Daily Schmankerl: Tottenham Hotspur, Inter MIlan options for Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka?; Xabi Alonso not ready to talk future plans; Bayern target Theo Hernandez cheaper than expected?; Dušan Vlahović, Juventus moving slow on new deal; and MORE!

It has been rumored for months that Bayern Munich would like to sell off Leon Goretzka.

Luckily for the Bavarians, that did not happen given the injuries to both Aleksandar Pavlović and João Palhinha. Goretzka is now playing a key role, but it does not change the fact the Bayern Munich front office still wants to sell him in January or next summer.

If that happens, Lothar Matthäus think several clubs should be interested in Goretzka, including Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Inter Milan:

Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka has been told to consider a move to Tottenham Hotspur amid Manchester United keeping tabs on his situation.

Throughout most of his time at Bayern, Goretzka has generally been a mainstay in central midfield. However, the German had a frustrating start to the season as he was largely left on the bench by new manager Vincent Kompany. Things have improved for Goretzka of late, as he has completed a full 90 minutes in Bayern’s recent wins over Augsburg in the Bundesliga and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

But the player is still considering his options as he knows he faces tough competition for a starting spot from the likes of Joshua Kimmich, Konrad Laimer, Joao Palhinha and Aleksandar Pavlovic, when the latter pair are fit. Goretzka could put himself in a good position to secure a transfer in summer 2025 by refusing to sign a new contract, with his current deal due to expire in June 2026.

Germany icon Lothar Matthaus has now mentioned Tottenham and Man Utd as being potential suitors for Goretzka. In an interview with Bild, Matthaus was asked to name the perfect club for the 29-year-old. “Inter Milan,” he replied. “The Italian league would be a good fit. Consistency is required there, toughness, physical play. I don’t necessarily see him at a top 5 club in Europe, but he can help all the other clubs. Inter, Man Utd, Tottenham, Atlético Madrid, he would fit in very well there.”

It remains to be seen whether Spurs will take Matthaus’ advice on board and begin negotiations for Goretzka. But such a move would alert United.

Goretzka’s recent appearances are allowing him the opportunity to sell himself. While he does not want to leave Bavaria, it does appear as if Max Eberl has fully moved on from him (at least mentally). Where do you think Goretzka would fit best?

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso is rumored to be leaving the club this summer, but do not expect him to touch on the subject as his team is battling for its position in all three competitions that is alive in:

⚫️ Xabi #Alonso about his future:

„I can’t say anything. It’s too early, my focus is on the season, on Heidenheim (…) I can’t say anything beyond that. I want to have a good season for us. That has to be our goal and focus.“

… with top favorite Real Madrid pushing to sign him as a possible replacement for Carlo Ancelotti ✔️

@Sky_Marlon89 | @SkySportDE

After Bayern Munich took down Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, the Bavarians are in a “out of the frying pan and into the fire” situation.

Bayern Munich will travel to Westfalenstadion to take on Borussia Dortmund and The Yellow Wall. There is no bigger event in the Bundesliga for the Hinrunde than Der Klassiker, so let’s get to it and discuss all of that and more on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show. This is what we have on tap:

• Can Bayern Munich carry the momentum from its PSG win?
• A look at the recent form of each team and where they fall in the Bundesliga table.
• A look at the rosters and injuries for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
• A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI…will there be any rotation?
• A prediction on the match.

The Bild duo of Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl is reporting that Bayern Munich still has interest in Theo Hernandez should Alphonso Davies skip town this summer. In addition, the Frenchman might cost a lot less than previously reported:

Bayern are still interested in Theo Hernández as another candidate to replace Alphonso Davies. Bayern were already after Hernández last summer when Davies’ future was uncertain. Max Eberl is convinced of the player. The Frenchman’s contract expires in 2026, so he would be significantly cheaper than the previous €100m asking price by Milan. Estimated price tag next summer: around €60m.

Hernandez is certainly an intriguing name and could provide some of the same qualities that Davies brings to the table. There is no like-for-like replacement for Davies, but Hernandez could be the next best option.

Dušan Vlahović might get a lot of interest on the open market next summer, so Juventus would love to lock him up with a contract extension, but is neither side of the negotiating table is ready to go full speed ahead with talks:

There is no date set for Juventus and striker Dušan Vlahović to discuss the striker’s new contract, replacing his current €12m-a-year deal which runs until 2026. (Calciomercato)

Bayern Munich entered its Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain knowing that it needed to put away the French powerhouse.

It was a wild game, but the Bavarians did — finally — get that signature win that they desperately needed. Let’s talk about how it all went down and more on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show. This is what we have on tap:

• A look at the starting XI.
• A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.
• If you were looking for entertainment, the first half had you covered with its frantic pacing.
• Kingsley Coman cannot hit the broad side of a bard, but he was giving PSG fits.
• Ousmane Dembélé’s sloppy play got him two yellow cards, which allowed Bayern Munich to just grind away at PSG.
• Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match.

PSV Eindhoven thinks that it will receive bids from several Premier League clubs for USMNT striker Ricardo Pepi this winter:

PSV Eindhoven are expecting a bid from Premier League clubs for forward Ricardo Pepi in January, reports AS. “Several” clubs are reported to have made enquiries to the Eredivisie side regarding a move in the next transfer window, while it is expected that a bid worth €15 million would be enough to land the 21-year-old United States international. Pepi has been in impressive form of late with six goals in his last nine games for club and country.

Manchester United could be ready to make a play for Paris Saint-Germain striker and former Eintracht Frankfurt star Randal Kolo Muani:

Manchester United have turned their attention to signing Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani in January amid concerns their transfer budget will only stretch to loan moves.