Daily Schmankerl: Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal eyeing Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala; Bayern to ramp up pursuit of FC Barcelona’s Ronald Araújo if Matthijs de Ligt leaves; Bayern, Real Madrid, Barca battling for Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães?; + MORE!
Bayern Munich needs to stay healthy.
Bayern Munich has given no indication that it would let Jamal Musiala leave the club.
That fact, however, is not stopping Chelsea FC, Arsenal FC, and Liverpool FC from planning to take a run at the attacking midfielder this summer:
Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly keen on signing the Bayern Munich attacker Jamal Musiala. The 20-year-old is capable of operating as a central attacking midfielder as well as a center-forward. He is versatile enough to slot into the wide areas as well.
The German international has contributed to seven goals and three assists across all competitions this season and he has the attributes to develop into a world-class attacker. According to a report from Fichajes, the three Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on his contract situation and they could look to make a move for him soon.
There have been negotiations with the German club regarding a new contract, but the two parties have failed to reach an agreement. Naturally, there has been speculation surrounding Musiala’s long-term future at the German club. Chelsea could certainly use a quality attacker like him and Musiala would add some much-needed cutting edge in the final third. He will add goals and creativity to the side. Furthermore, the 20-year-old is likely to improve further with coaching and experience, and he could be a long-term asset for Mauricio Pochettino.
Musiala going to back to Chelsea would be something, eh? It seems very unlikely that the Germany international would leave Bayern Munich this summer, but how the rest of this season plays could play a big role in the futures of several players…maybe even Musiala.
Are the futures of Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and FC Barcelona’s Ronald Araújo tied together?
If you believe that Bayern Munich is ready to break the bank for Araújo then you can probably buy into it. De Ligt’s future at Bayern Munich seems a little uncertain at this point regardless of what happens between the club and Araújo, though:
Despite being one of the most reliable defenders in the current FC Barcelona squad, Ronald Araujo has frequently been linked with other top European sides in the last few weeks.
Bayern Munich have been keenly interested in the defender, and Thomas Tuchel has him as the priority target to improve his team’s defensive line for the next season. Manchester United have also now entered the race for the defender, and are trying to lure him to Old Trafford, but Araujo has already rejected such a proposal. For now, Bayern Munich lead the race for the Uruguayan’s signature, and while Barcelona have refused to negotiate for the defender, movements in the Bavarian club can have a significant impact on Araujo’s future.
As SPORT has reported, there is one Bayern Munich player whose future can have important implications for Araujo’s future, i.e., Matthijs de Ligt. The report mentions that the Netherlands international can ask to leave the current Bundesliga champions next summer as he has not enjoyed the prominence that he expected when he moved to the club. If De Ligt leaves Bayern, Munich will once again push for his signature next summer, and they can pay even up to €100 million for the Uruguayan defender in such a scenario.
Bayern Munich got off to a winning start for the second half of the season as it downed Hoffenheim 3-0 in a match that was sometimes frustrating for fans of the Bavarians.
Defensively, Bayern Munich was very solid for most of the match, but did — perhaps — get a little lucky. Attacking-wise, Bayern Munich left something to be desire for portions of the game, but did manage to look sensational at other points.
Let’s see what Marcus and Chuck have to say about the match. Here is what we have on tap:
- A look at the starting XI, which saw Leon Goretzka sent to the bench in favor of Raphaël Guerreiro:
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.
- Takes on how Bayern Munich played, what was good…what needs some work.
- Why Hoffenheim was a tough match-up and could surprise some people in the second half of the season.
- Some thoughts on the Eric Dier transfer.
Former Bayern Munich winger Ivan Perišić is working his way back from a torn ACL with Tottenham Hotspur, but is drawing interest from Croatian side HNK Hajduk Split:
Hadjuk Split are still intent on signing Ivan Perisic, who is recovering from an ACL tear, from Tottenham.
Say what?
Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid are reportedly competing for Newcastle United defensive midfielder Bruno Guimarães:
Newcastle United face the threat of being forced to sell one of their most prized assets amid Financial Fair Play concerns and Brazil international Bruno Guimarães is one such player. The midfielder has been one the Magpies’ most impressive performers since joining from Ligue 1 side Lyon in January 2022 and he is wanted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
FootballTransfers understand that Guimarães’ ultimate ambition is to join Barcelona and the Blaugrana are interested in signing him to finally acquire a long-term heir to the departed Sergio Busquets.
Furthermore, sources have informed us that Barca and Real Madrid will be able to purchase Guimarães for less than his €116 million (£100m) release clause, but Liverpool, Chelsea and any other interested Premier League clubs will have to activate that clause if they want to sign the Brazilian.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are crying out for an upgrade on Leon Goretzka to partner Joshua Kimmich in the middle of the park and Guimaraes is the perfect candidate. His ability in possession can’t be questioned – see his assist for Alexander Isak against Manchester City as proof – while he combines that with defensive tenacity which is sometimes lacking in Kimmich’s game.
