Daily Schmankerl: Arp news; Pavard anchored at Stuttgart; and MORE!

Bayern Munich’s low-ball offer for Jann-Fiete Arp doesn’t quite hit the mark for Hamburger SV (Sport Bild)

With Robert Lewandowski’s prospects at Real Madrid not looking so hot, the Polish striker may actually play out most or all of his contact with Bayern unless he thinks a non-Champions League side like Chelsea or Serie A power Juventus can offer him a better platform to enhance his brand.

That situation will likely affect the future of HSV wunderkind Jann-Fiete Arp. Arp has already made his future plans known (hint, they include a stay in Munich), so if Die Roten cannot secure him during this transfer window for a fee, the 18-year old phenom will likely join Bayern in 2019 on a free transfer.

Arp is a player who could conceivably be ready to assume a starting role at striker as soon as this season for Der Dino, but would be the immediate successor to Lewandowski at Bayern when the Pole’s contract expires in 2021.

How Bayern plays its hand in this situation could help make any Lewandowski transfer significantly more or less palatable depending on your opinion of Mr. RL9. HSV has no leverage in the situation and will likely lose Arp for nothing in 2019 if it plays hardball with Bayern’s management staff at the negotiating table.

VfB Stuttgart will not let Bayern or anyone pry Benjamin Pavard from their cold dead hands (Stuttgarter Nachrichten)

French defender and Stuttgart man Benjamin Pavard is one of the players in this World Cup who has seen his stock explode through the roof. Pavard was on Bayern Munich’s radar as early as mid-May, but it looks like the chance to bring in Pavard any time before 2019 (and for anything less than €50M) is gone.

”We will definitely not sell Benjamin Pavard this year for 50 million euros,” says Michael Reschke, but “will do everything to ensure that he plays with us for another year.” After the World Cup, the VfB Sport Board wants to sit down together “totally undisturbed with Pavard and his agent and discuss his further career planning, because after the coming season, the situation will be different. “We are ready to find a solution for 1 July 2019,” says Reschke, but he adds the reservation, “with a club that collaborates cleanly and correctly with us.”

Pavard has not only benefited from France’s team success, but has established himself as a very strong defender with the ability to hit a big shot when asked (see his magnificent goal against Argentina for proof).

Bayern pursued Naby Keita, but Liverpool sent a friend to convince him (The Times)

Before he decided to “never walk alone”, Naby Keita was also being pursued by Bayern. Per a report by The Times that was captured by Football365.com, Sadio Mané helped bring the former RB Leipzig man to Anfield.

According to Paul Joyce of The Times, Jurgen Klopp was integral in beating Bayern to the 23-year-old. But Mane, Keita’s former teammate at RB Salzburg, was the key.

“Bayern Munich wanted Keïta, whose first season at Leipzig marked him out as one of Europe’s up and coming talents, but Liverpool were able to make a sustained sales pitch for the best part of a year, stressing how under Klopp they were building a young, exciting squad into which he would fit seamlessly,” Joyce writes.

“It was here that Mané helped directly in selling the vision in a way Bayern could not. He was able to describe to his former team-mate and friend how the club had treated him, how they had kept promises following his own arrival from Southampton in 2016 and offer insight into Klopp’s methods and how he will extract more from him.”

Well, at least @TommyAdams71 is happy.

Speaking of Liverpool, Julian Brandt is on their radar (Daily Star)

When Liverpool goes shopping, it prefers the Bundesliga.

Liverpool could reignite their interest in Bayer Leverkusen winger Julian Brandt. The talented German was selected for Die Manneschaft ahead of Manchester City star Leroy Sane. While the defending World Cup holders crashed out at the earliest opportunity, Brandt was one of few positives. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is a long-term admirer of the 22-year-old. The former Borussia Dortmund manager targeted Brandt in January 2017 but never made a bid.

Brandt meanwhile had an excellent season for Leverkusen, netting 12 goals and providing seven assists in 39 games. Now that Germany are not involved in FIFA’s showpiece event, the Reds could test the water with a speculative bid.

Brandt just extended his contract with Bayer Leverkusen in April and it would be hard to think he would already be pondering a move, but who knows? Brandt is a talent and was, indeed, one of the few bright spots for Die Mannschaft in their regrettable group stage.

Peter Hermann will return to the Bayern staff as assistant coach in September (AZ)

The future of Peter Hermann was somewhat questionable as Niko Kovač officially took the reigns at Bayern, but the veteran coach will return to Munich per AZ.

It looks as if starting September 1, Peter Hermann will continue as assistant coach at Bayern Munich. Why two months off? For private reasons!”

That news should be a good thing for Bayern as Hermann can provide a bit of a bridge between the players from last season and Kovač.

New Allianz Arena pics (@FCBayern)

Looking pretty good!

Borussia Dortmund taking different approach to US tour for Marco Reus (Sport1)

Earlier today, new Bayern boss Kovač indicated that the players knocked out in the group stage of the World Cup would not make the International Champions Cup trip to the United States.

We can assume that those players will actually return on July 25th (in Munich) as opposed to August 25th, and as someone who has tickets for the Philadelphia game vs. Juventus, Kovač immediately ruined my July.

Anyway, Dortmund had decided to take a different approach to its jaunt across the pond as Marco Reus is expected to be on the squad for the trip.

Borussia Dortmund starts on July 18th in the direction of America, Reus must follow suit. “Players who have dropped out in the preliminary round will have three weeks off, so they’ll be traveling to the US two days later,” said sporting director Michael Zorc the picture

I actually think Dortmund is making the right call here (game tickets aside). As Dortmund also has a new coach in Lucien Favre, BVB is getting the players together for as much preparations as possible.

With Bayern also having a new coach, it would seem that more time might be needed for the roster to get acclimated with Kovač’s style and tactics. Realistically, the travel is the hardest part of the U.S. tour for the players. They won’t be asked to play a ton in the actual games given the expanded rosters for the trip and the more flexible substitution rules.