Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich maintaining hope for Declan Rice; Manchester United scoping Benjamin Pavard; Marcel Sabitzer headed back to Bayern; Manchester City talking to Chelsea’s Mateo Kovačić; Harry Kane moving on?; Gladbach sacks manager; & MORE!

Can Bayern Munich really get a deal for West Ham defensive midfielder Declan Rice done?

There are surely some doubts, but the club is remaining very optimistic:

There’s still hope at Bayern that Declan Rice would decide for a move to Munich, amid reports from England that he prefers to stay in the Premier League. No final decision is expected before the Conference League final [@altobelli13 @itstheicebird]

You might channel your inner-Red from Shawshank Redemption and say, “Hope is a dangerous thing, my friend, it can kill a man,” — but Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg also put out a report stating that Bayern Munich is, indeed, feeling good about where things stand:

So…what do you say? Can this really happen or is Rice’s entourage just using Bayern Munich to drive up the price for Arsenal FC and Manchester United?

We can add Manchester United to the list of teams who could make a play for Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard:

Benjamin Pavard is reportedly a target for Manchester United this summer, with the club believed to be considering a move for the Frenchman.

Following reports that Benjamin Pavard is ready to leave Bayern Munich, French publication L’Equipe indicate today that the defender has interest spreading across Europe if he becomes available this summer.

L’Equipe (via GFNF) claim Inter Milan, Manchester United and Barcelona are all interested in a move for the 27-year-old.

It is also stated that Pavard is prioritising a move that would see him play regularly as a centre-back, his favoured position, although I’ve mostly seen him operate as a full-back.

With Lucas Hernandez and Pavard both on the verge of leaving, Bayern Munich will likely need to break into its coffers this summer for a center-back as well.

What a long, strange trip it’s been.

Bayern Munich somehow won its 11th consecutive Bundesliga championship as Borussia Dortmund suffered through a massive collapse — and somehow that was one of the least crazy stories of the week.

Admittedly, Bayern Munich fans have had a lot to process with everything, so what better way to do it than with the Weekend Warm-up Podcast and at Bavarian Football Works.

Let’s take a look at what is on tap for this week’s episode:

• Some thoughts on the title win and the massive fallout that saw CEO Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić get sacked.
• Who might be coming in: Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović and West Ham defensive midfielder Declan Rice.
• Who might be headed out: Benjamin Pavard, Lucas Hernandez, Leon Goretzka, and Alphonso Davies.
• Who is likely coming back (at least for a little while): Marcel Sabitzer.
• Why this might be the summer that Bayern Munich “goes big.”

As you can see, there is a lot to cover.

Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has reportedly decided to let Marcel Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst return to their respective parent clubs:

Manchester United will not make the loan deals of Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer permanent this summer. Mail Sport understands manager Erik ten Hag remains an admirer of the duo, but the club is keen to put its resources into recruiting upgrades in their respective positions.

The news means that Sabitzer, who sustained a season-ending meniscus injury a fortnight ago, has played his last game for the club and will return to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, Weghorst is set for a return to Championship winners Burnley at the end of the season.

Confirmation of United’s intention to reject the chance of a permanent deal for Weghorst will come as no surprise to fans, who have watched the Dutchman struggle in front of goal.

Manchester City is reportedly already in talks with Chelsea FC midfielder Mateo Kovačić:

David Ornstein of The Athletic also confirmed the news:

Kovačić was rumored to be on Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel’s shortlist of candidates for the midfield.

We already know that Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane will not be transferring to Bayern Munich, but he could be on the move elsewhere:

For Harry Kane, last season could have been his last at Tottenham Hotspur. Apparently, the 29-year-old would like to switch to league rivals Manchester United this summer – that’s the only move that would be possible for the striker, claims the English tabloid Sun. The forward’s contract with Spurs expires in the summer of 2024. If a move to United doesn’t materialize before next season, Kane could join Manchester on a free transfer in 2024.

As The Sun reports, the Londoners around club boss Daniel Levy cannot imagine moving to a league competitor and would apparently prefer to sell Kane abroad. Even at FC Bayern, the topic is not yet completely off the table. Since 2004 (youngsters) and 2009 (professionals) Kane has played with Tottenham Hotspur with a few short breaks. According to the report, he does not consider a move to one of the London rivals Arsenal or Chelsea, so as not to destroy his reputation with Spurs fans.

Newcastle United reportedly don’t have the ability to pay £100m (about €116m) for the forward despite the wealthy owners. Kane is currently 47 Premier League goals away from beating ex-Newcastle pro Alan Shearer’s record of 260 goals. In an interview in early May, he said, “Now that I’m this close, it’s something I’d like to achieve.”

Well who saw that coming? We were hoping for it, but didn’t expect Bayern Munich to deliver in this manner. When it comes to the league, Borussia Dortmund bottled it at the last minute versus Mainz, basically handing us the title — BUT Bayern still had to get the job done versus Koln and they did. It was a touch and go thing, but thank god (and maybe Brazzo) for Jamal Musiala. Anyway …

In this episode, INNN and Fergus talk about the following:

• Bayern Munich were completely unconvincing versus Koln and that’s unacceptable.
• Talking about the ruthless sacking of Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic by Bayern.
• Could Bayern have an FC Barcelona moment someday?
• The pros and cons of bringing back Rummenigge and Hoeness.
• Is it a mistake to not bring in a new sporting director for the summer?
• Wait, why was Oliver Kahn FORBIDDEN from attending the Koln game? What is going at this club?
• How is history going to remember Oliver Kahn and Brazzo?
• A quick aside — would Matthias Sammer come back as sporting director?
• The deep concern about the names rumored as potential future sporting directors.
• Dark clouds hovering over the long term future of FC Bayern Munich.
• Will the sacking of Brazzo spark concerns in players like Kimmich, Musiala, and Alphonso Davies?

Sergio Ramos’ stint with Paris Saint-Germain was largely uneventful and now he is leaving:

Ramos could be heading to Saudi Arabia for his next stop:

It does not sound like Luka Modrić is ready to leave Real Madrid just yet:

Borussia Mönchengladbach has sacked manager Daniel Farke, who can now return to fending off White Walkers in Winterfell: