[From left to right: Christian Falk, Christopher Nkunku & Xavi Simons]

Christopher Nkunku to Bayern?

Today’s top stories

• Could another Liverpool star be joining Luis Diaz at Bayern?

• Will Christopher Nkunku head to Bayern or Leipzig?

• Internal disagreements over Bayern’s transfer stance…

• Plus all the latest on Exequiel Palacios, Dayot Upamecano, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and more!

Bundesliga transfers & news

BAYERN MUNICH

You see that the team is very far on at this point. In both matches against Tottenham and VfB Stuttgart, you could see what the starting lineup could look like this coming season for Vincent Kompany. The team is showing that it is a team. Luis Diaz joins a side that is very much working as a team. However, one serious concern can be found when looking at the bench - there isn’t much left in terms of bona fide stars and quality! You see that they also work beside the pitch as a team, because it’s very unusual that Vincent Kompany is talking about the squad. The Belgian hinted that the squad isn’t big enough at the moment. Harry Kane was saying something similar after the final whistle in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. He’s not a man who’s famous for getting involved in the politics around the club. So, you see, it’s a big topic for the team, and the team believes they don’t have enough players to seriously compete in Europe this year.

✅ TRUE: Uli Hoeneß’s statement on Bayern needing to use the loan market to secure further incomings has surprised key figures at the club. You think you’re a big club that can afford any player in the world, and then you see if Bayern Munich wants something, like Florian Wirtz, the money is there. But, on the other hand, the position has now changed so that FC Bayern can only sign players on loan. In my opinion, it’s a mistake not to go all-in for Christopher Nkunku and pay the money, as he’s underrated in the price tag. Bayern would be able to get him on a good deal. If you can sign him, sign him now. In the winter, Chelsea wanted €60m-70m [£51.8m-60.5m]. Now, Bayern can get him cheaper. Now that the opportunity is there, however, the supervisory board is saying, ‘No chance!’ the club can only bring in players on loan.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Harry Kane & Harvey Elliott]

Chelsea could influence Bayern transfer

Today’s top stories

• Could Harry Kane return to the Premier League next year?

• Jürgen Klopp could lure a Liverpool player to the Bundesliga…

• Manchester United vs Newcastle for Benjamin Sesko…

• Plus all the latest on Rasmus Højlund, Kim Min-jae, Jadon Sancho, and more!

Bundesliga transfers & news

BAYERN MUNICH

✅ TRUE: Kim Min-jae is currently the number one option to be sold for FC Bayern. However, clubs from Saudi Arabia have not yet made any concrete offers for the 28-year-old centre-back. The player still wants to stay put in Munich for as long as he sees a future at the club for himself. However, his advisors are more than aware of the fact that Bayern would like to sell him. Both sides are playing for time in the transfer window.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Luis Diaz & Xavi Simons]

READ: Bayern have Luis Diaz advantage

Today’s top stories

• How confident are Bayern of signing Liverpool winger Luis Diaz?

• Do Chelsea have the advantage in the race for Xavi Simons?

• What would make Bayern go out and sign Rodrygo?

• Plus all the latest on Nick Woltemade, Benjamin Šeško, Hugo Ekitike, and more!

Bundesliga transfers & news

BAYERN MUNICH

Bayern Munich are increasingly certain that they will sign Luis Diaz in the end. Now, it’s just a question of money between the Bundesliga champions and Liverpool. The Bavarians already had two offers turned away; the first being €52m [£43.3m] and the second being €67.5m [£58.5m]. But now, Bayern are in negotiations directly with the Reds. They want to find a way to get the deal over the line; they don’t want to have to make another offer, which could be rejected - they’re determined to find a solution. FC Bayern are completely clear with the player: they want to give Diaz a four-year contract earning €14m [£12.1m] gross per year. I’ve heard that he’s only earning €2.7m [£2.3m] net at Liverpool - so it’s much, much lower than what he could be earning in Munich. This is one of the reasons why he wants to join Bayern Munich, as he feels he would be better appreciated. As we know, appreciation for footballers is at least partly always tied to money.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Benjamin Šeško & Edmond Tapsoba]

READ: Bayern make Luis Diaz decision

Today’s top stories

• What next for Benjamin Šeško after Arsenal focus on Viktor Gyökeres?

• Have Newcastle actually made a bid for Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba?

• All the latest on FC Bayern’s pursuit of Liverpool winger Luis Diaz…

• West Ham eye Bundesliga signing…

Bundesliga transfers & news

BAYERN MUNICH

If you saw the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final between Real Madrid and PSG, I think Europe knows that the quarter-final between Bayern and Paris was a showcase of the two strongest teams of the tournament. It was “the final”. So, it was the expectation that whoever would win this bout would go on to challenge for the cup itself.

Head coach Vincent Kompany is evidently doing a great job. Everybody saw how close things were between Bayern and the Champions League holders. The teams were, I think, on one level. But in the end, PSG were more clever. Kompany, of course, has to learn that his plans live and die on what happens in the goal. He made one big mistake, and that was in the third game against Benfica when he changed seven starters in the first-XI. Normally, Bayern would easily top the group, and then they would have followed Chelsea’s route to the final. I think FC Bayern would have found their way to the final.

From a sporting perspective, the campaign was a success, as Europe now knows that Bayern is able to compete at the very top of the food chain. This will surely carry over in the Champions League in the upcoming 2025/26 season. However, financially, it was not so successful for Bayern Munich because they would have earned a lot more money if they had managed to progress past the quarter-finals. That’s why it was disappointing for the club - especially so because they paid a high price with the injury to playmaker Jamal Musiala. We don’t yet know for how long exactly the German international will be sidelined for, however, it’s fair to assume we probably won’t see him again this year.

True✅: Max Eberl had contact with Xavi Simons’ team. Simons would not only be a sporting alternative for Bayern for both of their sought-after positions, but the flirtation with the Leipzig player also provides valuable leverage in the poker games with Stuttgart and Liverpool for Woltemade and Diaz. Leipzig are open to talks. The price tag could be €60m [£51.7m]. However, Bayern’s first and second-choice targets remain Nick Woltemade and Luis Diaz. In both cases, these will involve hard negotiations.

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At VfB Stuttgart, the head of sport, Fabian Wohlgemuth, made it very clear again this week that the club will fight for Woltemade. Stuttgart is more than aware of the fact that it will be hard to keep the centre-forward if he wants to leave. If the club fights hard on this, of course, everyone knows they will let him go just for a high price, potentially a fee over the €80m [£68.9m] mark.

The same is true for Diaz. We exclusively reported on Bayern knocking on Luis Diaz’s door with CF Bayern Insider. Sources close to negotiations also confirmed that the left winger wants to join Bayern Munich. However, in the end, he has a contract with Liverpool (expiring in the summer of 2027), and the Reds also paid a lot of money to sign him from FC Porto back in January 2022. So, you see, it’s a similar situation to what Bayern are facing with Woltemade. We have confirmed that the Bundesliga champions have submitted an offer of €52m [£44.8m], with the player keen to join the club. We can also reasonably assume that Liverpool will want to set the price of negotiations, similarly to Stuttgart, from €80m. So, FC Bayern can’t be sure that they will succeed on both transfer fronts. In this case, we can keep an eye on Xavi Simons. The Dutchman can play both positions and could be a useful backup option if the other transfers don’t work out. RB Leipzig is said to be open to selling the attacking midfielder for €70m [£60.3m].

Christopher Nkunku fills a similar space for Bayern, as we exclusively reported. The Chelsea forward can also play in Musiala’s position. He’s also effective on the wings. Max Eberl was a little furious with the report we made. He was in the mixed zone talking about the many players (not naming any specific names) he’s in conversations about, as we mentioned in our podcast, that he’s touching base with many players instead of pushing hard for one. But that’s just the way Eberl works. So, at the moment, he’s keeping touch with multiple players with a view to completing deals for one or two. That’s why there are so many names that have been thrown up in the air around FC Bayern.

