bavarian foot works 
16-05-2024 17:58
16-05-2024 17:58
Daily Schmankerl: PSG, FC Barcelona watching Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich closely; Frenkie de Jong to be sold?; Chelsea eyeing Serhou Guirassy; Remembering that time Bayern tried to get Jude Bellingham; Jamal Musiala talks wearing #10; + MORE!
Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich is caught in limbo when it comes to his position on the pitch.
The 29-year-old wants to be a central midfielder, but was a stalwart at right-back during the last two months of the season. How good has Kimmich been at right-back? Check out this info from @OptaFranz:
4.2 - Since Joshua Kimmich has been playing at right-back in this Bundesliga season (from matchday 23 onwards), he has registered 4.2 expected assists - across Europe's big five leagues, only Kevin de Bruyne (4.7 xA) has bettered that in this time. Resurgent. #DFBTeam @FCBayern pic.twitter.com/DjPdasDo7b — OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 15, 2024
That, plus the uncertainty surrounding the head coach position in Bavaria, has some wondering if the Germany international will move on during the summer transfer window.
If so, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain will be closely monitoring the situation:
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly out of the Bruno Guimaràes sweepstakes, but the capital club will likely still pursue a midfielder. One of the veteran standouts that the Ligue 1 side could pursue is Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich.
The Bayern Munich board will reportedly meet with Kimmich this month, as the player’s contract expires in 2025. With the 29-year-old not making any progress on a new deal, the Bundesliga side might have to sell the player.
Sky reports (h/t Fichajes) that if the German refuses to renew, the club will seek to transfer him during the winter transfer window. FC Barcelona and PSG are closely monitoring the situation.
According to the report, in this meeting, they will make it clear that if he doesn’t show any interest in extending his commitment, he will be put up for sale during the upcoming summer transfer window.
The German team doesn’t want a repeat of the scenario that led to the departure of another key player, Austrian David Alaba, on a free transfer.
Moreover, in the past few months, the adaptable player has decided to explore all possibilities, clearly not content with the uncertainties surrounding the Allianz Arena’s coaching staff lately.
According to Sport (as captured by The Hard Tackle), Barca is growing more confident in its pursuit of Kimmich:
La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly confident of winning the race to sign Joshua Kimmich from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Joshua Kimmich is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are keen on signing the 29-year-old Bayern Munich utility man. And they are optimistic of beating the competition in the race to sign him from the Bundesliga club.
Barcelona will have to sell a few high-value assets to raise the funds to secure Joshua Kimmich’s services. So, it will be interesting to see if a summer move for the 29-year-old German utility man sees the light of day.
The reality of the situation is that if Bayern Munich brings back Tuchel, Kimmich’s desire to stay with the club could be affected greatly. The 29-year-old was at odds with the coach at various points this season and was not named as one of the players backing Tuchel to return.
That does not necessarily mean that Kimmich is not supporting the coach, but his name was a glaring omission from the list, given how much power he wields in the locker room.
Barca to sell De Jong to fund Silva pursuit? (SPORT via 90Min.com)
FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has been rumored to be back on Bayern Munich’s transfer radar. The Dutchman could be made available by the Catalans as they seek to generate some revenue to chase Manchester City star Bernardo Silva:
Barcelona would consider selling Frenkie de Jong this summer if it allowed them to fund a move for Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, who’s available for £50m owing to a release clause.
Raccoon invades pitch. chaos ensues (@tombogert)
A raccoon invaded the pitch during the Philadelphia Union’s 2-1 loss to NYCFC. It went as expected: Also, Yakety Sax makes it better...every...single...time: The stadium is at the foot of the Delaware River, so there are all sorts of animals making camp in the general vicinity. At least it wasn’t a massive river rat or something.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich will close out its season with an away trip to Sinsheim to face off with a very up-and-down Hoffenheim squad.
For the Bavarians, the match will conclude an extremely odd season which saw a little bit of hope spattered in with a lot of frustration. All that said, the season is coming to a conclusion, Bayern Munich is trophyless, and the club will undergo more changes this summer.
Here is what we have on tap for this last episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show for this Bundesliga season:
A look at the recent league form of both clubs.
Updates on injured Bayern Munich players.
A guess at Thomas Tuchel’s potential starting XI.
A prediction on the match.
Musiala on wearing #10 for Germany (Marca via @iMiaSanMia)
Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala recently reflected on what it means to him to wear the #10 for the German national team.
“Since I was young I looked up to all the big names who wore that number and it was always my favourite. I grew up watching Ronaldinho, Neymar or Messi. Everyone wore #10 and for me it was always a dream to wear that number one day.”
