Daily Schmankerl: Real Madrid courting Lewy again, TikTok becomes Bayern’s partner, Rashica interest picks up steam and MORE!

Lewandowski wants Real Madrid, Perez wants Lewandowski (Don Balon)

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the Don. Spain’s most credible media outlet is keeping us entertained during this time of quarantine and boredom with some amusing stories and this one’s their best.

The Don states, “Robert Lewandowski and Real Madrid are two opposite poles, which have always been attracted, but have never been successful in getting together.” This was somewhat the case in early 2018 when Lewandowski was indeed trying to transfer to Madrid, who were also eager to sign him.

Things didn’t go as planned for Madrid, as we all know when Bayern publicly blocked the move and the transfer fell apart spectacularly. Since then, the Polish striker has gained back the respect of Bayern fans with his tremendous performances and commitment. Sitting on top of the Bundesliga goal scorer chart, Lewandowski seems content and motivated to continue his career with Bayern.

However, all that may be irrelevant, since Perez wants Lewandowski in Madrid. The Don feels Lewandowski may want out, because “he landed at the Allianz Arena to win the European Cup, his big dream, and they haven’t even come close to achieving it. He knows that, in Zinedine Zidane’s outfit, he would have many more possibilities.”

According to 538’s odds and the opinions of various pundits, Bayern is currently Champions League favourites. If Lewy wants the UCL title, he cannot be in a better position to win it. Also, there’s another hitch to the rumour — Lewandowski’s hefty price tag.

Want more from the Don? Real Madrid interested in Haaland and Sancho (Don Balon)

According to the Don, Real Madrid wants both Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho. Dortmund signed Haaland in the winter window, although according to the Don, “some within the club insist that this does not change the plan at any time, the plan that Madrid will sign him next summer when his clause drops to 70 million euros”, further adding: “The target this summer is still Jadon Sancho.”

Apparently, “Florentino is in love with the Englishman and Zidane believes that he will be the best player in the world in the coming years, even better than Kylian Mbappe. The club’s idea is to sign Sancho this summer and wait with Haaland”. A double swoop indeed. And yes, Dortmund will willingly oblige and let the two best players in their squad leave, right?

As always, there’s an issue. “Perhaps the Norwegian decides to stay longer in the German team, complicating Real Madrid’s plan a bit”, concludes the Don.

All hail the Don!

Various EPL clubs join the race to sign Rashica (Daily Mail)

Milot Rashica, Werder Bremen’s wing wizard, has caught the attention of various clubs around Europe with his stellar performances season after season in the Bundesliga. According to Daily Mail, four more Premier League clubs are interested in the pacey winger.

Aston Villa, West Ham, Brighton, and the Wolves are all interested in signing the Kosovo international. The race seems to have caught fire especially after Liverpool recently backed out, and with his release clause rumoured to be around €38 million this summer, his signing will be a steal for any of the aforementioned clubs.

Douyin becomes FC Bayern partner (fcbayern.com)

TikTok’s parent company, Douyin, has become Bayern’s official partner for short videos in China. This is the company’s first partnership with a football club.

According to FC Bayern Asia’s president Rouven Casper: “With Douyin, we can offer our fans unique content and have the chance to further increase our profile. The goal is to be an essential part of our fans’ everyday lives, even in China.”

Perhaps Lewandowski was the agent who initiated the partnership talks? Hmmm.

Augsburg head coach to miss BL restart after breaking quarantine for toothpaste (the Guardian)

Augsburg’s coach Heiko Herrlich will miss the restart of the Bundesliga after he broke strict quarantine rules, leaving the team hotel to buy toothpaste.

“I made a mistake by leaving the hotel”, said Herrlich. He then added, “Even though I followed all hygiene measures both when I left the hotel, and otherwise, I cannot undo this.”

The toothpaste he bought may not help him for at least a week since he definitely won’t be smiling.

Dele Alli robbed at knifepoint (the Guardian)

Tottenham star Dele Alli was robbed at his home in North London in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He was held at knifepoint and punched several times on the face by the intruders, who left after inflicting minor facial injuries on the player.

So far no arrests have been made, but the police are closely investigating the matter.

Bayern squad in good spirits during team training

The Bundesliga is back, so let’s hope the lads start off with a bang when they face Union Berlin on Sunday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic may return to Swedish football (Corriere Della Sera)

Corriere Della Sera has reported that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has decided to leave AC Milan and is looking to play for Stockholm-based club Hammarby IF in the Swedish top division, Allsvenskan.

Ibrahimovic, who recently bought shares at Hammarby, has been practicing with the club during the corona lockdown. The Swedish league, which has been postponed due to the coronavirus, was set to start in April and it is proposed to start again in the first week of June. Serie A aims to start around mid-June although there is a chance that Milan will have to play without their Swedish striker.

Ibrahimovic, who was born and raised in Malmö, has previously stated that he will never play in the Swedish top-division again. If true, Zlatan playing for Hammarby will be the biggest and most controversial signing of Allsvenskan’s history.