There are always rumours about Malick Fofana, for instance, but in this case, we don’t have proof of serious interest. The long list at Bayern could have many names. We’ve talked previously about Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford; we know there were internal discussions in the club about the forward. So, you see, the Eberl way in the end. It was the same for head coach Vincent Kompany. The Belgian is working very well at Bayern and was a good decision, but even he was number seven on Eberl’s list.

Not True ❌: Bayern are in talks with Markus Krösche to replace Max Eberl. Everybody at the club is now on holiday for three weeks after the Club World Cup exit. Not Eberl, of course, he has to work during this period - partly because there remain many rumours around his future. There were reports circulating that Bayern are already negotiating with his potential successor, Markus Krösche from Eintracht Frankfurt. We know that’s not true, but Eberl still has to show what he can do in the summer transfer window - this is true. Bayern Munich will judge him on his performance in the window. That’s why nobody can say that in the future the club won’t consider replacing him with a potential successor like Krösche. At the moment, he has the trust of the board for this transfer window. In the end, it all comes down to how Bayern approach everything at the club - if you’re not first in class at what you’re doing, your position can be in serious trouble.

We exclusively reported on Brighton and Hove Albion and Aston Villa’s interest in João Palhinha. Bayern are aware of the interest, but there have yet to be any offers. There’s hope that the Bavarians can get a good deal for him, but they’re of course not going to get back the €51m [£43.9m] they initially spent last summer. So that’s perhaps a good situation for both sides. Palhinha still has to decide if he will leave Bayern this summer. There are two clubs with ambitions of signing the Portuguese international but it comes down to the holding midfielder. I think Palhinha saw at the Club World Cup that it will be very hard to stay in Munich given the only chance he got to start a game came against Benfica - and that was a defeat! So, not many good arguments for the player’s future at Bayern Munich.

True✅: Bayern are watching Renato Veiga. However, as we’ve discussed previously, Bayern Munich must first sell players before making concrete moves in the market. In this case, they have to sell Kim Min-jae. There’s no solution yet on this front. The South Korean centre-back was injured, and now the club has to see how the situation will evolve. There aren’t any concrete offers on the table presently. There was an idea of a move to Saudi Arabia, but, in the end, Kim didn’t make it clear if he would be open to this solution. There have to be numbers on the table, and if FC Bayern can’t sell him, there will be no topic for Renato Veiga. If Bayern can sell Kim Min-jae, Veiga is the player they will go for next.

For everything FC Bayern, join Christian Falk on CF Bayern Insider!

BAYER LEVERKUSEN

True✅: Juventus knocked on the door at Bayer Leverkusen to get information on Granit Xhaka’s situation. They are interested, but they haven’t made an offer yet. He’s a key player for Leverkusen. On the Monday coming, the team is set to head off to their training camp. Xhaka, however, as has been well-documented, didn’t have the best of starts with new boss Erik ten Hag, as the former Manchester United head coach didn’t call him as early as the midfielder would have liked. Still, if there’s no concrete offer on the table for Xhaka before Monday, it will be hard for the Swiss international to get out of the club and his contract, as Leverkusen have to plan for the upcoming season.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Felix Nmecha & Nico Williams]

Chelsea stance on Jamie Gittens transfer

Today’s top stories

• Manchester United may follow Chelsea and target another Dortmund player…

• Do Bayern have any hope of beating Barcelona to Nico Williams?

• Things could ‘quickly change’ between Cody Gakpo & FC Bayern…

• Bayern set to be beaten by Premier League again for €60m transfer…

BAYERN MUNICH

True✅: Max Eberl is back in the USA. Before he took the plane, he presented his transfer strategy in Munich to the management board and parts of the supervisory board: which two attacking wingers the record champions now want to focus on: Nico Williams (22) from Athletic Bilbao and Jamie Gittens (20) from Borussia Dortmund. Two names - two problems.

True✅: FC Barcelona are still involved with Nico Williams, and they firmly believe in their mission to sign him. The Catalans are convinced they can register Williams, despite their ongoing financial problems, and have an advantage. There are rumours that Bayern have made enquiries to their former coach Hansi Flick (who was the coach at Bayern until 2023) in Spain about how serious the situation is - and whether a deal with Barça is really imminent. The feedback has been that Barça are sure to sign Williams.

Bayern’s endeavours to sign Jamie Gittens also appear to be in vain. The Englishman wants to leave Dortmund - and has long since reached an agreement with Chelsea FC for a seven-year contract (around €7m salary per season). There was also a meeting between Dortmund boss Lars Ricken and Chelsea in the USA, and an agreement is said to be only a matter of time. Chelsea are apparently only prepared to pay the requested transfer fee of €60m.

Max Eberl should already be looking for alternative candidates for the wing. Liverpool's Cody Gakpo, for example, could be back on the radar. The player is said to be a personal favourite of Eberl. After initial talks with the Gakpo side, there has been no contact with the agents recently. That could now quickly change again. Teammate Luis Diaz also remains a candidate.

Things are looking better for our new German star at the U21 European Championship: Nick Woltemade. Eberl has held talks with his agents in Munich. The striker now wants to leave Stuttgart and reject VfB's offer. Stuttgart are demanding at least €60m. Bayern have an agreement with Woltemade (player and club). No negotiations with VfB Stuttgart until now.

Los Angeles FC want Thomas Müller, and Müller basically wants to go to LA - but the two sides can't come together financially. Now, a third party could help! Bayern sponsor ‘Adidas’ is supposed to close the gap (worth millions). Müller has a personal supplier contract with Adidas, which could be extended both financially and in terms of time in the event of a move to the USA. In the background, FC Bayern is pushing for a transfer with its partner club. The German champions want Müller to be their US ambassador for the American market. Now the club's sponsor, Adidas, which owns 8.33 per cent of FC Bayern's shares, is said to have been involved in order to close the financial gap that still exists between the LA offer and Müller's expectations.

Kim Min-jae currently has no offers. Should a sale be possible, FC Bayern has a replacement on the list: Tomas Araujo from Benfica Lisbon. Bryan Zaragoza has a club, Celta Vigo, that is specifically interested. Negotiations are ongoing. Villarreal and Sevilla are also interested. However, FC Bayern would like its transfer fee of around €17m back. That could be difficult. Kingsley Coman wants to stay at FC Bayern. There are currently no concrete offers. As long as the club does not have a new winger, his chances of staying increase. There are also no developments regarding João Palhinha. The player is still keen to establish himself at FC Bayern and is currently not interested in returning to Fulham. Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, and Sacha Boey would also like to stay. There are currently no talks.

For everything FC Bayern, join Christian Falk on CF Bayern Insider!

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Jack Grealish & Nick Woltemade]

READ: Bayern's pursuit of Gakpo & Leao

Today’s top stories

• The consequences of Liverpool beating FC Bayern to Florian Wirtz transfer…

• Could Jack Grealish move to the Bundesliga?

• What next for Jamie Gittens, Hugo Ekitike and Chelsea transfers?

• Manchester United and Arsenal compete for Benjamin Sesko…

The Florian Wirtz issue is, of course, a defeat for FC Bayern. Those responsible see the only small advantage in the fact that they do not have to change the system with two wingers. That's why they now need a star for the wings. Liverpool have convinced the player above all that he has a clear sporting role. Interesting fact: Wirtz could have earned up to €24m more at FC Bayern. At Liverpool, it is more likely to be €20m-22m. So it was not a decision based on money.

Liverpool are to pay a transfer fee of €140m for Florian Wirtz, which is realistic due to easily achievable goals with add-ons. The remaining €10m will only be paid out in the event of major successes, for example, winning the Champions League. Now, Max Eberl admits: “This transfer fee would have been too high for FC Bayern! To be honest, I don't know whether we would have been able to pay the price that Liverpool would have had to pay, as it seems”, the head of sport said on Thursday. According to my information, Bayern's transfer fee expectations were closer to €100m. Concrete negotiations with Leverkusen never materialised.

