Daily Schmankerl: Barcelona eyes Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba; the aftermath of Bayern Munich-Ajax; and MORE!

FC Barcelona wants Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba (Mundo Deportivo)

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported that Barca had scouts in attendance to watch four players yesterday, including Bayern Munich’s starting outside backs.

Joshua Kimmich (23) and David Alaba (26) are owners of positions that the Blaugrana box needs to reinforce. The problem is that we are talking about players whose market price is close to 50 million.

I would think it will take more than €50M to secure the services of either Kimmich or Alaba, though I sincerely doubt Bayern would be willing to sell either. In addition, Barca was keeping a close eye on Mattjias de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong (did not play), and Nicolás Tagliafico.

Interestingly, the report also stated that de Jong’s value would be in the €75M-€80M range which ultimately may make the young Dutchman too expensive for Bayern (also allegedly in the bidding).

Bayern should pursue de Ligt (more on that below), but will have plenty of competition outside of Barca for his services.

Die Folgen: Bayern vs. Ajax (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern turned in a dismal effort in its draw with Ajax. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• As mentioned here, Niko Kovač didn’t put himself in the best position to win and for that, he can only blame himself.
• Despite assertions in Sport Bild that Kovač thinks Mats Hummels is the odd man out defensively, it truly is Jerome Boateng who is playing his way out of the lineup.
• Robert Lewandowski is simply not involved enough. Perhaps the most important thing Bayern can work on in the coming days is finding creative ways to get their world class striker the ball in advantageous positions.
• I could be in the minority, but I thought Arjen Robben played well and has been strong this season. He’s not what he once was, but he’s not exactly washed up either.
• The James Rodriguez situation is coming to a head and I don’t think the general public is privy to all that is going on behind the scenes with the Colombian as he is planning out his future. To include Javi Martinez over James Rodriguez yesterday wasn’t a product of the rotation, it was just a mistake.
• It’s not a knock on Martinez either. He still has qualities that are helpful to the roster. Yesterday, however, just wasn’t the time to dust him off.
• Borussia Monchengladbach is no pushover. They surely have seen that there is no reason to sit back against Bayern and if there is one thing Die Fohlen can do, it’s push the pace offensively at their opponents.
• Manuel Neuer saved complete embarrassment.
• I like what I saw from 19-year old Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt. He wasn’t perfect, but you can see his potential.
• Overheard in the offices of Säbener Straße:

Uli Hoeneß: (Picks up phone, dials)

Cando (picks up red, Bat Phone in Jupp’s home office): “Rello?”

Uli Hoeneß: “Uh, hello, this is awkward, may I speak to Jupp?”

Cando: “Ruck off.” (slams phone)

If you missed our Match Awards or Observations, give them a look.

Carlo Ancelotti not thrilled with referee assignment for Napoli-Liverpool showdown (FourFourTwo)

Don Carlo is facing a bit of a juggernaut in Liverpool with his Napoli side and things won’t be easy. When factoring in the referee assignment for the game, Viktor Kassai, Ancelotti is not exactly eager to watch the Hungarian game official back in action.

I’m surprised with the appointment because we had a bad experience when I was in charge of Bayern. It wasn’t that long ago either. Time usually heals all wounds, but it doesn’t make you forget about them…

Julian Nagelsmann wore a cardigan and the British press are doing what they do (Daily Mail)

I suck at fashion, but I probably wouldn’t rock a cardigan these days...but what the hell do I know?

Rightly considered two of the finest coaches in world football, all eyes were on Julian Nagelsmann and Pep Guardiola when Hoffenheim and Manchester City locked horns on Tuesday night. And while there are distinct similarities in their footballing philosophies, the two coaches were world’s apart in their fashion choices for the Champions League tie.

Nagelsmann, 31, was pictured sporting a fitted cherry red cardigan over the top of a black shirt and black tie. The grey trousers and white soled trainers completed a unique - if uncoordinated - outfit of the day.

If you didn’t immediately think of this, then I can’t help you:

A call for fan groups (BavarianFootballWorks.com)

We are trying something here at the Daily Schmankerl and need YOUR help. If you read my man Tommy Adams’ piece about his experience with the FCBNYC Fan Club (if you haven’t, SHAME ON YOU!), you could see how great the event was. So we want to highlight some of these wonderful groups that are out there globally and this is what we need from you:

• Name of the group
• Location
• Year founded
• Leadership (if you have people are kind of running the show)
• Meeting place
• Social media handles
• Pictures

We have 7 clubs on board so far. I’d LOVE to be able to feature a different fan group every week this season. Maybe we can do it, maybe not...but only YOU can help decide the fate of this idea. Send your info to: barrelsportsblog@gmail.com.