🚨 Christian Falk's Fact Files - Nico Williams is closer to Arsenal move than Bayern Munich
Today's exclusive transfer round-up from Bundesliga insider Christian Falk, featuring Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool and more
[From left to right: Christian Falk, Nico Schlotterbeck & Jeremie Frimpong]
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…
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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