BAYERN MUNICH

True✅: Nico Williams is actually the top target for Bayern. Bayern have already met with Williams’ team. Max Eberl is said to have met with the representatives around the Nations League final in Munich. The transfer fee of €60m is not a problem. Bayern can pay the clause. It's all about the salary at the moment. Are Williams' expectations really as high as recently reported? €24m, as rumoured, would be the absolute upper limit for Bayern. But there could be a problem with time. Eberl has to sell players first. The club is therefore currently looking for buyers for Kingsley Coman. So far, however, there has been no concrete offer from Saudi Arabia. The player would go there for a high salary.

The Bayern bosses are trying to get a head start in the poker. You already know that Nico Williams is also on Arsenal’s and Chelsea’s radar. But his club, Athletic Bilbao, is also trying to convince him to stay, wanting to give him a higher salary and a new contract.

True✅: Bradley Barcola is highly valued by the coaching team. However, PSG do not want to sell him. It is rumoured that the club wants to extend his contract and increase his salary. They want to destroy Bayern's efforts. There has already been contact with Barcola's agents. Eberl already knows the winger from his time at RB Leipzig, when the club was interested in the Frenchman.

Eberl had to remain consistent amid talks with Leroy Sané. An agreement had already been reached with the German. He cancelled it and changed agents. If Eberl had now increased the offer, he would have lost face. Sané is a loss in sporting terms. Financially, however, Bayern will be relieved. Sané earned €20m. Eberl can now offer this salary to players like Williams, Rafael Leão or Barcola and add a little more. At Galatasaray, Sané will earn €9m net with a bonus of €3m. With add-ons, he can earn €15m net per year.

There was also a meeting between Leão's agents, Max Eberl and Christoph Freund. The summit took place at Säbener Straße on May 30, the day before the Champions League final. The talks have not become more concrete since then. Liverpool should also be interested in the player of AC Milan. Interesting: Leao shall also be Arsenal’s Plan B, if they can’t get Nico Williams.

No decision has yet been made on Kim Min-jae’s future. There have also been no negotiations with the player’s side. But, there is interest from Saudi Arabia. Kim has not ruled it out. However, we are still waiting to see whether Liverpool and Manchester United become concrete. There are also rumours that the two Premier League clubs are interested. The fact is: FC Bayern can imagine a sale. However, there is still no offer for the defender.

For everything FC Bayern, join Christian Falk on CF Bayern Insider!

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Hugo Ekitiké & Benjamin Sesko]

READ: Tottenham talks for Bayern star

Today’s top stories

• Chelsea v Liverpool for Hugo Ekitiké…

• Could Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyökeres both move to the Premier League?

• How Liverpool beat FC Bayern to Florian Wirtz…

• Dortmund’s pursuit of Jobe Bellingham continues…

BAYERN MUNICH

Jonathan Tah

Bayern signed Jonathan Tah this week (til 2029). There was a meeting with his agent Pini Zahavi (at the restaurant Käfer) with Max Eberl, head of sport at FC Bayern. His other client with the club, Leroy Sané, was also under discussion. Bayern want to give the potential free agent a contract til 2028. But: Now there are other clubs interested. Zahavi is talking with Tottenham and Arsenal, but Chelsea are not very concrete.

Bayern’s left wing targets

True✅: Bayern is searching for a left winger. The candidates are Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Nico Williams (Bilbao) and Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace). The first rumours that FC Bayern were seriously interested in Gakpo emerged back in March. As Florian Wirtz is not coming, FC Bayern will stick to their system with two wingers and Jamal Musiala in the centre.

Missing out on Florian Wirtz

True✅: FC Bayern held a secret meeting to try to persuade Florian Wirtz. Now it has become known how hard the bosses fought for Wirtz in the end. On Sunday 18 May, there was a secret meeting in Munich with Florian Wirtz. He was driven directly from the airport to a hotel in the city in a limousine. From the underground car park, he was taken up to a suite in a lift. There, Wirtz held talks with coach Vincent Kompany, director of sport Max Eberl, sports director Christoph Freund, CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen and supervisory board members Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß also attended the meeting. It was the day of the championship celebrations.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Florian Wirtz & Jobe Bellingham]

READ: Liverpool talks with Wirtz

Today’s top stories

• Who is leading the race for Florian Wirtz after Premier League talks?

• Real Madrid looking to hijack Dortmund transfer…

• Liverpool and Arsenal to miss out on transfer target…

• Tottenham keen to make Bundesliga deal happen…

BAYERN MUNICH

Criticism of Bayern’s Ibiza trip

The bosses of FC Bayern allowed 14 of their players to make the trip to Ibiza to celebrate their 34th Bundesliga title. Before the 32nd matchday, Max Eberl, head of sport, had forbidden the party trip because of concerns around negatively impacting the club’s competitive ability ahead of a meeting with Gladbach on the 33rd matchday. After the 2-0 win, 14 stars (including Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller, Joshua Kimmich and Harry Kane) flew to Ibiza after all. Eberl explained: "Last week, there were still a lot of decisions to be made in the league on which our results had an influence. The constellation is now different, so we have not objected to the players' plan to spend their two and a half days off together." But: There is still the danger of harming the spirit of the competition. For example: If Heidenheim win 3-0 at home against Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim lose 0-4 against Bayern, Heidenheim would be saved and TSG would suddenly be in 16th place, which means that they have to play against the third of 2. Bundesliga.

Jonathan Tah

There were talks at the weekend between Barcelona and Pini Zahavi, but the La Liga giants are no longer viewed as a realistic option for Jonathan Tah and his camp. The direction of travel is now leaning in favour of Bayern Munich, with a definitive decision set to be made soon. It looks like the player will decide in favour of FC Bayern!

Dayot Upamecano

True✅: PSG are interested in Dayot Upamecano. There are still rumours flying around Dayot Upamecano and PSG. Make no mistake: They are very keen on him. Bayern were optimistic that they would agree a contract extension with the defender soon. However, nothing has developed in the last few weeks, so, that’s a problem! He wanted to have a lower release clause - compared to the last one included in his terms (€110m) - inserted into the deal. Bayern don’t want to give him a higher salary, so that’s why negotiations are a little complicated. PSG can, of course, offer more. I think FC Bayern would be prepared to lower the release clause but not go higher with the salary.

Leroy Sane

The deadline Bayern gave Leroy Sane over his contract runs until the final game of the season (against Hoffenheim) this Saturday. Bayern are absolutely committed to their position - they don’t want to give him a new contract offer. There were negotiations with the German’s former agent and they had an agreement in place. If they go back on that now, every player would do the same and say, “If I don’t like the agreement, I’ll change agent and argue for a new contract.” They don’t want this - it’s a take it or leave it kind of situation. Many players went off to Ibiza to celebrate the title, but, interestingly, Leroy Sane didn’t join them. He preferred to spend his free time in London, a city his girlfriend, Candice Brook, adores.

Florian Wirtz trip to England

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Jamie Gittens & Piero Hincapié]

READ: Why Dier rejected Bayern offer

Today’s top stories

• Why Bayern still believe they can sign Florian Wirtz this summer…

• Could Chelsea complete double swoop for Dortmund duo?

• Who could replace Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen?

• How Real Madrid could hurt Arsenal and Liverpool transfer hopes…

BAYERN MUNICH

Chicago Fire FC also want to sign Thomas Müller after his contract at FC Bayern expires this summer. It won’t have escaped the notice of Bayern fans that the MLS side was Bastian Schweinsteiger’s home from 2017 to 2019. The 40-year-old should help Chicago try and convince Müller to join their project in the States. However, for the time being, Los Angeles FC remain the clear favourites to clinch Thomas Müller’s signature. Vissel Kobe, of the J1 League, are also hopeful of beating out the competition for the German.

Bayern Munich still believe they have the best chance of signing Florian Wirtz this summer. The reason? The club is enjoying positive talks with the player’s advisor (and father) Hans-Joachim Wirtz. Plans are already being devised internally as to how the team can play with two 10s (factoring in a potential Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz duo).

