Daily Schmankerl: Julian Nagelsmann to Manchester United?; More transfer news on Bayern Munich’s David Alaba; A Real Madrid-Juventus swap?; Jude Bellingham credits Jadon Sancho; and MORE!

Naglesmann to United? (ESPN)

RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann has earned himself a solid reputation for his tactics and squad management. Given that he’s still at the age where we can call him a “coaching prodigy”, there are plenty of clubs who will likely pursue the 33-year-old.

Enter Manchester United.

Per ESPN, the Red Devils fancy themselves some Nagelsmann:

Manchester United are adamant Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s position as manager is not yet under threat despite back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir. But even if the Norwegian coach cannot turn things around, sources have told ESPN that Mauricio Pochettino would not be the only option to replace him.

Pochettino, who has been out of work since leaving Tottenham a year ago, is the obvious choice should United decide to make a change, but sources have told ESPN that RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann would also come under consideration alongside the Argentinian coach.

Here’s to hoping Nagelsmann can ignore the calls to “The Masque of the Red Death” and will stay in Germany.

Alaba available to Liverpool for €33 million? (Football Insider)

Right now, we are all pretty much assuming that if David Alaba leaves Bayern Munich, it would be on a free transfer next summer. What if, however, a club comes knocking in January...a club desperate for defensive help...maybe a club like Liverpool? How much would it take to pry Alaba away from Hansi Flick at midseason?

Well, maybe we know the answer:

Liverpool have been told that David Alaba could be sold by Bayern Munich for a knockdown fee in January after falling out with the club hierarchy. The Austria international, 28, has had a public spat with the German giants over a new contract and he went public earlier this week to slam reports he is being too greedy. The door has opened for Liverpool and other interested clubs to swoop for Alaba, 28, in January as his price begins to tumble ahead of his current deal expiring next summer.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Alaba is on Liverpool’s target list, just as his former Bayern teammate Thiago Alcantara was before his own sensational Anfield move. The Merseysiders have been told Alaba – valued at £59m by Transfermarkt – will be available for half that figure in the upcoming January window. Bayern president Herbert Hainer said last Sunday that contract talks with the player are now over after he rejected their latest offer.

Maybe not, though? (Empire of the KOP)

As much as Alaba-to-Liverpool might make sense, there are some that can’t quite see a deal coming to fruition:

Do we at EOTK think David Alaba would be a good Liverpool signing? Yes, very much so. He’s a world-class left-back, a world-class center-back and a very, very good midfielder.

The Austrian covers three positions, which Jurgen Klopp loves, and could be an ideal replacement for Gini Wijnaldum, who is likely to depart next summer on a free of his own with a contract renewal looking increasingly unlikely. But a source close to Bayern has told us that so far there is no interest in the 28-year-old, disappointingly – as we reached out hoping to hear some exciting news! Alaba is instead holding out for a move to Spain, the source says, with Real Madrid and Barcelona keen – although we’re not sure the latter can add another superstar on huge wages to their roster given their current financial predicament.

Those La Liga links seem to never go away. Surely, both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid would love to have Alaba, but both are crying poor at the moment (as much as many of us may think that is complete nonsense).

Or maybe he’ll just stay? (Sky Sports)

One final twist on the Alaba saga is that maybe he doesn’t want to leave after all:

A source close to the player told Sky Sports News: “David is not considering any other clubs at this stage. He is focusing a hundred per cent on Bayern.” Despite his ongoing public contract dispute with Bayern, the Austria international plans to remain at the Allianz Arena until the end of this season.

I mean, yeah, he’s still with Bayern Munich, so that’s where his focus should be, right? Anyway, this seems to indicate that Alaba, himself, does not want to make a move in January.

Impressive Bayern-UCL info (@OptaFranz)

Bayern Munich’s last 15 minutes or so against RB Salzburg were dominant...and record breaking:

@FCBayern was the first team to score 4 goals in the last quarter of an hour of a game in the history of the @ChampionsLeague. Late starters.

Pitch imperfect (@brfootball)

The Villarreal vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League match featured a wet, sloppy pitch.

While I have some disdain for the term “not Bayern quality”, this pitch deservedly should wear a sash stating just that!

Isco for Dybala swap deal in the works? (Transfer Market Web)

Could Real Madrid and Juventus be plotting an exchange of Isco for Paulo Dybala?

According to todofichajes.com, Real Madrid management are planning to offer Juventus the rights on 28-year-old Spanish international attacking midfielder Isco, a long-time market target for Italian giants, ahead of fetching Bianconeri troubled forward Paulo Dybala. Meanwhile, Isco has been targeted by a Premier League club: Everton.

Bellingham admires Sancho (Transfer Market Web)

Borussia Dortmund newcomer Jude Bellingham has made quite an impact to his squad in his short time in the Bundesliga. The 17-year-old Englishman attributes his ability to assimilate to the squad so easily by watching how countryman Jadon Sancho has handled the transition to Germany:

Signed last summer, from Birmingham City, Borussia Dortmund up-and-comer Jude Bellingham talked about his ongoing German experience: “My only concern was about playing football. If you work hard, you get the opportunities, that’s it. Jadon Sancho is my role model. He managed to enter the worldwide football elite, at such a young age. And, as a team, we want to do to the same. Manchester United? They’re a great club, but Borussia was the right place for me to join in.”