Angela is not a happy camper. I will have to start boycotting Bayern I just know it. The hottest transfer rumors right now are that both my guys, van Buyten and van Bommel, will be out at the end of the season. PSV and Schalke both have been linked with van Bommel. PSV have already approached Mark's agent about him returning when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. This doesn't make me very happy at all.
On top of that, there is much interest in van Buyten and I hate to see him go. It's no big secret that he's one of my favorites. I wouldn't blame him for leaving... he's under-utilized and under-appreciated with his current club, but I don't want him to see him leave for purely selfish reasons. ;)
Other transfer rumors include the departure of Lucio. I don't know why he'd leave. No matter how bad he screws up he never gets benched so I'm not sure why he'd consider playing elsewhere. But he did cast some doubt over his future at Bayern. "I don't have any particular plans because I want to concentrate on the season, but only dear God knows what happens afterwards. I have a contract until 2010. But I don't know what will happen after the summer."
If the transfer rumors are true, van Bommel, van Buyten and Lucio will be gone by the end of the season at the latest. Ze Roberto is definitely out at the end of the season. Podolski wants to be gone. And it looks like Bayern are already looking for a replacement in Landon Donovan as he joined Bayern for some MLS offseason training. His official website had this quote: "I am pleased that Jürgen Klinsmann and Bayern are giving me this chance to get to know their new performance center and stay fit alongside their great international footballers." Could he be arriving at the end of the season if Podolski does indeed get the opportunity to leave? Jansen already left. Kroos is making noise that he wants to leave because he's unhappy. Schweinsteiger may make Bayern pony up if they intend to keep him after 2009 when he becomes a free agent. Schweini has yet to renew his contract with Bayern and while he says it would be nice, he also says playing abroad would be "very attractive". AC Milan, Juventus and Inter have all contacted his agent about a possible move from Bayern.
Klinsmann has arrived and Bayern has started to fall apart internally. Players that formerly wished to see their career end at Bayern are now having second thoughts and are trying to get out of their contracts. Players that formerly adored and praised Klinsmann and his tactics no longer seem happy and no longer seem to want to stand by him and play under him. Bayern are falling apart at the seams after an extraordinarily successful season under Hitzfeld and a rough start under Klinsmann. Discontent seems to be the chorus in Bavarian since the new coach took over. Coincidence?