Barcelona are still having problems trying to register Jonathan Tah with La Liga. Bayern Munich see an opportunity and want to try and hijack the deal. Max Eberl is a big fan of the defender and wanted him in the summer, but he was too expensive. The board was then unwilling to approve a €25m deal (€20m was the limit). However, he’s set to become a free agent this summer, which changes things for FC Bayern’s decision-makers.

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BORUSSIA DORTMUND

There is a possibility that Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel could play in the Premier League next season. Talks are continuing between Chelsea and the 27-year-old, with another meeting planned. BVB, however, don’t want to sell their No.1, which is why they’re setting a price tag of at least €60m. The bosses at Dortmund are also confident they can convince Kobel to stay put at the club. However, if the club fails to reach the Champions League places (Dortmund are in sixth place, three points outside the top four), it will be difficult to keep the shotstopper.

If Dortmund manage to qualify for the Champions League, it would make it easier to buy Carney Chukwuemeka this summer. Otherwise, it will be difficult for BVB to meet the price tag of €35m. The bad news for Dortmund? Chukwuemeka’s release clause expires before the Club World Cup. Dortmund don’t know how much they are going to earn at the tournament, which consequently makes planning for transfers difficult ahead of the summer window.

I have heard that Chelsea are still very interested in Jamie Gittens. His former youth coach at Cobham is said to have already made contact with him. There is an idea at the club to swap him for Chukwuemeka. So, there might be a swap deal to be made.

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Today’s top stories:

• Chelsea look the most likely option for Jamie Gittens

• Bayern are confident they have the edge for Florian Wirtz

• Plus more from Leipzig, Dortmund and Man United

Bayer Leverkusen

• Florian Wirtz: Bayern Munich currently believe they have the advantage in the race for the Bayer Leverkusen star’s signature. Because: There were secret negotiations a few weeks ago between the supervisory board and club patron Uli Hoeneß and Hans-Joachim Wirtz, father and agent of Florian. Hoeneß invited him to the Tegernsee. It is not the first meeting between the two older gentlemen - they get on well. Bayern is hoping for this bonus. The club wants Wirtz so much that they would go to the credit department for the first time in history. This honours the Wirtz family greatly. Moreover, the step would not be as big as going abroad. However, Florian himself would be very tempted to play for Real Madrid or Manchester City. The race is still wide open.

• The club has made it clear: Schick or Boniface - one of the strikers will be sold in the summer! At the moment, Boniface is believed to have the bigger market and would bring more money. But Schick is not completely happy under Xabi Alonso, as he certainly has to prove himself again and again. The attacker has recently changed agents. With the order: Bring me offers from new clubs. In fact, Manchester United are also rumoured to be interested. Of course, the striker who receives the better offer will be given the go-ahead.

Bayern Munich

• Kim Min-jae: Bayern are currently planning with Kim Min-jae, but if a club comes along that pays in the region of €50million, he is a candidate to be sold this summer. Kim’s future could also be in some doubt because Bayern still have Dean Huijsen on their list. He is said to have an exit clause of €60million, which could be financed with the sale of Kim.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Xabi Alonso & Federico Chiesa]

READ: Bayern's big money questions

Today’s top stories

• Why did Vincent Kompany and Christoph Freund attend PSG vs. Marseille?

• Xabi Alonso could be forced to sell €70m star Liverpool, Chelsea & Tottenham like…

• Man City submit interest for €50m player Liverpool, Arsenal & Real Madrid scouted

• And further updates on Jadon Sancho, Max Eberl, Nick Woltemade and more!

FC Bayern is a club like a family business. In Germany, we talk about the “Bayern family”. And this family has a patron: Uli Hoeneß. If Hoeneß, who still has a role on the club’s supervisory board, is not satisfied with the work of an employee, he will soon be history at the club. This was recently the case with Oliver Kahn, who had to leave as CEO. The current word is: Hoeneß is not happy with the work of Max Eberl. The contract extensions for Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala cost a lot of money, with agreements worth hundreds of millions. Joshua Kimmich’s new contract is no less expensive than before. Eberl had clear instructions from the supervisory board that savings had to be made. This is another reason why Thomas Müller (€17m salary) will not receive a new contract. It is therefore striking that there are now rumours that Mario Gomez, technical director of Red Bull, or Ralf Rangnick, coach of Austria, will join FC Bayern in the summer. I’ve heard these rumours for a long time. And they always say: Uli Hoeneß raves about these two and would like to see them at the club. That’s always a dangerous sign for a sports boss. If Gomez or Rangnick come, it means: Eberl would probably have to go. Max Eberl can’t do much about it. In the end, the only thing that will help him at FC Bayern is titles - preferably in the Champions League. Incidentally, there is also a rumour about Markus Krösche, CEO at Frankfurt.

BAYERN MUNICH

❌Not True: Harry Kane is unhappy at Bayern Munich. The exit clause I revealed has created a lot of speculation. There were suddenly rumours about Manchester United, Arsenal or even a return to Tottenham. The fact is: FC Bayern are very happy with Harry Kane and Harry himself is also happy with FC Bayern. In response to the possibility of a transfer in the summer, I received feedback that he and his family feel very much at home in Munich. From a footballing perspective and also from a family perspective. Kane has realised at FC Bayern that he can win everything at this top club, which plays for every title every year (regardless of whether it’s the Champions League or Ballon d’Or). Even if he wins the title this season, the FC Bayern gene will continue to drive him on - once you’ve won a title, you get hungry for more.

True✅: Vincent Kompany and Christoph Freund were at PSG vs. Marseille, but not to watch a PSG star. They were watching Luis Henrique. The 23-year-old Brazilian is also on the radar of many Premier League clubs. He can play on the left or right wing. He has a contract until 2028, and his market value is €18m. Concrete talks with Bayern Munich have reportedly already taken place. He is currently considered the best player in France in that position.

True✅: FC Bayern are currently in negotiations with Dayot Upamecano over a new contract. There are still a few details to be clarified, including whether Upamecano will again have an exit clause (the current sum is €120m). Bayern would like to keep Upamecano, who is currently injured. However, the club is also looking for alternatives. Eric Dier, for example, is set to receive a new contract until 2026 in the near future. But new defenders are also being monitored. Dean Huijsen (19) from Bournemouth is on the list. The central defender has a contract until 2030, but is said to have a release clause of €60m for the summer. Real Madrid are also interested.

True✅: Bayern Munich and Leroy Sané are in talks over a new contract. Sané wants to stay in Munich. Kane and Musiala are campaigning for him to get a new contract. His chances have improved, as he has performed very well recently. The question that remains: Will Sané accept a reduction in his salary? He currently earns €20m a year. If he does, it will be difficult for the interested Premier League clubs. FC Bayern currently hold the advantage.

True✅: Vincent Kompany likes Konstantinos Karetsas. The young footballer (17), who plays for KRC Genk, is an attacking midfielder. FC Bayern have him on their shortlist, but they haven’t contacted the Belgian side yet. Chelsea, however, I’ve heard are already in talks with the player’s side.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN

Piero Hincapie is one of the players Xabi Alonso might have to sell this summer. Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham from England are all interested, while Atletico Madrid have the Ecuadorian on their radar in Spain. However, Leverkusen’s price-tag is €70m.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Nico Schlotterbeck & Jeremie Frimpong]

READ our transfer roundup HERE

Today’s top stories

• All the details of Bayern Munich’s duel with Arsenal for Nico Williams…

• Liverpool handed boost in search for Virgil van Dijk successor…

• Could Manchester United sign Harry Kane?

• And further updates on Xavi Simons, Virgil van Dijk, Angelo Stiller and more!

We have a young goalkeeper in Germany by the name of Finn Dahmen (FC Augsburg). He’s now gone 10 hours without conceding a goal, so a very impressive statistic, which puts him in the top 10 in German history! He’s a little disappointed that he wasn’t invited to the German national team. So, you see, Stefan Ortega is the No.3 choice and he’s just a substitute at Manchester City. England now has a German national coach in Thomas Tuchel and Dahmen’s mother is English. He is thinking about (should he receive a call from the English FA) whether or not he would change his association. Dahmen was a German U21 European champion, and, in that time, did receive a call from the FA, but decided to commit to Germany. However, he still has the option of playing for England, so, if Tuchel needs a goalkeeper and brought Dahmen in to challenge Jordan Pickford, he only has to make the call!