Chelsea eyeing Guirassy? (Fichajes via 90Min.com)
Chelsea FC is keeping a close eye on VfB stuttgart attacker Serhou Guirassy:
One forward Chelsea may consider is Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy, who has scored 25 goals in 26 Bundesliga games already this season.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 6, Episode 44 (Bavarian Podcast Works)
Bayern Munich’s coaching search is STILL grinding forward without a solution and the list of candidates who have rejected the club or who the club has turned away from seems to be growing by the day.
At this stage, the club is grasping at straws, so there is a lot to discuss on that topic alone. Let’s get it to it, this is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarians Podcast Works Show:
Final thoughts on Bayern Munich vs. Wolfsburg.
Bayern Munich might not be hiring Hansi Flick after all.
Oliver Glasner rejected Bayern Munich, too? Not totally, Crystal Palace put the kibosh on it.
Max Eberl seems to desperately want Roberto De Zerbi.
Bayern Munich could sell off five to seven players this summer, but who? Let’s take a look at who could be a candidate to leave the club in a purge this summer.
Choupo-Moting to Inter? (Sempre Inter)
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is leaving the club after this season and he could have an intriguing option — Inter Milan:
Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has been offered to Inter Milan on a free transfer this summer. This according to Italian outlet FCInterNews. The outlet report that signing the Cameroonian is hardly a priority for the Nerazzurri, but that they could still see him as an opportunity later in the transfer window.
At the moment, Choupo-Moting is winding down the season with Bayern – and preparing to move to a different club for next campaign. The 35-year-old’s contract with the Bavarians expires at the end of June.
And Bayern have not offered Choupo-Moting a new deal. Therefore, the veteran former Paris Saint-Germain, Stoke City, and Schalke striker is free to join a new club. And Choupo-Moting’s agent has been scanning the market.
According to FCIN, Inter are one of the clubs that the veteran striker’s agent has contacted. Naturally, Inter would represent an opportunity for Choupo-Moting to continue to play football at a high level.
Moreover, the Cameroonian international is a former teammate of Inter defender Benjamin Pavard and goalkeeper Yann Sommer. FCIN report that there have been some messages between Choupo-Moting and his former teammates. These have concerned the possibility of a transfer to Inter.
As far as the Nerazzurri are concerned, they are not exactly jumping at the chance to sign Choupo-Moting. However, that does not mean that Inter have closed the door entirely. The Nerazzurri are aiming to go into next season with five strikers in the squad.
And it remains to be seen who Inter will be able to go after in the market. Then, there is also the question of whether Marko Arnautovic stays or leaves.
Therefore, a player with significant Choupo-Moting could represent an opportunity to bring in a player with plenty of Champions League experience to add squad depth, without a transfer fee. However, Inter have made clear to the 35-year-old’s representatives that they would only sign him later in the summer.
Rummenigge talks Bayern’s pursuit of Bellingham (Daily Mail)
Bayern Munich club legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge took some time to recall the period when Bayern Munich made a run at signing Jude Bellingham.
“I can only say that at Dortmund they were very happy when they could be sure that Bayern no longer had a chance to get him,” Rummenigge told Diario AS (as captured by the Daily Mail). “He made the decision to go to Madrid very early on and they should be congratulated for signing him. He scores, assists, runs, fights, recovers. He does everything well.”
Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Bayern Munich 2-0 Wolfsburg (Bavarian Football Works)
So Bayern Munich have taken another important step to securing second place by beating VfL Wolfsburg 2-0. No Harry Kane on the pitch so no fireworks, but the game did start in a promising manner when Lovro Zvonarek and Leon Goretzka put the Bavarians up 2-0 inside 15 minutes. In the end though, it was just a workmanlike 2-0 with very little in the way of thrills, intensity, or excitement, a characteristic feature of Thomas Tuchel’s reign.
Here are our talking points from the game:
Reviewing the lineup and the start of the game.
How Bayern Munich lost the tempo.
“Saving energy” is not a strategy that has ever worked.
Why Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich team cannot find a higher gear.
A short recap of standout individual performances — Thomas Müller, Bryan Zaragoza, Lovro Zvonarek, and Leon Goretzka.
Navas set to leave PSG (@FabrizioRomano)
Keylor Navas will be leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season:
Keylor Navas will leave PSG as free agent at the end of the season, the decision has been made. “I’m grateful for the recent years together at this club”, Keylor says. pic.twitter.com/Ke6xnA2mJ1 — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 11, 2024
Irankunda doesn’t think it feels weird to watch Bayern knowing he’ll join the club soon (Guardian Australia via @iMiaSanMia)
Barring an immediate loan assignment, Australian phenom Nestory Irankunda will join Bayern Munich next season. The 18-year-old tries to watch Bayern Munich whenever he can and does not think it is odd to look at his club for next season from afar.
