Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Lazio; FC Barcelona eyeing Thomas Tuchel; Frenkie de Jong exit from Barça for real this time?; Liverpool wants Matthijs de Ligt; Chelsea to pass on Alphonso Davies?; and MORE!

Bayern Munich desperately needed a win over Lazio in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Bavarians would not get that elusive victory — and now they sit in a one-goal hole against Serie A’s eight-place team.

It is safe to safe that things have been a lot better around these parts than they are right now. Let’s take a look at some quick hitters on the match:

• As always, let’s start with a look at the lineup:

• Tuchel’s selections went as expected. Thomas Müller and Joshua Kimmich returned to the starting XI, while Matthijs de Ligt remained on the bench. Tuchel’s disdain for De Ligt remains constant.
• Lazio was very game to start things off. There was a veritable energy and urgency with their style of play and effort. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich was playing a much more direct style, which did lead to some sloppiness as the Bavarians appeared to be hell-bent on attacking.
• Leroy Sané was having a lot of trouble with his footing. He seemed to be slipping a lot. He narrowly missed a free kick in the 32nd minute. which would have been spectacular. Sané, though, is still scuffling. Whether it’s a slump or fatigue or both, the Germany international needs a rest.
• With this player group, playing in these positions, it did not click immediately. There was almost a little discomfort and confusion at times among the Bayern Munich players.
• There was a noticeable emphasis on trying to get the ball to Kane…and that was good. It wasn’t always pretty to watch, but thankfully it was on the agenda entering the match.
• It was 0-0 at halftime and Bayern Munich did some pretty — and fun! — things. None of that resulted in a goal, however. Lazio was a pest and they were playing hard as hell.
• The resolve would not die down in the second half. Lazio came out even more fired up.
• In the 67th minute, Dayot Upamecano — oh no! — had a late challenge in the box and was given a red card. Ciro Immobile would step up and take the corner to put Lazio up 1-0. It was a genuine WTF moment.
• De Ligt came on in the 73rd minute to help give center-back coverage with Bayern Munich down to 10 men.
• Overall, this was…not good. The game itself was not a horrid display by any means, but it was not good enough — and that has become a pretty consistent theme for this season. If Tuchel has not already lost the locker room, it would be a surprise. Things just seem…off. For as much as the players continue to shoulder the blame, it is hard not to think that this team might just be broken under Tuchel.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look and/or a listen:

We covered the original Mundo Deportivo report here, but more information and different perspectives started to drop over the course of the day.

According to some reports out of Spain, Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel and FC Barcelona might have mutual interest for next season.

Some reports even say Tuchel’s representatives offered him to the Catalans:

The hunt for Xavi Hernandez’s successor at FC Barcelona is continuing unabated. New names are being linked with the Catalan club in this regard with every new day, while some previously linked names have been discarded by the club.

One of the latest managers to have been linked for a job at Barcelona next season is the current Bayern Munich coach, Thomas Tuchel. The German has been reported to be going through a moment of high tension in Bavaria, and his future at the club is somewhat uncertain.

As SPORT has noted, this tension at Bayern Munich is clearly noticeable from the criticism that has been thrown Tuchel’s way in the last few days.

According to a report captured by Barca Universal, Tuchel offered himself to the Catalans:

It was only yesterday that we reported how Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has started to gain prominence within the Barcelona management. The former Chelsea coach, who was once deemed impossible, is currently within reach as Barcelona continue to look for life beyond Xavi.

Following up to that, journalist Fernando Polo has reported via Mundo Deportivo that the German coach has now offered himself to Barcelona amidst the troubles he is facing at Bayern Munich.

For whatever it is worth, Forbes also had this information:

FC Barcelona has been offered Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel to become its next manager, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The role will be vacant from June 30 onwards at the Montjuic Stadium, with Xavi Hernandez announcing that he will step down after almost three years in charge of the first team.

Barca president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco are still yet to find a successor for the 2024/2025 season, with names such as Jurgen Klopp and Hansi Flick floated around by the press.