BAYERN MUNICH

❌Not True: Bayern Munich are in the lead for Nico Williams. I think, at the moment, Williams is closer to a move to Arsenal than Bayern Munich, as the Bundesliga club can’t be as concrete as they would like as things currently stand. Williams is still very high on the list at Bayern, but Max Eberl, head of sport, has to sell players first. They want to sell Kingsley Coman (linked to Tottenham, Newcastle and Saudi Arabia). If they can manage this, they could take the money and use it to help sign Williams. Serge Gnabry is also on the for-sale list, but no club is interested at the moment. So, Bayern have to wait and see if they can make a sale for Coman.

There’s also Leroy Sane’s situation to consider given he’ll be a free agent this summer. Bayern will then need one more left winger, which is why Nico Williams is the big idea in Munich. There are talks with Arsenal over Sane’s future and some Liverpool interest. Bayern will sit at the table but there’s no decision coming out of the club at the moment with regard to whether or not they’ll give him a new contract. If he does sign a new contract, he’ll have to do so for less than €20m per annum. Sane will decide what is in his best interests. Sane would like to stay at Bayern Munich, as he’s very close with Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala (both of whom have signed new contracts). They’re a close-knit group that would like to win the Champions League together, but, in the end, friendship doesn’t decide your future in football. It goes without saying that it tends to come down to the financial and sporting aspects.

❌Not True: Bayern were watching Gianluigi Donnarumma during PSG v Marseille: Footage emerged of Christoph Freund, Bayern’s sporting director, and head coach Vincent Kompany attending PSG’s Ligue 1 clash with Marseille. There was plenty of speculation over why they were there. Some claimed they were looking at Gianluigi Donnarumma - but that wasn’t true, they weren’t there to watch him. Bayern are still interested in Desire Doue, like in the summer, but he would be very expensive! There were rumours about Mason Greenwood originating in England, but I don’t believe in this. Perhaps they were, indeed, keeping an eye on Doue.

❌Not True: Bayern are interested in a move for Diogo Dalot. The player is considered too expensive at €40m. Noussair Mazraoui is playing in his position at the moment and he wasn’t considered good enough for Bayern Munich. Dalot can play on the opposite flank, but Bayern have Alphonso Davies, so there’s no chance for him there.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN

True✅: Xabi Alonso will decide on his future at Leverkusen this March. The bosses at Bayer Leverkusen are still hoping that he’ll do one more season at the club. Alonso’s still under contract and everyone is waiting for his decision; he knows he can’t wait too long, as the club has to plan - even in the case of Florian Wirtz’s future. They want to give the attacking midfielder a new contract as well but it’s also not done because, of course, it’s tied to Alonso’s situation. If Alonso stays for one more year, it’s easier to commit Wirtz to another season as well. Sebastian Hoeness is a concrete idea at Leverkusen, should Alonso depart the club in the summer. However, they’re not 100% sure they can get him because of interest elsewhere in his services. I think Hoeness is more highly rated as a potential successor than Oliver Glasner, for instance, but the fact remains that Alonso is Leverkusen’s No.1 candidate for the job - they’d like him to stay.

True✅: Leverkusen have decided between Patrik Schick and Victor Boniface with regard to which striker has a future at the club. Boniface is one they think they can sell but at the moment there’s nothing concrete on the table. They’re still waiting for a potential suitor to arise from the Premier League. For now, the eyes are on what Alexander Isak will do - is he going to Liverpool or not? If he does go, how will Newcastle respond? Eddie Howe’s side has one eye on Hugo Ekitike but Boniface could also be an option. So, this is what everybody is looking at. Watch out for a potential domino effect if Liverpool do sign Isak this summer.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Mo Salah & Benjamin Sesko]

READ our transfer roundup HERE

Today’s top stories

• Liverpool, Arsenal & Tottenham lurking around €60m Frankfurt star…

• Could Mo Salah sign for Bayern Munich this summer?

• Manchester City hold ‘advantage’ in battle for Florian Wirtz…

• And further updates on Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko, Rayan Cherki and more!

BAYERN MUNICH

True✅: Manchester City have an advantage in the race for Florian Wirtz. Bayern are still optimistic that they have a good chance for Wirtz. That said, they won’t make a move for him this summer; they’ve already decided they’ll go for him in 2026. It’s also the same case with Real Madrid. Everyone thinks he’s going to sign a new contract at Bayer Leverkusen, in the meantime, with a release clause for 2026. However, there’s one player in the market, and this is Manchester City, who are still keen to sign Wirtz this summer. We heard about some interesting movement from Giovanni Branchini, an agent who has worked with Bayern Munich in the past. He’s now involved in the deal and is trying to convince Wirtz to sign for City on behalf of the incumbent Premier League champions. So that’s an advantage for the English club at the moment. Inside Germany, we think it will take one year more, as Florian Wirtz is feeling comfortable at Leverkusen, not to mention, if Xabi Alonso stays another season, this could also influence his decision-making. Nonetheless, City continue to apply pressure!

True✅: Leroy Sane would need to take a serious wage cut to stay at Bayern. Sane has been performing really well in the last few weeks. Bayern Munich want to get salaries down, of course, partly to afford a potential move for Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz. Sane is one of the players they’re looking at to take a pay cut if he wants to extend his contract at the Allianz Arena. He’s currently on €20m - I think Bayern want this to be much lower. The club sees Sane in the range of players earning around €13m. If he would accept this, he has a chance to stay. Otherwise, Bayern will save their money for the big deals like Wirtz.

True✅: Bayern Munich pulled their offer for Joshua Kimmich. The bosses of Bayern didn’t like that he hesitated so long. So, last Monday (a week ago on February 24), the board had a meeting and decided that if he doesn’t accept the offer, they’d take it away - so they did! On Thursday, there was a meeting held between the Supervisory Board and Executive Board at Säbener Straße to make a final decision about a new contract for Kimmich. The player met the club halfway; now it seems like a contract extension is about to be announced very soon.

True✅: Bayern Munich remain interested in Viktor Gyokeres. Bayern doesn’t have so much money at the moment for transfers, but they know they need a substitute for Harry Kane. They’ve only got one striker and no one really knows if Thomas Muller will be playing next season. So, one striker wouldn’t be enough, which is why they have a list. Gyokeres is on the list, as is Benjamin Sesko. However, they have to sell some players. In this case, they hope Tottenham will be keen to pay the €60m transfer fee for Mathys Tel. If that happens, they’d be prepared to make a move for another striker, and potentially this would be Gyokeres. That all said, it’s worth pointing out that Bayern haven’t yet decided he’s their No.1 target; there are a few strikers on the list that are of interest. If Bayern get €60m for Tel, a move would be possible for Sesko, for instance, who’s valued at €70m.

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Tarek Buchmann (20) is in a very difficult situation; he’s coming out of an injury (about 540 days off due to this). So, now he played his first match and got injured again. There was an operation for his shoulder, so it’s naturally not the best moment for a transfer. He has to work on his comeback. Buchmann is an interesting player, also for the first-team squad at Bayern Munich as a potential backup for the back four.

True✅: Kingsley Coman is attracting Premier League interest. I heard about interest from Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham. Saudi Arabia is also a topic at the moment. I personally wouldn’t sell him at Bayern Munich, but if you want to change the squad, you have to sell someone!

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN

❌Not True: German clubs are looking at Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman. I heard noise that perhaps Liverpool could be an option, but there’s nothing concrete with German teams at the moment. Nothing I heard on this.

ARSENAL

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Johan Bakayoko & Antony]

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Today’s top stories

• Could Bayern move for Manchester United forward Antony this summer?

• Will Dortmund struggle to beat out Premier League competition for Johan Bakayoko?

• Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United have RB Leipzig sensation on their radar…

• And further updates on Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Victor Boniface and more!