“It’s not too weird, I find it normal. I watch Adelaide United as well, I watch the games back, even when I don’t play. It’s just football, I love football, I love watching, so it’s just something a normal human would do,” Irankunda noted.
The 29-year-old wants to be a central midfielder, but was a stalwart at right-back during the last two months of the season. How good has Kimmich been at right-back? Check out this info from @OptaFranz:
4.2 - Since Joshua Kimmich has been playing at right-back in this Bundesliga season (from matchday 23 onwards), he has registered 4.2 expected assists - across Europe's big five leagues, only Kevin de Bruyne (4.7 xA) has bettered that in this time. Resurgent. #DFBTeam @FCBayern pic.twitter.com/DjPdasDo7b — OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 15, 2024
That, plus the uncertainty surrounding the head coach position in Bavaria, has some wondering if the Germany international will move on during the summer transfer window.
If so, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain will be closely monitoring the situation:
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly out of the Bruno Guimaràes sweepstakes, but the capital club will likely still pursue a midfielder. One of the veteran standouts that the Ligue 1 side could pursue is Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich.
The Bayern Munich board will reportedly meet with Kimmich this month, as the player’s contract expires in 2025. With the 29-year-old not making any progress on a new deal, the Bundesliga side might have to sell the player.
Sky reports (h/t Fichajes) that if the German refuses to renew, the club will seek to transfer him during the winter transfer window. FC Barcelona and PSG are closely monitoring the situation.
According to the report, in this meeting, they will make it clear that if he doesn’t show any interest in extending his commitment, he will be put up for sale during the upcoming summer transfer window.
The German team doesn’t want a repeat of the scenario that led to the departure of another key player, Austrian David Alaba, on a free transfer.
Moreover, in the past few months, the adaptable player has decided to explore all possibilities, clearly not content with the uncertainties surrounding the Allianz Arena’s coaching staff lately.
According to Sport (as captured by The Hard Tackle), Barca is growing more confident in its pursuit of Kimmich:
La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly confident of winning the race to sign Joshua Kimmich from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Joshua Kimmich is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are keen on signing the 29-year-old Bayern Munich utility man. And they are optimistic of beating the competition in the race to sign him from the Bundesliga club.
Barcelona will have to sell a few high-value assets to raise the funds to secure Joshua Kimmich’s services. So, it will be interesting to see if a summer move for the 29-year-old German utility man sees the light of day.
The reality of the situation is that if Bayern Munich brings back Tuchel, Kimmich’s desire to stay with the club could be affected greatly. The 29-year-old was at odds with the coach at various points this season and was not named as one of the players backing Tuchel to return.
That does not necessarily mean that Kimmich is not supporting the coach, but his name was a glaring omission from the list, given how much power he wields in the locker room.
Barca to sell De Jong to fund Silva pursuit? (SPORT via 90Min.com)
FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has been rumored to be back on Bayern Munich’s transfer radar. The Dutchman could be made available by the Catalans as they seek to generate some revenue to chase Manchester City star Bernardo Silva:
Barcelona would consider selling Frenkie de Jong this summer if it allowed them to fund a move for Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, who’s available for £50m owing to a release clause.
Raccoon invades pitch. chaos ensues (@tombogert)
A raccoon invaded the pitch during the Philadelphia Union’s 2-1 loss to NYCFC. It went as expected: Also, Yakety Sax makes it better...every...single...time: The stadium is at the foot of the Delaware River, so there are all sorts of animals making camp in the general vicinity. At least it wasn’t a massive river rat or something.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich will close out its season with an away trip to Sinsheim to face off with a very up-and-down Hoffenheim squad.
For the Bavarians, the match will conclude an extremely odd season which saw a little bit of hope spattered in with a lot of frustration. All that said, the season is coming to a conclusion, Bayern Munich is trophyless, and the club will undergo more changes this summer.
Here is what we have on tap for this last episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show for this Bundesliga season:
A look at the recent league form of both clubs.
Updates on injured Bayern Munich players.
A guess at Thomas Tuchel’s potential starting XI.
A prediction on the match.
Musiala on wearing #10 for Germany (Marca via @iMiaSanMia)
Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala recently reflected on what it means to him to wear the #10 for the German national team.
“Since I was young I looked up to all the big names who wore that number and it was always my favourite. I grew up watching Ronaldinho, Neymar or Messi. Everyone wore #10 and for me it was always a dream to wear that number one day.”
Chelsea eyeing Guirassy? (Fichajes via 90Min.com)
Chelsea FC is keeping a close eye on VfB stuttgart attacker Serhou Guirassy:
One forward Chelsea may consider is Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy, who has scored 25 goals in 26 Bundesliga games already this season.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 6, Episode 44 (Bavarian Podcast Works)
Bayern Munich’s coaching search is STILL grinding forward without a solution and the list of candidates who have rejected the club or who the club has turned away from seems to be growing by the day.
