Daily Schmankerl: Bayern linked to Toby Alderweireld; a Sebastian Rudy rundown; Leon Goretzka likes Munich; and MORE!

Report: Bayern a “favorite” to land Tottenham Hotspur defender (HITC)

In a report that seeming popped up out of nowhere, Bayern is considered a favorite to land Tottenham Hotspur center back Toby Alderweireld.

Toby Alderweireld remains with Spurs and in the Premier League for now but don’t rule out the Bundesliga and La Liga champions, Bayern and Barcelona. According to Sky Bet, Alderweireld is 6/1 to sign for Bayern Munich before the end of August.

Bayern have been criticized in some quarters for failing to adequately reinforce an aging team and a new, commanding center back could still be required if Jerome Boateng does leave the Allianz Arena. Interestingly, Sky Bet also has Barcelona as 6/1 favorites to sign the one-time Atletico Madrid loanee. Alderweireld moving to the Camp Nou seems less likely, however, as Barca can already call upon Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Thomas Vermaelen and the £30 million new signing Clement Lenglet. Aldeerweireld appeared to hint on Twitter that he was staying at Spurs, but until August is over, that won’t stop fans fearing the worst.

I guess it sounds like this is a fall back option should Boateng decide to leave at some point, but it’s odd timing for this to pop up for sure.

A breakdown on Sebastian Rudy (BavarianFootballWorks.com)

It would appear (at least as of now) that Sebastian Rudy has three, working options for where to spend his 2018-2019 season. The defensive midfielder looks like he is at least exploring leaving Bayern Munich in hopes of more consistent field time, with RB Leipzig and Schalke 04 as the current frontrunners.

There is still, however, a small group that believes Rudy still has a role to play in Bavaria, but with the reports on Die Roten Bullen and Die Königsblauen that circulated yesterday, we decided to take a quick look at where he might fit best:

Bayern Munich: So many central midfielders, so little playing tie to be spread around. If Rudy opts to stay, he’ll clearly get less PT (but more titles!) in Munich. He still could fill a role in Munich, but he appears to be easier to move at this stage than some other players.

RB Leipzig: At age 28, Rudy is actually old for Leipzig standards. However, he is the type of veteran needed to bridge this season under Ralf Rangnick to next season when Julian Nagelsmann arrives from Hoffenheim. Surveying Leipzig’s roster shows that Rudy will undoubtedly get a ton of playing time and have a role as a team leader. Given Leipzig’s structure, though, Leipzig presents the least stable of the options.

Schalke 04: Airport meetings aside, Schalke probably offers Rudy the best chance to exact a little revenge on Bayern if that is what he is seeking. The Royal Blues are one the teams capable of putting a challenge on Die Roten, and they also just invested in Omar Mascarell to hold down the fort in the defensive midfield. Rudy, at least in my opinion, would be the first team option at Schalke, but there is certainly more at play when pondering a future at the Veltins-Arena.

Leon Goretzka is enjoying his time with Bayern so far (SportBild)

It’s still early, but the kid seems to fit in:

Bayern is a club that is perceived differently from Schalke on an international level. Everything is bigger here and a bit more exciting.

Admittedly, I kinda think Leon Goretzka is going to do great things in Bavaria.

FloSports acquired the broadcast rights to Bastian Schweinsteiger’s testimonial match (FloSports.com)

If you wanted to watch the Bastian Schweinsteiger’s testimonal match between Bayern Munich and the Chicago Fire, you now have an outlet:

To access live and on-demand coverage of the Chicago Fire vs. FC Bayern Munich match, visit FloLive.tv and become a monthly or annual PRO subscriber. Either subscription unlocks access to premium content across the entire FloSports network. Watch the match across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku, or Apple TV 4. With more than 10,000 live competitions per year, FloSports continues to emerge as the global leader in live, in-depth, and on-demand digital coverage for passionate sports fans.

Sergio Ramos came back on Jürgen Klopp...blastin’ (@FOXSoccer)

Timo Werner would welcome Mesut Özil back to Die Mannschaft (Goal.com)

The Mesut Özil battle against the DFB has started to subside and RB Leipzig man Timo Werner gave his take on whether or not the Germans may still be able to use Özil should he reconsider his stance. As told to SportBild (captured by Goal), Werner thinks the team would be happy if Özil reconsidered his retirement:

I think many in the team would be happy if Mesut Ozil said, “I’ll do it again.”

Werner also dished a bit on his future plans as he would like to reach the heights of stars like Antoine Griezmann and Eden Hazard:

You can only do that if you are in a Champions League final or at least a semifinal. In Leipzig, we are not quite ready to achieve that.

One day he’s ready to extend his deal, the next he’s got one foot out the door. Hmmm...

Rafinha laments bridge collapse in Genoa (@R13_official)

Rafinha took to Twitter to express his sadness over the disastrous bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy. Rafinha spent the 2010-2011 season in Genoa after transferring from Schalke 04.

A call for fan groups (BavarianFootballWorks.com)

We are going to try something here at the Daily Schmankerl and need YOUR help. If you read my man Tommy Adams’ piece yesterday 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

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!