BAYERN MUNICH

Jamal Musiala has now signed his contract until 2030. Alongside Harry Kane, he will now become the team's top earner with an estimated €25m per year. His contract contains two exit clauses. He can leave the club in 2028 for €175m. In 2029, he can leave for €100m. The bosses at FC Bayern have accepted this, as there have only ever been two players in football history who have moved for a higher transfer fee: Neymar (from Barcelona to PSG for €222m) and Kylian Mbappé (from Monaco to PSG for €180m). And one year before the end of his contract, €100m is also high compensation.

❌Not True: Bayern Munich are interested in signing Phil Foden. The player is too expensive for Bayern. The board has not given Max Eberl the okay to buy new players. He has to sell before he can go for new stars.

❌Not True: Bayern want to sign Antony. FC Bayern already had the chance to sign the player once. But those responsible were not one hundred per cent convinced. That's still the case today. Moreover, like Foden, he would currently be too expensive.

True✅: Bayern Munich are preparing for several summer sales. There are four main candidates: Leon Goretzka (market value €22m), Serge Gnabry (€35m), Kingsley Coman (€35m) and Spaniard Bryan Zaragoza (€12m), who is on loan to Osasuna, could fetch Bayern over €100m. Raphael Guerreiro (€10m), Sacha Boey (€18m), and Joao Palhinha (€50m) are also not considered absolutely unsellable if the right offers are made. Bayern have to sell if they want to go for players like Jamie Gittens (Dortmund) or Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea).

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❌Not True: Bayern are worried about Harry Kane leaving. He feels very much at home both at the club and in Munich. That's why he didn't use his exit clause of €80m in the winter, which was valid only for a summer exit in 2025. Now it is no longer valid. The next time the clause will only become valid again next winter, then for summer 2026 and at a lower amount. Kane is said to have had the clause inserted into his contract in case he wants a return to England. That is why the contract also includes a matching right for Tottenham.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN

❌Not True: Bayer Leverkusen could keep hold of Jonathan Tah beyond the summer. Leverkusen bosses have been informed that the defender will leave the club in the summer. He will then be a free agent. FC Bayern will not make him an offer. The announcement of his move to FC Barcelona is only a matter of time.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Xavi Simons & Florian Wirtz]

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Today’s top stories

• Could Xavi Simons be off to the Premier League at the end of the season?

• Will BOTH Florian Wirtz and Xabi Alonso stay at Bayer Leverkusen for another year?

• What’s next for Bayern Munich prodigy Mathys Tel this summer?

• And further updates on Jamie Gittens, Rayan Cherki, Karim Adeyemi and more!

BAYERN MUNICH

True✅: Bayern would have liked to have sold Mathys Tel in the January transfer window. In fact, they were very disappointed that, at the last moment, Tel said, ‘No’ to a permanent move to Tottenham. That was before the weekend, but during the weekend it seems he wanted to stay at Bayern Munich. So, this is how the loan deal with Tottenham eventually came about. Tottenham were really fighting for this release clause - Bayern initially refused and then agreed on a €60m release clause. Bayern see it as a success that they managed to agree a big loan fee, which could rise to €10m, which is a lot for only six months. If they manage to then sell Tel in the summer, by their calculations they could earn as much as €70m, which would mean they’d get a lot of money back from their Harry Kane purchase (€100m) back in 2023. If you think about it that way, they would have only spent €30m for Kane - that’s cheap!

There were also talks with Manchester United who were interested in Mathys Tel’s signature. Tel was certainly open to the move, but United weren’t prepared to pay the loan fee Bayern Munich were demanding at the time (€5m). So, you see, there was a huge difference to the offer Tottenham came to the table with. Whether Tel stays with Bayern beyond the summer or moves on, it’s entirely up to him. If he can make the step to United, he would like to do it. If he sees a chance at Bayern Munich, perhaps he would also stay, but I think it’s hard for him, as he didn’t make it under Vincent Kompany. So, I think if he is performing very well, he will stay in the Premier League. If he doesn’t, he has to go back to Bayern and start again. All in all, though, Bayern are the big winners in this case, as he wasn’t getting game time in Munich, so they’ll get some money from the loan, they don’t have to pay his salary, and, in the end, they get either a transfer fee or a player with Premier League experience. A good solution!

BAYER LEVERKUSEN

True✅: Victor Boniface is very disappointed after his transfer to Saudi Arabia fell through. He could have earned €45m a year (net) for three years. It was hard for him. It’s worth pointing out that Leverkusen would have also received a sum of €70m from Al-Nassr. The club was fine with this outcome, of course, given they didn’t want to sell him in the first place. That said, they would have agreed on an exit for a fee of about €50m or more. Leverkusen is, ultimately, a selling club, so this would have been a good deal for everyone. But in the end, Xabi Alonso is very happy to keep this player, as he has plenty of quality. On Thursday, Boniface scored an extra-time winner against Cologne to send Leverkusen through to the semi-final of the DFB Pokal. So, he’s still very important for the club. Because he’s worrying a little, the club is thinking about getting him a new contract with better conditions and extended by a year.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Rayan Cherki & Jamie Gittens]

LISTEN to the Debrief here!

Today’s top stories

• Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United will battle with Bayern for Bundesliga sensation!

• Are Arsenal after a Bayern transfer target?

• Will Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund win Marcus Rashford’s signature in January?

• And further updates on Elye Wahi, Jamal Musiala, Kevin Schade and more!

BAYERN MUNICH

❌Not True: Mathys Tel could be the successor of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Napoli. Tel does not want to be loaned out nor does he want to think about his future until the summer transfer window.

True✅: Bayern have Rayan Cherki on their shortlist. The club is interested in the player. Lyon would be prepared to sell him in the winter for around €22m, but FC Bayern does not want to make a deal in January; Cherki is looking like a stronger candidate for the summer. The two clubs have a good relationship in part because Michael Gerlinger - who previously worked with Bayern for 18 years - is now the Global Football Director of the Eagle Football Holdings group, of which Olympique Lyonnais is a part.

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True✅: Jonas Urbig wants to join Bayern Munich in the winter. The club and player have agreed on a move, however, FC Köln remain involved in the poker with Bayern over the transfer fee after two offers were already rejected. Köln are holding out for a fee of €10m, whilst Bayern have only committed €5m so far.

❌Not True: Barcelona could sign Jamal Musiala in the summer. Musiala and Bayern have all but agreed on a contract extension until 2030. All that remains are the financial aspects of the deal still under negotiation, however, the final details are expected to be agreed soon. There is also said to be an exit clause of €175m being negotiated in the contract.

True✅: Bayern are still interested in signing Christopher Nkunku in the summer. Sporting director Max Eberl is still keen on the player, but he has to make a few sales first to help facilitate this - including potential exits for stars like Kingsley Coman or Serge Gnabry. If Leroy Sané does not agree a new contract, this would increase Bayern’s chances of signing Nkunku, as the club would end up saving €20m per year for their wage budget.

True✅: Bayern could agree a new contract with Alphonso Davies in the near future. The club and player have agreed on a new contract running until 2030. The only thing missing is Davies’ signature! The next meeting is scheduled for the beginning of next week. The agreement is said to be for a salary of €15m plus €5m in bonuses. A handout of €20m is also planned.

True✅: There was contact between Joshua Kimmich and Real Madrid! Real is the club that would appeal the most, ahead of Liverpool and Manchester City, in the event he was to depart the Allianz Arena. This is very important to him; Kimmich wants a team with which he can win the Champions League in the next few years. That’s why he’s listening to what the La Liga giants are offering ahead of potentially becoming a free agent in the summer. Bayern are still in talks with him over a new contract and several rounds have already taken place.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Omar Marmoush & Viktor Gyökeres]

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Today’s top stories

• Where do Bayern stand with Manchester United target Viktor Gyökeres?

• European giants considering a move for Marcus Rashford…

• Could Omar Marmoush move to the Premier League in January?

• And further updates on Joshua Kimmich, Jobe Bellingham, Alphonso Davies and more!

