Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Germany vs. Armenia; FC Barcelona eyeing Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Hakim Ziyech; Barca too bring back Neymar?; Matthijs de Ligt’s release clause is crazy; and MORE!

Die Folgen: Germany’s strong 4-1 victory over Armenia (Bavarian Football Works)

Without its normal roster littered with Bayern Munich players, Germany finished off its World Cup qualifying round with a solid 4-1 win over Armenia.

The Germans started early and never lost control of the game. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• The 4-1 victory was comfortable, yet choppy. Things were not always fluid, but Germany relied on its superior talent and depth to pull away from Armenia.
• Kai Havertz is another player who has seemed to increase his productivity under Hansi Flick. With the game-opening goal, Havertz once again is looking like he will be a big contributor under Flick.
• İlkay Gündoğan chipped in with a brace. To think, the Manchester City man was ready to walk away from international play just a few months ago — and now he figures to be in the mix with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka for playing time.
• Florian Neuhaus might need to leave Gladbach to get back his game form.
• Jonas Hofmann put home Germany’s fourth and final goal. Hofmann is still easing his way into being a regular for Germany and probably did not hurt his case much with this effort.
• Overall, Flick’s impact on this squad is undeniable. To sweep through every game since he start at the helm is impressive to say the least. Germany is responding to Flick and Flick is getting the most out of his roster. You really can’t ask for much more at this point.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

Barca eyeing Chelsea trio (Sport Bild)

FC Barcelona is reportedly considering three Chelsea FC players to help bolster its roster:

First of all, this is Callum Hudson-Odoi (21). FC Bayern was already (several times) interested in the winger. But: In the last five league games he was in the starting line-up four times. However, it was only against the basement children of the Premier League.

The second player on the list is ex-BVB star Christian Pulisic (23). The American has just recovered from an injury and made his comeback against Burnley (1-1).

Last but not least, there should also be interest in Hakim Ziyech (28). In his second season in London, the Moroccan always commutes between the field and the reserve bench. After all, he was in the starting line-up in three out of four games in the Champions League.

ICYMI The Weekend Warm-up Podcast: Season 1, Episode 25 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich is on break, but that certainly does not mean that things have slowed down. From Germany reconvening under Hansi Flick to COVID-19 exposures to multiple injuries to German players to Leon Goretzka getting kicked in the face, there has been a lot going on.

Here is what we have on tap for this episode:

• A look at how Bayern Munich closed out SC Freiburg before hitting the break, including some concerns about the offensive spacing.
• A quick look at Germany’s week at training camp under Hansi Flick.
• The rumors that Chelsea FC could be making a player for Karim Adeyemi, while FC Barcelona could try to bring in Timo Werner.

De Ligt’s release clause probably won’t allow him to move (Transfer Market Web)

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt would probably be a popular transfer target if he was affordable, but one report suggest the fee to procure De Ligt is €125 million to €140 million:

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt will have an active release clause at the end of the current campaign. This comes from Corriere dello Sport, who claim that De Ligt’s future at Juve is uncertain and his release clause of €125 to €140 million will become active next summer. The Bianconeri and Mino Raiola will get on the table to talk about the player’s future soon.

Juventus management don’t consider him sellable in the summer but there is no shortage of interest in the player and the Dutchman’s future is yet to be decided.

Hwang to CIty or LFC? (Sport1)

At RB Leipzig, Hee-Chan Hwang could not convince, in the Premier League, however, the South Korean’s knot seems to have burst. Hwang has already scored four goals in eight Premier League games for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

No wonder that the first English top clubs should have noticed the fast striker. As the Mirror reports, both Liverpool and Manchester City are said to have kept an eye on Hwang.

The 25-year-old is currently on loan from RB to Wolves, but they should have a purchase option, which, according to Telegraph, should be around 16.5 million euros. The Wolves want to pull these already in January in order to get to possible interested parties beforehand.

Barca to bring back Neymar (Transfer Market Web)

FC Barcelona could also be thinking of bringing back Neymar to help rebuild its squad:

Joan Laporta has been startled by PSG boss Al Khelaifi, according to El Nacional. He is said to be eager to sell Neymar to Barcelona, but only through middlemen.

PSG wants to get rid of him because he hasn’t been able to persuade them. In nearly a thousand minutes in Ligue 1, he has only three goals.

He has yet to score for the Parisians in the Champions League, where they most need him. This is one of the reasons they want him to go. This decision is also influenced by his off-field issues.

Barça, on the other hand, might not be interested. Their relationship with the Brazilian is officially gone, in their opinion. They can’t even afford his €80 million transfer fee, let alone his wage. Barcelona is launching a new enterprise in which he has no involvement.