A real conspiracy theorist would say that this could be a leak from Tuchel’s camp in an attempt to gain some leverage as the castle walls are crumbling around him.

The noise surrounding a potential exit from FC Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong is starting to feel just a little bit more legit this time around as the Catalans are desperately trying to shed salary expenses from their budget:

Frenkie de Jong could also be tempted to leave Barcelona after the club offered him a new deal but on reduced terms. Ironically, Barca might be able to bring in Mario Hermoso from Atletico Madrid due to a similar contract standoff in the Spanish capital, while they want to agree a cut-price €20m deal with Manchester City for Joao Cancelo.

Bayern Munich’s title hopes this season took a major hit and morale could be at an all-time low under Thomas Tuchel.

So…now what?

Bayern Munich needs to regroup and figure things out ahead of its midweek match against Lazio in the Champions League and a Bundesliga tilt vs. VfL Bochum. What we can we expect? Let’s discuss:

• How Bayern Munich can start to fix things, but there is a risk that some parts of this squad are beyond repair.
• It is time for Tuchel to re-think this strategy in using Harry Kane.
• Is a rebound against Lazio in the works? Yes, but if the Bavarians fail, it will tell us all we need to know about this team’s mentality under Thomas Tuchel.
• Thomas Müller is proving he is the ultimate company man this season (in a good way).
• Why would Matthijs de Ligt want to hang around Bavaria under a coach, who has no use for him?

Liverpool FC could join Manchester United and Arsenal FC in taking a run at Bayern Munich center-back Matthijs de Ligt next summer:

When Tottenham Hotspur accepted an offer from Bayern Munich for Eric Dier during the January transfer window, they probably didn’t anticipate that this most unexpected of mid-season moves could pave the way for a £68 million centre-half to join their bitter rivals Arsenal a few months down the line.

But with HITC Football understanding that Arsenal are being kept informed of Matthijs de Ligt’s situation at the reigning (and maybe soon to be former) Bundesliga champions, Spurs may have inadvertently set the ball rolling, sparking a chain of events which sees the talented Dutchman end up a few miles down the road at the Emirates Stadium.

De Ligt had already slipped behind Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-Jae in Thomas Tuchel’s pecking order. With the latter unavailable after the Asian Cup, it felt significant that it was Dier – rather than De Ligt – who was promoted to the starting XI for Saturday’s trip to table-toppers Bayer Leverkusen.

Tuchel played down speculation surrounding the former Ajax captain’s future a few weeks ago.

But actions speed louder than words. And the sight of De Ligt twiddling his thumbs on the Bay Arena bench as Dier and co were torn to pieces by Leverkusen’s lethal frontline will not have gone unnoticed across the Channel.

HITC has been told that, in addition to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United – who’s coach Erik ten Hag handed De Ligt the armband while still a teenager at Ajax – are also in the mix should the £68 million signing from Juventus become available in the summer.

Chelsea FC was linked to Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, but could actually be looking at a younger option than the Canadian star — Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez:

Chelsea are interested in acquiring a new left-back, according to a report.

The Blues’ squad-building is strange. After loaning Ian Maatsen to Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea are now in the market for a left-back, according to journalist Ben Jacobs. Before departing, the Dutchman signed a new deal with a release clause in the region of €40 million and he is not expected to return to Stamford Bridge, asserts Fabrizio Romano.

Rather than keeping Maatsen, Chelsea have decided to offload him and pursue a new left-sided defender. According to Jacobs, there are at least two players under consideration: Alphonso Davies and Milos Kerkez.

With Bayern star Davies, however, Chelsea accept the fact that he is very likely to join Real Madrid should the Bundesliga giants fail to agree a new deal with him. Liverpool and Man City are also interested in the Canadian, but they too are aware of his preference for the Spanish capital.

This leaves Kerkez as an intriguing option, though it appears unlikely that a deal will be pursued this year.