BAYERN MUNICH

True✅: Bayern Munich have signed Los Angeles FC footballer Bajung Darboe. Bayern’s recruitment team were already working on a deal with the MLS club back in November to bring the 18-year-old to Germany. However, at that point, an agreement had yet to be finalised, with Bayern initially refraining from making an obligation. Things have changed since, with the transfer of the versatile forward back on the table. Darboe is now set to make his switch to Munich in the January transfer window for around €1.5m, with the bulk of his playing minutes likely to come with FC Bayern Munich II.

❌Not True: Bayern will compete with Manchester United for Viktor Gyökeres’ signature this winter. We first reported on the record Bundesliga champions’ interest back in November. Nonetheless, it’s now understood that Bayern aren’t prepared to commit to a transfer of this magnitude in the winter window. Though, Gyökeres will remain a topic for the summer. Whilst the player supposedly has a release clause valued at €100m, Sporting Lisbon are said to have reached a gentleman’s agreement with the striker and assured him that they would prepared to accept a fee of “only” €75m-85m. PSG, it’s worth pointing out, are also interested in the Swede, whilst Manchester United’s interest is especially prominent.

True✅: Bayern are trying to extend Alphonso Davies’ contract this week. The Canada international’s (24) agent, Nick Househ, is in Munich this week to negotiate a contract extension with FC Bayern. The sports directors Max Eberl (51) and Christoph Freund (47) are suddenly very positive about finally being able to agree a new contract with the left-back, whose contract expires in the summer. Davies could be the first domino of some important contracts that Bayern want to extend. That includes Jamal Musiala (21) and Joshua Kimmich (29), for whom Bayern are fighting for. Davies would be a notable success given that top clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United are also trying to get him. Bayern want a decision as quickly as possible before the agent meets with the other clubs.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

❌Not True: Dortmund are still favourites to sign Jobe Bellingham. As early as November, the BVB bosses around managing director Lars Ricken (48) and sports director Sebastian Kehl (44) showed interest in the “Mini-Bellingham”. Contact is likely to be maintained between the Bellingham family and Dortmund. However, Sunderland’s sizeable financial demands are problematic - the Championship outfit are reportedly looking for a fee in excess of €20m (€2m over his current market value) for the Englishman’s services. Crystal Palace are allegedly prepared to meet this figure, whilst Dortmund feel this is too big a fee to commit to a project player.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Marcus Rashford & Joshua Kimmich]

LISTEN to the Debrief here!

Today’s top stories

• Are Bayern interested in signing Marcus Rashford from Manchester United?

• Do Liverpool have a chance of beating Real Madrid and Man Utd to Alphonso Davies?

• West Ham may have a solution to their Niclas Füllkrug problem…

• And further updates on Joshua Kimmich, Randal Kolo Muani, Jeremie Frimpong and more!

There’s a very interesting discussion taking place in Germany at the moment. You have Thomas Tuchel, now the national coach with England, who was the subject of some heavy criticism during his time at Bayern Munich. However, on paper, he was two points better off in the Bundesliga at this point in the league; he was performing better in the Champions League; and both coaches (Vincent Kompany and Tuchel) were out of the DFB Pokal at this stage. So, you see, Tuchel, by comparison, was performing slightly better. When you talk to players in the Bayern squad, Kompany is appreciated a little more by comparison. The feeling is better inside the club, because he’s closer to the players than Tuchel was. So, there’s a bit of a debate as to who performed better at Bayern Munich. What’s interesting by this point as well is the tactical side of the debate.

Tuchel made big moves establishing Eric Dier and Matthijs de Ligt in the heart of his backline, whilst putting Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano on the bench. However, he was very successful in the Champions League. This was his big selling point as a cup coach. On the playing style side of things, Kompany’s style is more attractive. That said, in the top matches against the biggest sides - the Belgian has struggled! He lost against Barcelona, he couldn’t beat Dortmund, Frankfurt or Leverkusen (losing against Xabi Alonso’s men in the cup). The only team he beat at this level was PSG. This is the one things fans and commentators are keeping an eye on. Will he be able to raise Bayern’s level in the biggest games? Overall, analysing the whole performance, things looked slightly better under Tuchel. However, despite the fact Tuchel’s side was two points ahead in the league in 2023/24, Bayern now find themselves four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga in 2024/25 (albeit without having to deal with as challenging a Bayer Leverkusen side). Even if Vincent Kompany’s men lose against Leipzig today, they’re still going to be top of the tree going into January. So, it’s an interesting debate!

It’s too early to tell, as far as making a clear evaluation is concerned. I like the style under Kompany and I hear a lot of good things from the players. I think it’s always the most important thing to have the dressing room behind you as a coach - he has this! But, that’s Bayern Munich. If you lose in the big matches in the Champions League, things can get difficult.

BAYERN MUNICH

True✅: Jonas Urbig is still on the shortlist at Bayern Munich. In last week’s column, we talked about Bart Verbruggen at Brighton. The problem Bayern have is that they’re searching for a new goalkeeper who is okay with sitting on the bench, as, according to our information, Manuel Neuer will sign a new contract until 2026. Daniel Peretz wants playing time, so Bayern are thinking of guaranteeing this by securing a loan deal in the summer. So, they need a No.2. Sven Ulreich will go back into the No.3 position if he’s still at the club by that point. So, yes, Urbig is one of these players that Bayern are keeping in mind, but there’s still a question of whether he would be open to being a backup goalkeeper. We have one example, Alexander Nübel, who was always No.2 behind Neuer when he came in from Schalke. He’s now on loan at Stuttgart. It’s very hard for a young player to have this position behind Neuer, but you can also learn a lot if you stay and then get a loan deal. Bayern are very keen at the moment on the loan deal model with the goalkeeper position because it’s working for them.

True✅: Bayern Munich have made a decision that Kingsley Coman is not for sale this winter. Newcastle were always interested, but Bayern feel that his recent injury means they won’t get a good price for his services. Kompany also decided that he needs Coman’s quality to get results and hit various key targets throughout the season, so he has to stay until the summer. The player is also keen to stay put. Then, in the summer transfer window, there will be a new decision.

True✅: Manchester City are interested in Joshua Kimmich. Pep Guardiola has been given the green light to go shopping in the upcoming window to fill the gap left by Rodri’s ACL injury. Kimmich could play this position, but the problem is that he won’t be for sale in the winter. Guardiola, of course, was the coach who made Kimmich into a big star, having brought him into the team from RB Leipzig, and eventually gave him his first-team debut, back in 2015. There is still a relationship and it’s worth pointing out that he’s still yet to sign a new contract at Bayern. Kimmich is certainly open to hearing other offers, potentially from other clubs like Barcelona. Hansi Flick, also a former coach at Bayern Munich, is interested. Pep Guardiola, it seems, as well. Kimmich previously made a significant change to his management behind the scenes and is the only professional, at this level, who is his own agent. So, he’s talking about his contract with Bayern directly. But, he’s now got a new agent on his team, Thomas Behesti, the former team manager at the German national team. He’ll do many things for Joshua Kimmich, like marketing. He’ll still make his own decisions regarding contracts but now you see there is an agent if someone has an interest in getting in touch with Kimmich. Behesti, of course, from his prior role, has a network to rely upon. So, Kimmich is not only focused on Bayern Munich. It’s not his only solution, but I think it’s his still favourite one for the time being.

💬 Who should Man City try and sign if they can’t get Kimmich in January?

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BAYER LEVERKUSEN

True✅: Leverkusen are in concrete talks about Florian Wirtz’s new contract until 2028. It’s not signed yet and they are still in talks. The family, who are his agents (his mother and father), see it as a positive thing if he can develop at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year. I know we have the World Cup in 2026, and at the moment it’s not clear if anyone will pay this €130m-150m price tag this summer, so this could ensure he stays. But there also rumours, and only rumours at this stage because nothing is signed (he has no release clause in his old contract), that if he signs he won’t make the same mistake as last time when Bayern Munich were in talks with him about a move to Säbener Straße. At that point, he had signed a contract without a release clause. This time, it’s said there are talks underway about including a release clause for top clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich. But, they’re still in talks, so there’s nothing concrete just yet. This could be the key, however, in ensuring that he does sign a new contract with Leverkusen.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

❌Not True: That Dortmund have lost faith in Nuri Şahin despite the fact the club is underperforming in 2024/25. They want to get back to the top under Şahin. With a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, he proved that Dortmund can still play at a top level, whilst the results secured in the Champions League so far are also okay. They’re still close to the top and could qualify directly to the Round of 16. This is not normal in this new format. Dortmund want to work with Şahin until the summer at the very least rather than have to fire another coach.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Jamal Musiala & Jeremie Frimpong]

LISTEN to the Debrief here!

