Daily Schmankerl: Real Madrid stalls with Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies; Waldemar Anton close to BVB move; Manchester United wants Adrien Rabiot; Bayern, FC Barcelona butting heads on Dani Olmo, Xavi Simons; Chelsea eyeing Max Beier; and MORE!

The on-again, off-again pursuit of Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies could be headed back to “off-again” mode.

More and more, it seems like Real Madrid could be willing to just sit-and-wait for Davies to play out his deal in Bavaria:

The Daily Briefing has offered a fresh update on Real Madrid’s pursuit of Alphonso Davies, suggesting that the move has been put on hold for now. The report adds that nothing much has changed in regard to Los Blancos‘ negotiations with Bayern Munich.

It was reported earlier that Real Madrid were not willing to meet Bayern’s hefty valuation for the Canadian international. Real Madrid’s unwillingness to meet Bayern’s demands was further reinforced by Ferland Mendy’s excellent campaign, with coach Carlo Ancelotti more than willing to continue with the Frenchman for another season.

Given the current state of affairs, it won’t be surprising to see Davies remain at Bayern Munich for at least another season.

The Davies-to-Madrid situation went from red hot to ice cold very quickly — as Davies’ performances dipped. Now, Bayern Munich could be in the unenviable position of having to let a player walk without receiving a transfer fee if a contract extension cannot be secured.

The big question is if Bayern Munich still believes in Davies enough to make him an offer in the neighborhood of what he wants.

After much speculation. VfB Stuttgart center-back and Germany international Waldemar Anton is joining Borussia Dortmund:

In the middle of the offseason, things should be slowing down, but for Bayern Munich and German national team fans, it was been, well, pretty darn wild.

The Bavarians are in the middle of what figures to be a crazy transfer period, while Germany has already looked better in a tourney than it has at any point since that last run under Joachim Löw at EURO 2020 (played in 2021) or maybe the first 10 games under Hansi Flick:

Now, though, it’s a new day for both Bayern Munich and Germany:

• Chuck is back in the saddle! Find out what he has been up to and why he has been off the airwaves for a spell.
• Germany put itself in a good position to consider this tourney run a success.
• It is still early, but Chuck does not like the direction of Bayern Munich’s New World Order in the front office.
• Are three center-backs really up for sale?
• Fans who wanted change are going to get exactly what they were asking for.
• Selling Kingsley Coman might not be easy.
• Joshua Kimmich seems likely to leave this summer (or maybe in 2025), while Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry could just get frozen out until they want to leave.

Manchester United could be looking at Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot yet again:

Manchester United are in talks with Adrien Rabiot over a summer move to Old Trafford. The France midfielder’s contract with Juventus expires at the end of June and he has not yet decided on his future.

Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona could be battling over two players — RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo and Paris Saint-Germain’s Xavi Simons:

In a surprising twist, Barcelona and Bayern Munich find themselves in the same competitive race as both clubs set their sights on new players for the upcoming transfer window. The focus of attention is Dani Olmo, who has now become a potential target for Bayern Munich. This interest has emerged as an alternative plan for Bayern if they fail to secure the signing of Xavi Simons, another player who has also been linked to Barcelona.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Paris Saint-Germain are firm on their decision regarding Simons. They have no intention of selling him this summer and are only open to a loan deal. Simons himself has expressed his desire to leave PSG on loan, adding to the suspense of his next move. Currently, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig are both showing strong interest in Simons, while Barcelona are closely watching the developments from the sidelines. However, any decision from Simons is expected to come only after the Euros. This uncertainty has led Bayern to consider Dani Olmo as a backup option if the Simons deal falls through.

Adding another layer of intrigue, Olmo recently hinted in an interview that a return to Barcelona is a possibility that cannot be dismissed. He mentioned that his future plans would be clear before July 14, keeping fans and clubs on edge. Barcelona currently face stiff competition for Olmo’s signature, not just from Bayern Munich but also from Manchester City. Reports suggest that Pep Guardiola’s team is interested in Olmo as a potential replacement for either Bernardo Silva or Kevin De Bruyne should either player leave the club.

On the other hand, Simons seems to be an ideal fit for Barcelona’s squad. With PSG unwilling to sell him, Barcelona sees an opportunity to secure him on a loan deal, which aligns with the player’s preference as well. This transfer saga is shaping up to be a thrilling contest among top European clubs, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City all vying for talented players to strengthen their squads. As the summer transfer window progresses, fans eagerly await the final decisions, knowing that each move could significantly impact the upcoming season.

