Daily Schmankerl: FC Barcelona balking at Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich due to reputation?; Manchester City wants Alphonso Davies; Borussia Dortmund to miss on Jadon Sancho?; Bayern eyeing Brazilian prospect?; & MORE!

Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich is considered by many to be a team leader, but to others — maybe upper-management? — Kimmich might be considered a bit of a locker room lawyer.

That (budding?) reputation could be hindering a potential move to FC Barcelona (well…maybe that and the fact that Barca is flat broke, but let’s check it out anyway):

According to journalist Javier Miguel, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has made a detailed report on Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich and he has concluded that the player could cause significant tension within the Barcelona locker room.

If this report is accurate, it likely means that Barcelona’s interest in signing the versatile German international is now coming to an end. It is to be noted that Kimmich has been a top target for Barcelona for a long time, especially under their former coach Xavi. Even with Hansi Flick taking charge, Kimmich was still highly regarded because Flick had previously worked with him and knows his capabilities well.

However, Kimmich recently rejected an offer from Barcelona because it did not meet his expectations. Sources say that Kimmich currently earns about €19.5 million before taxes, a salary that Barcelona find hard to match. It is suggested that two major hurdles were preventing an agreement between Kimmich and Barcelona.

First, Barcelona need to comply with the 1:1 spending rule, which means they need to balance their spending with their earnings. As of today, they have not managed to do this and are waiting for funds that were previously promised by a company named Libero but never received. Second, Barcelona have to keep their salary structure balanced. This is becoming more difficult, especially with Robert Lewandowski’s salary, which is close to €30 million per year.

In the end, Deco conducted a thorough investigation into the potential transfer and concluded that signing Kimmich might not be good for the team’s dynamics and overall atmosphere. Another major issue is the transfer fee. Bayern Munich want €60 million for Kimmich, an amount that Barcelona cannot afford.

While Barcelona are eager to strengthen their midfield this summer, Kimmich seems to be out of reach due to these financial and personal concerns. Thus, it seems unlikely that he will join Barcelona anytime soon.

Surely, Kimmich is a big personality and maybe hard for some coaches or even front office-types to deal with. His future will likely be decided soon and it is still unclear on whether or not he will stay in Bavaria — or open up his locker room law firm elsewhere.

Manchester City has been on the outskirts of the Alphonso Davies transfer saga, but now might be ready to jump fully into the mix:

Manchester City has been linked with a shock move for Bayern Munich full-back Alphonso Davies. Left-back has long been a position of need for the world champions. Given the strong form of Josko Gvardiol this season, it may not be a position of need for Pep Guardiola’s squad this summer. But if the opportunity to sign Alphonso Davies is presented to Manchester City, would they take it? That’s an interesting topic to ponder given the quality of the Canadian international.

A new report from Graeme Bailey for HITC, which was relayed by Shaun Webbley, indicates that Manchester City has an interest in signing Alphonso Davies. HITC reports that one potential impediment on any City move for Davies is his determination to join Real Madrid. Furthermore, Bailey and Webbley add that Chelsea is also monitoring the situation of the Bayern Munich full-back. HITC also reports that if Real Madrid decide not to move for Davies this summer, it may open the door for Manchester City or Chelsea to make their move for the defender.

Alphonso Davies ticks the boxes required to be a Manchester City player, but is he actually a player they need? As a player, Alphonso Davies looks a readymade player for Pep Guardiola’s squad. With his pace and technical ability, the prospect of him playing at left-back for the world champions is a tantalising one. But there appears to be two major obstacles ahead of any City move for Davies. As HITC reports, the Canadian international has his heart set on a move to Real Madrid this summer. That alone would appear to end City’s chances of signing Davies. It is rare that Real Madrid don’t sign a player they target in any window. If Davies only wants a move to the La Liga giants, it would rule City out of the running for his signature.

The other question is, does Manchester City really need another left-back? Josko Gvardiol made the role his own this season. His impressive form and development across the 23/24 season saw him become one of the premier left-backs in the Premier League. If he continues his development next season, the sky is the limit for what type of player Gvardiol could become. A quality left-back doesn’t appear to be a desperate need for Manchester City. There is no doubt that Alphonso Davies could fit into City’s squad. But on closer inspection, it doesn’t appear to be a signing that could happen this summer.