At this stage, the club is grasping at straws, so there is a lot to discuss on that topic alone. Let’s get it to it, this is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarians Podcast Works Show:
Final thoughts on Bayern Munich vs. Wolfsburg.
Bayern Munich might not be hiring Hansi Flick after all.
Oliver Glasner rejected Bayern Munich, too? Not totally, Crystal Palace put the kibosh on it.
Max Eberl seems to desperately want Roberto De Zerbi.
Bayern Munich could sell off five to seven players this summer, but who? Let’s take a look at who could be a candidate to leave the club in a purge this summer.
Choupo-Moting to Inter? (Sempre Inter)
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is leaving the club after this season and he could have an intriguing option — Inter Milan:
Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has been offered to Inter Milan on a free transfer this summer. This according to Italian outlet FCInterNews. The outlet report that signing the Cameroonian is hardly a priority for the Nerazzurri, but that they could still see him as an opportunity later in the transfer window.
At the moment, Choupo-Moting is winding down the season with Bayern – and preparing to move to a different club for next campaign. The 35-year-old’s contract with the Bavarians expires at the end of June.
And Bayern have not offered Choupo-Moting a new deal. Therefore, the veteran former Paris Saint-Germain, Stoke City, and Schalke striker is free to join a new club. And Choupo-Moting’s agent has been scanning the market.
According to FCIN, Inter are one of the clubs that the veteran striker’s agent has contacted. Naturally, Inter would represent an opportunity for Choupo-Moting to continue to play football at a high level.
Moreover, the Cameroonian international is a former teammate of Inter defender Benjamin Pavard and goalkeeper Yann Sommer. FCIN report that there have been some messages between Choupo-Moting and his former teammates. These have concerned the possibility of a transfer to Inter.
As far as the Nerazzurri are concerned, they are not exactly jumping at the chance to sign Choupo-Moting. However, that does not mean that Inter have closed the door entirely. The Nerazzurri are aiming to go into next season with five strikers in the squad.
And it remains to be seen who Inter will be able to go after in the market. Then, there is also the question of whether Marko Arnautovic stays or leaves.
Therefore, a player with significant Choupo-Moting could represent an opportunity to bring in a player with plenty of Champions League experience to add squad depth, without a transfer fee. However, Inter have made clear to the 35-year-old’s representatives that they would only sign him later in the summer.
Rummenigge talks Bayern’s pursuit of Bellingham (Daily Mail)
Bayern Munich club legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge took some time to recall the period when Bayern Munich made a run at signing Jude Bellingham.
“I can only say that at Dortmund they were very happy when they could be sure that Bayern no longer had a chance to get him,” Rummenigge told Diario AS (as captured by the Daily Mail). “He made the decision to go to Madrid very early on and they should be congratulated for signing him. He scores, assists, runs, fights, recovers. He does everything well.”
Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Bayern Munich 2-0 Wolfsburg (Bavarian Football Works)
So Bayern Munich have taken another important step to securing second place by beating VfL Wolfsburg 2-0. No Harry Kane on the pitch so no fireworks, but the game did start in a promising manner when Lovro Zvonarek and Leon Goretzka put the Bavarians up 2-0 inside 15 minutes. In the end though, it was just a workmanlike 2-0 with very little in the way of thrills, intensity, or excitement, a characteristic feature of Thomas Tuchel’s reign.
Here are our talking points from the game:
Reviewing the lineup and the start of the game.
How Bayern Munich lost the tempo.
“Saving energy” is not a strategy that has ever worked.
Why Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich team cannot find a higher gear.
A short recap of standout individual performances — Thomas Müller, Bryan Zaragoza, Lovro Zvonarek, and Leon Goretzka.
Navas set to leave PSG (@FabrizioRomano)
Keylor Navas will be leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season:
Keylor Navas will leave PSG as free agent at the end of the season, the decision has been made. “I’m grateful for the recent years together at this club”, Keylor says. pic.twitter.com/Ke6xnA2mJ1 — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 11, 2024
Irankunda doesn’t think it feels weird to watch Bayern knowing he’ll join the club soon (Guardian Australia via @iMiaSanMia)
Barring an immediate loan assignment, Australian phenom Nestory Irankunda will join Bayern Munich next season. The 18-year-old tries to watch Bayern Munich whenever he can and does not think it is odd to look at his club for next season from afar.
“It’s not too weird, I find it normal. I watch Adelaide United as well, I watch the games back, even when I don’t play. It’s just football, I love football, I love watching, so it’s just something a normal human would do,” Irankunda noted.