Javi Martinez to Bayern Deal Delayed, Man City Lurking?

In keeping with our efforts to cover the transfer season as closely as possible, we bring you another Javi Martinez update. If this bores you, feel free to check in later for the Jahn Regensburg match. But with some new doings transpiring this weekend, we'd feel remiss if we didn't give at least a brief summary of where things stand.

The Daily Mail gives a good summary: Bayern is ready to splash the cash, up to the 40 million Euro release point. In fact, Javi and the club have supposedly already met and agreed to terms. But the hold-up is over the form of payment. Someone (Daily Mail hints that it's Bilbao, other sources say it might be Javi himself) want the money to come from FC Bayern to Javi Martinez's personal account - then he could pay the buyout clause himself.

Bayern appeared to be ... you know, copacetic with the arrangement. But, at the last minute, it "became known" that this would involve an additional tax hit. I've variously heard 6 million Euro and 8 million as the amount this would add to the total cost of the deal.

Meanwhile, Javi was left out of Athletic's squad for their opening match (a 5-3 loss to Betis). Bilbao fans are angry with him, and he may have burned his last bridge there. But Bayern is starting their competition season this evening, and appear to be ready to roll without him if needed. And this article from The Daily Star says that "City chiefs are still holding out hope of snatching Atletico Madrid star Javi Martinez from under the noses of Bayern Munich." They don't cite any kind of source for this, but I will say it doesn't sound impossible.

And to top it off, here's Jupp Heynckes: "Why should I be talking to you about Javi Martinez? I am the manager of Bayern Munich, we are out to play a German Cup match now. And Javi Martinez is not a player of Bayern Munich." Ah, Jupp Heynckes, you clever bastard. No one's getting anything out of you.

All things considered, it looks like this deal will happen (maybe as early as tonight?), but anything is possible. Stay tuned to this page and to our twitter feed at http://twitter.com/BavarianFBWorks for the latest. Match Day Thread for the Pokal match will be up in a bit. Thanks for reading.