If Real Madrid gets cold feet on Davies (a legitimate possibility), then it would not be shocking to see Manchester City or other Premier League powers start to take a closer look at Davies.

Germany swung and swung relentlessly at Ukraine, but the Ukrainian defense decided to honour their fellow countryman and recently crowned undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk by maneuvering expertly around all the offense thrown at them with excellent blocks and weaves.

In this episode of the Postgame Show, Cyler (Rayyan) goes over the game, including:

• The starting XIs and general shape of both Germany and Ukraine.
• The tactical decisions made by head coach Julian Nagelsmann, namely those seemingly made to conserve the players.
• How Germany are beginning to break into the final third, but are failing to break through when in the final third.
• Some exciting individual performances from Maximilian Beier and Maximilian Mittelstädt.
• Some worrying individual performances from Kai Havertz and İlkay Gündoğan.
• The social dynamics of the team, and how Gündoğan’s captaincy is likely more important behind the scenes than on the pitch.

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer recently spoke about what it was like to take part in the UCL during 2020 — a year that lives in infamy for just about everyone.

“The second title was very emotional, that’s true. That was a kind of team success and, unfortunately, we could not celebrate much with the fans. I think it was the best team performance that we’ve put together for the club, with how we prepared, and the spirit and fitness that we went into those games with,” Neuer said.

Borussia Dortmund might not be able to afford Manchester United’s financial demands for Jadon Sancho:

Borussia Dortmund currently cannot afford to meet Man Utd’s demands over winger Jadon Sancho.

Bayern Munich, usually a very well run club, is going through a dreadful transition period currently. Vincent Kompany has taken over as manager and things are not exactly rosy. We look at how Kompany’s time at Bayern might pan out, recent transfer rumors and more including:

• A video of Kompany berating players is rumored to be circulating among Bayern players — will this help or hurt Kompany?
• Will many players leave Bayern Munich ahead of the next season?
• Does Bayern Munich really need to be rebuilt?
• Are the expectations for Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany too high?
• What will be considered a successful European championship tournament for Germany?
• Should Leroy Sané’s contract be extended?
• A few thoughts on Borussia Dortmund’s defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

Bayern Munich could be set to battle West Ham United for Palmeiras winger Luis Guilherme:

Bayern Munich have been tracking Palmeiras winger Luis Guilherme, who is now edging towards a move to West Ham United. The Hammers are in advanced talks to secure the teenager’s signature, and an agreement is said to be close. Tim Steidten has flown to Brazil in order to conclude transfer deals early to enable Julen Lopetegui time to work with his squad immediately in pre-season.

If West Ham successfully sign Guilherme from Palmeiras, they will have acquired a player who has been on Bayern Munich’s radar for some time. According to Sky Sports Germany, the Bavarian giants have been tracking Guilherme since January. This interest is somewhat unusual, considering that the Brasileiro Série A concluded its season in December and only restarted in April.

It is reported that Vincent Kompany’s new club remain interested in Guilherme and are ready to act quicky. Of course it could all be agent driven stories to encourage West Ham to up their bid with is believed to be 30 million Euros plus add-ons.

However, Bayern’s interest aligns with their extensive scouting program, which heavily focuses on South America.

Guilherme is considered one of Brazil’s outstanding young talents, despite not yet scoring a league goal. His impressive displays have caught the attention of top European clubs.

Bayern Munich Frauen defender Katharina Naschenweng suffered an ACL injury and recently had surgery:

The FC Bayern women will have to do without Katharina Naschenweng for several months. The defender had already suffered a knee sprain in the DFB Cup semifinal and also missed the last game of the season in Hoffenheim due to knee problems. After extensive examinations, the 26-year-old now has to undergo an operation on her cruciate ligament. Naschenweng has therefore not traveled to the Austrian national team for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers and will also miss the start of training for the FC Bayern women on July 1st.