The Brazilian isn’t as much of an athlete as Goretzka in terms of his running power, but he has excelled in a deep number six role at St James’ Park, despite suiting a number eight role slightly more. Placing him next to Kimmich would help unleash Guimarães’ attacking potential, while still maintaining all the attributes that have been on full display since joining Newcastle.
Paris Saint-Germain has also been linked to Guimarães, but any links between Bayern Munich and the midfielder are both surprisingly and hard to believe.
Is Liverpool FC trying to make a late run at Paris Saint-Germain defender Nordi Mukiele?
At least one report is point that way:
Liverpool are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong but it would be a very typical transfer move to see them hijack Bayern Munich talks for Nordi Mukiele. The French fullback is highly likely to move to the Allianz Arena this month after Eric Dier joined the Bavarians.
Talks to sign Mukiele are said to be “advancing positively” but with the 26-year-old able to play anywhere across the back line, he strikes me as the type of player Jurgen Klopp would love.
Naturally a right back, he can play in central defence as well as on the opposite flank at left back. Joe Gomez is doing a similar job for the Reds this season but is far better in his natural centre back role. Even better, Mukiele can also play as a right-sided midfielder which would give Liverpool a range of options for mid-game tactical changes.
Bayern Munich gets back to action on the pitch this weekend, but the rumor mill is providing much of the electricity surrounding the team this week.
Given all of that, we have a lot of topics to cover, so let’s get to it:
- Grass be damned, the NFL is coming back to the Allianz Arena.
- Eric Dier is in Germany…now what?
- A move for João Palhinha is off the table…for now.
- Alphonso Davies and Real Madrid just seems like it is going to happen.
- Joshua Kimmich to Paris Saint-Germain? That probably will not happen, but let’s explore those rumors and what they could ultimately mean for the Germany’s international’s future in Bavaria.
- Arijon Ibrahimović could be leaving, while Joshua Zirkzee could come back?
- A look at the latest episode of Fargo, along with where things are in the great “Marvel Odyssey.”
Former Bayern Munich prospect Kenan Yildiz has not had a smooth ride at Juventus as of yet and Liverpool FC could be ready to make a push for the 18-year-old (though it does not sound like Juve wants to sell):
Liverpool have allegedly lodged a significant offer to snap up Juventus star Kenan Yildiz to bolster their attack in the January transfer window. Earlier last Saturday (January 13), Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Liverpool, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund have enquired about signing Yildiz this month. But, the Bianconeri rejected all approaches.
Now, according to a latest report from the aforesaid website, the Reds have tabled a ‘huge cash bid’ to sign the 18-year-old versatile forward. However, Juventus have reportedly rejected the Premier League club’s offer since they are not interested in offloading the player this January.
Yildiz, who is said to be valued at over £34 million, has emerged as a hot prospect in the ongoing season. He has netted thrice in 11 games, including just four starts, across all competitions for the Serie A outfit.
Bayern Munich appears to be fending off FC Barcelone for attacking midfielder Matija Popović:
Given Barcelona’s financial situation, more and more focus has been placed on signing young talents with potential so that they can be developed into stars within the club. That strategy led to the signings of talents like Noah Darvich, Mika Faye, and Mamadou Mbacke, among others in the past transfer windows.
Keeping in line with that policy, Barça have been keeping tabs on another exciting young talent in Europe in the form of Matija Popovic. The 18-year-old has become a free agent after his contract with Partizan Belgrade expired on December 31, 2023. A falling out with the Serbian club in the summer meant that renewal talks collapsed and he was frozen out. Ever since, interest has been mounting in Popovic, with Barcelona also being linked with the 18-year-old forward.
However, as per the latest reports from Sky Germany, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, Bayern Munich are now best placed to sign Popovic as a free agent. The Bavarian giants have already made a long-term contract offer to the 18-year-old versatile attacking midfielder, who can play anywhere in the attacking third.
Given the potential he showcased, the youngster would have been a good acquisition for Barcelona with an eye on the future. However, it is Bayern Munich who seem set to sign the young gem.
We’re back and so is Bayern Munich — on the pitch at least. In the transfer window, the club seems a bit stuck. Only one winter transfer has been confirmed so far, and while Eric Dier is a quality depth piece, he’s not exactly a blockbuster signing. Also, tragedy struck last week as the club lost its biggest ever legend. It’s still hard to process that, but we will try to address it.
In this podcast, INNN and Samrin talk about the following:
- What do we think of Bayern Munich’s winter transfer business so far?
- Is Eric Dier and (potentially) Nordi Mukiele enough for the team?
- Why does Bayern Munich seem to want a complete paradigm shift in the squad? Is that why the club is saving money?
- Joshua Kimmich might want to leave this summer now.
- Is Alphonso Davies really ready to move to Real Madrid?
- How other players — Leon Goretzka, Jamal Musiala, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, etc. — could all be on the move in the summer.
- Why is Thomas Tuchel been given this much power in squad planning?
- End note: Our thoughts on the passing of Der Kaiser.
Celtic formally announced the signing of former Bayern Munich prospect Nicolas Kühn:
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