Today’s top stories

• Do Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City still have a chance of signing Jamal Musiala?

• Real Madrid gain significant boost to hopes of signing Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz…

• Liverpool make their move with Jeremie Frimpong’s agent…

• And further updates on Leroy Sane, Xavi Simons, Ralf Rangnick and more!

BAYERN MUNICH

❌Not True: That Bayern Munich want to sign Loris Karius. The situation at Bayern is a little complicated. Manuel Neuer is injured (broken rib) at the moment. So, there are big discussions as to what they’ll do. Now, they’ve decided they won’t go for a new goalkeeper in January - which is bad news for former Liverpool goalkeeper Karius, who was previously linked. He’s out. Daniel Peretz is doing very well now and everyone in the club, especially the player himself, sees that he needs playing time, as he’s only the backup for Neuer. Bayern want to arrange a loan during the summer transfer window in order to ensure he’s getting first-team minutes. With that in mind, they’ll need a new backup ‘keeper for Neuer. Which is why they’ve had a look at Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen who’s very highly rated on the shortlist. There were ideas of getting Giorgi Mamardashvili as a new No.1, but Liverpool were simply quicker to the punch here. Now Bayern have decided they need a good goalkeeper behind Neuer because of his injury. Perhaps they need one who can also become a No.1. Manuel Neuer will sign a new contract until 2026 (but this isn’t official yet), so they want a goalkeeper on a good level, if he has to play, as Neuer is getting older. Don’t think of it as a No.2 goalkeeper but a No.1(a).

True✅: That Bayern are due for a second round of talks with Jamal Musiala over a contract and salary offer. I heard there was a meeting in September to discuss a contract extension for Musiala. They just talked about the future, what the team could be, what he wanted, and that he should be the face of the team (and a No.10). However, they didn’t discuss money. Now, ahead of Christmas, there will be the second round of talks and this time, Bayern will offer him numbers. The negotiations haven’t been about money until this point. Musiala is expecting a salary of over €20m (gross per year). The question is whether or not he’ll be the top earner at the club. At the moment, it’s Harry Kane (on over €20m and everyone expects he can earn up to €24m with add-ons). If Jamal Musiala accepts this offer, things can progress very quickly. He’d be off the market with no chance for the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United or Liverpool. Bayern will do everything in their power to ensure he signs a new contract.

True✅: That Alphonso Davies won’t make a decision on a new contract with Bayern before the new year. It was planned around the match with PSG that Davies’ agent, Nick Huoseh, would fly in for talks, but he cancelled. There was then just a video meeting, but Max Eberl, the head of sport at Bayern, didn’t take part. I heard Huoseh was a little irritated at Eberl’s no-show. Bayern are nonetheless very optimistic that Davies will now sign a new contract, as he would like to stay. However, the latest development on the agent side is that Nick Huoseh is very angry, and now I heard they want to wait until January for the next talks because they have arranged meetings with Manchester United and Real Madrid to hear out their offers. From January 1, they’re free to officially begin talks with other clubs over a pre-contract agreement. Davies is injured at the moment, so there’s no hurry for them to make a decision now. Bayern is naturally putting pressure on the player and his entourage to sign before January 1, but it seems that a decision won’t take place ahead of the new year. Real Madrid are not offering so much more than Bayern Munich at the moment, so there’s an opening for United here.

True✅: That Bayern are working on a deal for Tom Bischof whose contract expires in the summer of 2025. RB Leipzig and Frankfurt are also interested, so I think Bayern are applying a lot of pressure to complete this move. He would be perfect for the midfield, but of course the other clubs can perhaps offer more playing time. You have to have him on the list for the future; he could be important for Germany and he’s a talent. Would he like to play? Or would he like to have the challenge at Bayern Munich?

BAYER LEVERKUSEN

True✅: That Florian Wirtz now has Toni Kroos’ agent on his team. Florian Wirtz signed a new contract with Pepsi - he’s now one of the successors of Lionel Messi. The interesting point to make here is that, normally, his agent is his father, Hans-Joachim Wirtz. However as part of the merchandising deal, they put Volker Struth on the team. This is the agent of Kroos - so you see, if you want a transfer to Real Madrid, it isn’t a bad idea to have him onboard. I also still think there’s a big chance for Manchester City, as Pep Guardiola signed a new contract until 2026. Bayern Munich are also doing everything they can to get this player. Nonetheless, you see that now it has become a three-way race between these clubs to sign him next year.

💬 Where will Florian Wirtz end up this summer?

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❌Not True: That there’s an agreement with Barcelona for Jonathan Tah. Bayern Munich are still in the race for the defender and Max Eberl would like to have him as a player. At the end of the prior summer, he almost came to Munich but Leverkusen wanted €25m whilst Bayern offered €20m. He’ll be a free agent in the summer, which of course is an interesting prospect for Barcelona. At the moment, it seems to be a race between Bayern Munich and Barcelona, whilst Real Madrid are behind at the moment.

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[From left to right: Christian Falk, Florian Wirtz & Trent Alexander-Arnold]

LISTEN to the Debrief here!

Today’s top stories

• Liverpool have already identified a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold…

• Mikel Arteta’s relationship with one player is not as amazing as some may think…

• Why Real Madrid are angry amid Alphonso Davies pursuit…

• And further updates on Florian Wirtz, Leroy Sane, Nadiem Amiri and more!

ARSENAL

With regard to Leroy Sane and a possible reunion with former Manchester City employee Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, some always thought, “Ah well, they know each other”, and so perhaps this could be a little like Vincent Kompany and Sane who played together. However, I’ve heard that the connection is not so strong. Leroy Sane always had a few problems at City because of his training mentality. So, Arteta and Sane are not so close. I’ve been asking Leroy if he still has Arteta’s mobile number and he said, ‘No.’ It’s not so big an advantage that they simply know each other. We’ll have to see if he gets a new contract with Bayern Munich. I have the feeling that Sane would accept less than the €20m he’s currently on. With Manchester United and Arsenal, there’s still nothing concrete.

ASTON VILLA

I heard that Aston Villa had their scouts at the match against Mainz v Borussia Dortmund (which Mainz won 3-1). So you see they are concretely interested in Nadiem Amiri and the player himself would like to make this step, as he wants to return to the German national team. That’s why he perhaps needs a bigger club than Mainz. I’ve heard the club will let him go for a fee of €10m or more, not less. There’s no chance of a winter move I’m afraid, he’ll have to stay until the summer. But perhaps with Villa’s interest, there can be a little story for the future.

BAYERN MUNICH

As we mentioned in the last column, Alphonso Davies spoke in the dressing room about a new contract offer from Bayern. At this current point in time, he’s yet to sign it, so Bayern are working on a shortlist of replacements, as they think he’ll leave. On the shortlist are two names: RB Leipzig’s David Raum and AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez (whose brother, Lucas, was at Bayern). Bayern Munich, notably, already knocked on Theo’s door in the summer. So, you see that a transfer exit is very likely for Davies. Real Madrid, as things currently stand, are still a little bit angry about the transfer poker. The agents are dealing with other clubs, which could be all the chance Manchester United need to come to the table. However, I heard that United are still waiting on Ruben Amorim and what he’s planning to do in the January window. He wants to work with the squad first and then make a decision. After that, they could get really serious about Alphonso Davies.

💬 Manchester United fans: What should be Ruben Amorim’s biggest priority in the transfer market? Have your say below!

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