Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich, Arsenal battling over Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, too; FC Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski talks Harry Kane’s record-breaking form; Manchester United, Juventus among teams eyeing Joshua Zirkzee; and MORE!
According to a report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC might not just be battling on the Champions League pitch.
Real Sociedad defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi is a prime transfer target for both clubs, but Bayern Munich’s willingness to seriously pursue the 25-year-old will likely depend on who the club hires as its next coach:
Understand Martin Zubimendi remains on Arsenal list; and he was on top of Bayern list in case Xabi Alonso was gonna become their new coach.
Bayern still appreciate Zubimendi as one of the targets but final decision will be up to next manager.
It’s all quiet with Barça.
Romano later added more detail, indicating that Arsenal leads Bayern Munich in the race for Zubimendi (as captured by @iMiaSanMia):
Arsenal are now ahead of Bayern in the race for Zubimendi, since Bayern’s interest in the midfielder now depends on their new manager. If they had prevailed in their aim to appoint Xabi Alonso, Bayern would have chased Zubimendi aggressively.
When asked which coach influenced him the most, Bayern Munich loanee Gabriel Vidović had an interesting response.
“Julian Nagelsmann brought me into the first team when I was 17, I owe him a lot. But my most important coach was Martin Demichelis. He’s a great person and his knowledge of football is impressive. I enjoyed playing under him,” Vidović told Spox journalist Nino Duit.
Vidović, of course, is spending his season with Dinamo Zagreb.
After falling victim to a trap game against Heidenheim over the weekend, Bayern Munich now needs to shift focus to its Champions League match against Arsenal FC.
At a time where it has to ramp things up to face a very strong Gunners side, the Bavarians are fading. While there should be a slew of players returning from injury available to dress against Arsenal, it remains to be seen just how many will play a key role.
With everything else lost in the season, Bayern Munich should be on a mission to push its Champions League as far as it possibly can. Here is what we have on tap for the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show:
- Some thoughts on the recent form of each team.
- Updates on injured Bayern Munich players
- Will a loss trigger Bayern Munich’s rumored caretaker plan?
- A guess at Thomas Tuchel’s potential starting XI and why he should keep things the same.
- A prediction on the match.
AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan might be looking to take advantage of rumored interest from Bayern Munich:
Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan currently wants a big salary upgrade, if he is to sign a new deal at the Serie A giants in the near future.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (via TMW) state today that Maignan’s future at Milan remains uncertain, especially due to the interest of Bayern Munich as they seek a long-term replacement for Manuel Neuer. Maignan will be able to earn a big salary if he joins Bayern and Milan want at least €100 million to sell him but they initially need to address the renewal situation.
The Frenchman wants a big raise in his salary. He currently earns €3.2 million per season and Milan know that he wants much more, with Samuel Chukwueze and Ruben Loftus-Cheek earning more than him already.
FC Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has watched Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane make a serious run at his Bundesliga goalscoring record and was asked whether he’s concerned Harry Kane may break it.
In typical Lewandowski fashion, he indicated that it might not matter to him because he scored his 41 goals in just 29 games.
“I’m going to say it a bit differently. I’m looking at how many goals Harry is scoring and what his numbers are at this stage. I kind of thought, I scored 41 goals in 29 games that season. That’s the value I was looking at. Looking at Harry, how he’s scoring those goals and how many he’s already got, then I looked at my stats later on. I had broken the record by playing in 29 games,” Lewandowski said. “I’ll be honest and say that with even more appreciation for that record. I’m proud of it. 41 goals in 29 games. I looked at it more in that context, rather than whether the record will be broken or not. The reality is that the season is still on, there are still games to play. It’s not an easy task, but Harry Kane is really scoring a lot of goals – but I’m even more proud to have broken that record in 29 games. That’s how I approach it.”
A trip to London awaits Bayern Munich; does Bayern Munich have anything left in the tank to tackle Arsenal, especially an Arsenal side that is on course to win the Premier League table. In this podcast, we look at the following:
- The Heidenheim mess one more time and what it means for the team
- Bayern’s upcoming fixtures as there is a real question mark over Champions League football
- Max Eberl’s comments and where the board might have gone wrong in terms of their comments about the current situation
- Why the board’s decisions might have led to the current debacle
- A preview of the Arsenal tie
- A look at the Arsenal tie and a few thoughts on Arsenal’s season so far
- Where Bayern stands ahead of the Champions League tie against Arsenal injury-wise and mentality-wise
Arsenal, Juventus, and Manchester United all have interest in former Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee. The latest news indicates that he favors a move to AC Milan, though, so those clubs could be out of luck:
Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee is prioritising a switch to AC Milan this summer despite receiving an offer from Man Utd. Arsenal and Juventus have also expressed their interest in the 22-year-old.
Bayern Munich executive Max Eberl had a lot to say after the team was stunned by Heidenheim last weekend, but he also still knows the potential of the group. This is still a team with the talent to win a Champions League crown, even if the odds seems long.
“We will all give our all for that. That we as a club advance against Arsenal in the Champions League. That Thomas is given the big challenge of being able to play against Real Madrid or Manchester City and then reach the final. We will give him all the support we can. That is our goal. I already know the club very well, but I have not yet held the trophies that the people here have been able to lift up. That is why I’m motivated to achieve something extraordinary here. Thomas too, I know that for sure. That would be the icing on the cake for him in his time at Bayern,” said Eberl.
Eh…not sure Tuchel can help Bayern Munich push this one over the line.
After getting upset by Borussia Dortmund last week, Bayern Munich is a club grasping at straws for this season and the future.
There is still great talent on the roster, but how it functions for the rest of this season and if it will even be around next season remain to be seen. With so many storylines going on, there was plenty to talk about, so let’s get to it.
Here is what we have on tap for this episode of the Weekend Warm-up Show:
- Is it impossible for Bayern Munich to take down Arsenal FC in the Champions League at this point?
- Are Bayern Munich players missing the necessary hunger and edge required to win at the highest levels?
- The field is narrowing for Bayern Munich’s coaching search and there still is no clear leader in the clubhouse. As the days go by, could Hansi Flick end up being the choice, who makes the most sense?
- Why Flick could really be the right guy to take the helm.
- Breaking down the second to last episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.