DAILY SCHMANKERL: BAYERN MUNICH TURNED DOWN CHANCE TO NAB LIVERPOOL’S FEDERICO CHIESA — AND HERE’S WHY; FC BARCELONA TO JOIN MAN CITY IN 2025 HUNT FOR JAMAL MUSIALA; INTER MILAN WANTS JONATHAN TAH; NICO WILLIAMS LEANING TOWARD BARCA; & MORE!
Bayern offered Chiesa, but said “no thanks” (Sport Bild via @iMiaSanMia)
Bayern Munich had been seeking to refresh its winger position this summer, but was not wholly successful. The Bavarians added France international Michael Olise from Crystal Palace and did loan out both Bryan Zaragoza (Osasuna) and Gabriel Vidović (Mainz 05), but mainstays like Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry — who were both rumored to be on chopping block — did not leave the club.
As such, Bayern Munich is a bit overcrowded at wing with Olise, Coman, Gnabry, Leroy Sané, Mathys Tel, and Arijon Ibrahimović as the first team options at wing (not even including Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, and Raphaël Guerreiro, who have made cameos at wing in the last year).
Given that glut, it is not shocking that Bayern Munich took a pass on former Juventus winger Federico Chiesa when the Italian power offered him to the Bavarians. Chiesa, who has been a longtime transfer target for Bayern Munich, simply would not have had a spot on the roster, despite his bargain-basement price tag:
Federico Chiesa’s agent offered his client to Bayern before his move to Liverpool, but the club had no interest as they were happy with the attacking options in the team.
Chiesa ended up moving to Liverpool FC, who seem to have gotten a steal.
Barca also planning 2025 swoop for Musiala (Fichajes.net)
If Bayern Munich wants to retain Jamal Musiala, it might have to work hard.
We already know that Manchester City is plotting to make a strong push at Musiala, but FC Barcelona is also going to be firmly in the mix for the Germany international:
Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, is already starting to draw up his plans to make a splash in the summer 2025 transfer market. According to sources close to the club, the Blaugrana board has its sights set on Jamal Musiala , the talented German attacking midfielder from Bayern Munich. This move, which promises to revolutionise the European football scene, is in line with Laporta’s strategy to reinforce the squad with young stars who will ensure a bright future for Barça.
In recent statements, Laporta hinted at his intentions when explaining why the club decided not to make another star signing after the arrival of Dani Olmo last summer. The president alluded to the possibilities they had to make an important signing thanks to the new agreement with Nike, which allows Barça to operate with greater flexibility in the market.
However, Laporta revealed that, although there was an opportunity to sign another big name player, they felt that the most prudent thing to do was to wait. This caution is interpreted as a masterstroke to concentrate all efforts on securing Musiala’s arrival next year.
Musiala’s contract with Bayern Munich expires in the summer of 2026, meaning that next summer will be crucial in defining his future. So far, the player has not renewed his contract with the Bavarian giants, which opens a window of opportunity for FC Barcelona. Laporta and his team are confident that they can negotiate favourably with Bayern, taking advantage of the player’s contractual situation to attract him to Camp Nou.
Should Bayern Munich start getting nervous about Musiala inking a contract extension? Maybe, but the Bavarians will undoubtedly go “all out” to make the deal happen — and spare no expense. Clearly, it will all be up to Musiala with what he wants for the next step of his career.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 4, Episode 8 (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich has three real games under its belt with Vincent Kompany and there is plenty to analyze and discuss regarding those performances. So...let’s not waste any time and get right to discussing everything! Here is what we have on tap this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- Why we disagreed with Vincent Kompany’s approach for the first two Bundesliga games, why questioning the coach’s decision-making is not a bad thing, and how there can still be faith in a project despite having questions about it.
- In the end, we just want Kompany to avoid the same mistakes that felled both Julian Nagelsmann and Hansi Flick.
- Talking through four emerging storylines that we should get clarity in the coming weeks.
- Why Jamal Musiala not being on the Ballon d’Or list might not seem like a big deal to us, but could weigh heavily on the mind of the youngster.
Gündoğan was a sporting decision per Laporta (@Transfersdotcom)
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta said that the transfer of İlkay Gündoğan to Manchester City was strictly a football move — mostly driven by the arrival of Dani Olmo:
United, NUFC, Galatasaray eyeing Rabiot (TEAMtalk via 90Min.com)
Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Galatasaray are all in the mix for free agent midfielder Adrien Rabiot:
Man Utd and Newcastle United are both still in the race to sign free agent midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who has a lucrative offer on the table from Turkish champions Galatasaray.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Germany takes on Hungary and the Netherlands (Bavarian Football Works)
The German national team is about to embark on a new era.
Former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann will attempt to figure out what he has with this group and also ponder a way to best position these players — while also figuring out what combinations might work best together.
With games against Hungary and the Netherlands, Germany will get two stiff tests in the coming days. Let’s talk about it all right here! This is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show:
- Catching up on what has been going on in the German national team camp.
- How do the position groups stack up? The defense has some questions...the midfield must have answers...and the attack needs to prove itself.
- What German national team fans need to see in each of these matches.
- A look at the projected starting XI for Saturday’s match vs. Hungary.
- Predictions for each match.
Inter could challenge Bayern for Tah (Sempre Inter)
Bayern Munich spent a good portion of the summer flirting with a move for Bayer Leverkusen center-back and Germany international Jonathan Tah.
If the Bavarians want Tah next summer, they might have to battle with Inter Milan:
Inter Milan are looking to take part in the race for Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah who is also a transfer target of Bayern Munich.
This summer, Bayern Munich were eager to sign the Germany international from the club that dethroned them in May. However, the parties couldn’t reach a final agreement, so Tah ended up staying at Leverkusen for what could be his final season at the club. After all, the defender’s contract will expire at the end of the season.
According to Tuttosport via FcInterNews, the Italian champions will be looking to pounce on the situation. Inter have a knack for snapping up some of the finest free agents on the market. Their most recent acquisitions on this front are Mehdi Taremi and Piotr Zielinski.
Nevertheless, the Turin-based newspaper notes that the club’s new owners Oaktree Capital would have to ratify the operation. The US-based group prefers to invest in youngsters, whereas Tah will turn 29 in February. Moreover, the Nerazzurri will be facing stern competition from Bayern Munich who are expected to revive their attempts to sign their longtime transfer target.
Inter will be eager to bolster their backline ahead of the next campaign, especially the central-defender role.
Williams leaning toward Barca move (El Nacional via 90Min.com)
Athletic Bilbao star Nico WIlliams is drawing interest from Arsenal FC, Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain, but still favors a move to FC Barcelona:
2024-09-07T04:11:03Z dg43tfdfdgfdNico Williams would still prefer to join Barcelona if he is to ever leave Athletic Club, even though Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are all willing to pay more.