30m.

In Germany, clubs tend to roll over for Bayern, but not Leverkusen. Not last summer after beating the Bavarian giants to an unprecedented title. Speaking in September after the move fell through, Tah claimed that he was happy ton continue playing under Alonso.

“Of course, it’s exhausting when there’s such a back and forth,” Tah told Sky Sports. “I don’t want to lie, but in the end, I accept it. And as I also shared on social media: I’m completely here with my head.”

Some competition during this race might not be the worst thing. Perhaps it could lead Bayern Munich to explore other options.

RB Leipzig attacker Benjamin Šeško has been linked to Bayern Munich, but was considering a move to Arsenal FC last summer. The transfer hit a roadblock, though, because of the presence of Kai Havertz:

Red Bull Leipzig forward Benjamin Šeško was reluctant to join Arsenal last summer amid concerns he would be second-choice to Kai Havertz:

Sesko emerged as a key target for the Gunners during the previous transfer window but the 21-year-old stayed in the Bundesliga, signing a new contract with Leipzig.

Arsenal retain an interest in the Slovenia international, who has scored seven goals for his club so far this season.

However, Sesko, it is understood, gave serious consideration towards joining in the summer but held reservations over whether he would be a regular in the starting XI with the Gunners making clear he would not be guaranteed to play ahead of Havertz, who finished last season strongly as a central striker.

Arsenal were minded to pay his (Editor’s Note: Rumored release clause) release clause before Sesko’s initial hesitation became apparent.

Bayern Munich will ease into the break on a nice, little run of wins, so what better time to sit back and assess how things look at this stage.

There has been a lot of good, some bad, but a lot to discuss, so let’s get right to it on this edition of Bavarian Podcast Works. This is what we have on tap:

• Final thoughts on Bayern Munich vs. St. Pauli
• How should we feel about Bayern Munich at this point in the season?
• Has Jamal Musiala made the leap?
• Germany released its latest roster, so let’s dive into what this squad will look like for this week’s matches.

Some folks might point to Bayer Leverkusen or Borussia Dortmund as disappointing this season, but those clubs have at least been decent — just not as good as many predicted.

Hoffenheim, however, has been a mess and sacked coach Pellegrino Matarazzo:

Something has been “off” all season at Hoffenheim and while Matarazzo is a good coach, he was no longer reaching the locker room in a way that could help the team produce wins.

The squad is too talented to be sitting in 15th place. Now, it looks like the club has a top candidate in mind:

More on our excl. news: Talks between TSG Hoffenheim with Andreas Schicker and Christian #Ilzer (Sturm Graz) have already taken place ✔️

He’s the desired top candidate for Hoffenheim.

The announcement of the dismissal of Pellegrino Matarazzo is expected today.

Hoffenheim and Sturm Graz need to find an agreement. @SkySportDE

Later, the official announcement dropped:

Manchester United desperately wants to shake up its attack and could be looking at Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani:

Manchester United are one of four Premier League clubs interested in taking Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. The French forward is also on the radar of Arsenal, Manchester City and West Ham United.

According to Corriere dello Sport (via 90Min.com), United is also keeping a close eye on Lille’s Jonathan David, but could face competition from Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC:

The Red Devils are also positioning themselves in the race to Jonathan David from Lille, but Liverpool and Arsenal are also circling.

Bayern Munich faced recently promoted FC St. Pauli in a game everyone thought Bayern would run off with. But that wasn’t exactly the case. St. Pauli put up an incredible performance against Der Rekordmeister tonight, with a rock solid defense and a creative offense (something Bayern lacked) that they used to hold their own. After a hard fought game like tonight’s, there’s bound to be loads to analyze.

So let’s get right into it on this edition of our postgame show:

• A quick review of what was different tonight, and what it meant for the rest of the game
• A (mostly) critical analysis of Bayern’s midfield and offense, and why Leon Goretzka doesn’t start anymore
• FC St. Pauli’s surprisingly solid performance today on the big stage
• Jamal Musiala is Vincent Kompany’s machine
• Can Bayern do better than this?

Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala was recognized by kicker with a spot on the publication’s Bundesliga Team of the Week:

If there are this many back-and-forth stories on whether or not Arda Guler should leave Real Madrid, it probably means that he needs to get out of Dodge:

Real Madrid’s 19-year-old midfield star Arda Guler is frustrated about his game time and could be looking to move away if things don’t improve.

Bayern Munich is in the midst of a scorching hot stretch and Harry Kane has been a big part of the team’s success.

So why is Bayern Munich already seeking another striker when Kane’s deal does not end until 2027? Apparently, the planning has begun and there are a lot of options under consideration…but who will be the ultimate selection? That is a big question and we’ll discuss it.

• What should we make of the striker update?
• A #Project2026 update.
• Wingers are at the forefront of our discussion once again.
• An Entertainment Rundown — The Penguin dropped its penultimate episode and we learned a lot about ol’ Oz Cobb.