Daily Schmankerl: Man U, Chelsea, Inter Milan battle for Vidal; Man City says no to Thiago; and MORE!

Manchester United is, again, looking at Arturo Vidal and will battle Chelsea and Inter Milan for the Chilean (Manchester Evening News)

Well, surprise, surprise. It’s your daily dose of “which Bayern player does Man U want today.”

Manchester United are set to battle Chelsea for the signature of Arturo Vidal, according to reports. German outlet Bild say Bayern Munich are prepared to sell the Chile midfielder in a clear-out by new boss Niko Kovac. It is claimed that Vidal, a player with whom United have been linked on numerous occasions in recent years, could be available for £31million.

We had a piece earlier in the week linking the Red Devils to Vidal, but with Chelsea now allegedly in the mix, competition could help expedite any movement.

In addition to the Premier League sides listed above, Serie A’s Inter Milan is also seeking to procure the services of Vidal per a report by Sport MediaSet.

With respect to Vidal, however, the purpose of Ausilio’s blitz to Munich before the trip to China was to survey the terrain. Bayern does not consider the Chilean off limits to a transfer, but their asking price of €30 million for a player who has only 12 months let on his contract is considered disproportionate. Initial skirmishes of negotiations destined to continue. Vidal’s approval, however, is there and is now longstanding. Inter and the Warrior have been very close for a year now.

Naby Keita spurned Bayern and Barca to ensure he would never walk alone (The Guardian)

Naby Keita had a pretty good run with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. The talented and fiery midfielder was actually close to remaining in Germany, if not for the intervention of that meddling (Jürgen) Klopp.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich rivaled Liverpool for Keïta’s signature last summer but, even before witnessing the team’s exhilarating run to the Champions League final, he was convinced Anfield should be his next step.

Klopp had some help from his friends to get Keita to Anfield, though. According to Keita, Sadio Mané also played a big role in helping make the decision.

It’s true there were other teams involved like the ones you mention but a big part of my decision was the role of the coach. We had good conversations. The words he spoke to me about this project really convinced me. I could see how the club was developing and I spoke at length with Sadio [Mané]. Sadio is like a brother to me. We had nine months together at Salzburg and built up a good rapport. We have been great friends since that time. He told me what a great club this was and how the team was progressing and had great potential.

Manchester City is out on Thiago (Goal)

It appears that Pep Guardiola is no longer interested in helping Bayern or ineednoname solve the midfield logjam in Munich.

But Goal understands that a move for an established name is unlikely at this stage in the window, and that (Miralem) Pjanic is not under consideration. The same goes for Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago and Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic, City sources have indicated. By targeting Fred in January and Jorginho this summer, City believe they had identified two quality options that would have been available for roughly £50m ($65m).

Who reached the fastest speed in the World Cup? The results will surprise you (@Sporf)

There were a lot of great performances in the World Cup and some breathtaking moments featuring pure speed and agility. Who reached the fastest pace on the pitch, however, may surprise you. Was it World Cup winner and lightning for legs, Kylian Mbappé? No. Maybe Germany dynamo Timo Werner? Nope. Neymar, you know, because hit did hit some high speed rolling on the ground and all? Nyet. In fact, per @Sporf, the two highest speeds clocked during a game were Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Croatia’s Ante Rebić, who bother clocked in at 33.98 km/h.

Shameless “Besiktas Ginger Cat” photo usage and I love it (@FCBayernUS)

Besiktas Ginger Cat’s long and storied legacy on this site will never be forgotten. The @FCBayernUS Twitter handle used the cat’s picture in a tweet about Kingsley Coman’s speed, so there was a dire and urgent need to share it here.

Amazingly, adidas only has one team in the Bundesliga this season (Footy Headlines)

Bayern is the only “adidas club” left in the Bundesliga.

The 2018-2019 Bundesliga season will kick-off on August 24 with the match between reigning champions Bayern München and Hoffenheim. It will be the only match in the first round of the 2018-2019 Bundesliga season with an Adidas team as the Three Stripes make the jerseys for just one team in the 2018-2019 1. Bundesliga campaign. adidas-sponsored Hamburger SV was relegated in the 2017-18 season, while Schalke 04 switched from adidas to Umbro. This led to the quite insane fact that the Three Stripes just make the jerseys for one team in their ‘home country’ - those of record champions Bayern Munich. In fact, it was adidas’ strategy to supply only the biggest clubs. However, it is nevertheless remarkable that they just make the kits for Bayern Munich. In Italy, Adidas also makes the kits for just one team meanwhile - Juventus.