Former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann did not make any changes going into the final game of the EURO 2024 group stage against Switzerland. Germany struggled to a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile Bayern seems to be set to sign Michael Olise while Joshua Kimmich might leave. We talk about these topics and the following in this podcast:

• A closer look at the performances of several players for Germany today including Joshua Kimmich and Jonathan Tah
• A closer look at the performance of the back four
• Cyler and Samrin struggle to really rate Antonio Rüdiger’s performance
• Should Niklas Füllkrug start ahead of Kai Havertz?
• Will Julian Nagelsmann change the setup going into the Round of 16?
• Rating Switzerland’s performance
• Cyler and Samrin have differing opinions on Michael Olise and what he would add to Bayern
• Reflections on a possible Joshua Kimmich departure from Bayern

Chelsea and Aston Villa are both scoping Hoffenheim attacker and Germany international Maximilian Beier:

Excl. | Not only Chelsea but also Aston Villa with a concrete interest in Maximilian #Beier! #AVFC

Both clubs have gathered information about the 21 y/o top striker from Hoffenheim in recent days!

▫️Beier, with a release clause of around €30m this transfer window + salary and signing fees. Beier about his future: „We can chat after the Euros.“

Plettenberg added more information in another tweet:

Chelsea with a concrete interest in Maximilian #Beier!

#CFC have gathered information about the 21 y/o top striker from Hoffenheim in recent days!

▫️Beier, with a release clause of around €30m + salary and signing fees. 16 goals and 3 assists this Bundesliga season.

Several teams from the Premier League are pushing for him. Leverkusen also have him on their list. He only wants to leave Hoffenheim if everything truly fits perfectly. Understand, that Chelsea is not in the pole position at the moment.

Beier burst onto the scene in the Bundesliga this season and could be a name for Bayern Munich fans to watch in the coming seasons. Harry Kane will not man the No. 9 forever.

João Cancelo is headed back to Manchester City on July 1st, but he wants to stay with FC Barcelona and work under Hansi Flick;

Joao Cancelo has once again reiterated he is desperate to remain at Barcelona after his season-long loan deal came to an end.

The Portugal international was a key figure under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City before a sudden falling out with the manager led to his exit from the Etihad Stadium, firstly to Bayern Munich before relocating to Barcelona for the 2023/24 campaign. However, as Barca remain tight on cash after years of financial mismanagement, a permanent transfer is unlikely to materialise this summer given Cancelo’s contract with City still has another three years left to run.

Cancelo, who is currently representing Portugal at Euro 2024, has admitted he longs to return to Catalonia rather than Manchester. He said: “My hope is to continue in Barcelona. I am very happy there, and so is my family, let’s hope I can continue there next season.”

Barca understand they will have to pursue fresh loan deals for both Cancelo and Joao Felix if the duo are to play for the club again next season. Cityzens boss Pep Guardiola has already admitted the Premier League champions are open to allowing the former Juventus defender to leave temporarily again. Cancelo impressed with his playmaking ability during some of City’s most eye-catching performances in the 2021/22 campaign, grabbing seven assists in the league thanks to his brilliant passing range.

The Bayern Munich behind the scenes drama continued this week while Germany excelled this week in UEFA EURO 2024. These are some of the topics we reflect upon this week ahead of the weekend along with the following:

• Reflections on Germany’s win against Hungary
• The automatisms in the German national side
• Should Kai Havertz continue to start up front?
• What is going on with Leroy Sané?
• Reflections on Joshua Kimmich’s performance
• Thoughts on Manuel Neuer’s performance and his future at Bayern
• Will Federico Chiesa be a good signing for Bayern if the rumors are true?
• The latest rumors regarding Jonathan Tah
• The latest on Palhinha
• What the Bayern Munich midfield might look like in the future

Tennis great Boris Becker has Bayern Munich takes and we are here for it.

Becker thinks Bayern Munich should keep Serge Gnabry and let the chef continue to cook in Bavaria for years to come:

Becker also thinks Bayern Munich should keep Matthijs de Ligt, which would allow Bayern Munich to avoid a transfer market splurge:

BFW Analysis

You know, I don’t disagree with the three-time Wimbledon winner. Bayern Munich’s wing position does need a refresh and while I would not be opposed to seeing Gnabry leave, it does seem very unlikely that he would want to leave Bavaria just yet. Moreover, if Vincent Kompany really is going to play a 4-4-2, Gnabry could feel more at home atop the formation with Harry Kane than out-wide.

As for De Ligt, Bayern Munich would be silly to let him walk.

This is the kind of content I love. Get the 1:25 mark…trust me: