Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich chasing Florian Wirtz?; Christian Pulisic for Leroy Sane swap deal in the works?; Bayern, Real Madrid, Juventus want Chelsea’s Antonio Rüdiger; A Bayern You Tube series; and MORE!

Bayern playing long game with Wirtz (Christian Falk via @iMiaSanMia)

One of the breakout stars of this international break has been Bayer Leverkusen wunderkind Florian Wirtz — and, of course, that has put him firmly in Bayern Munich’s transfer crosshairs.

We had previously heard that Bayern Munich was in contact with Wirtz’s father, but discussions appear to be continuing. The strong rumor is that Wirtz has a release clause in his contract that will activate in 2023:

Wirtz would be a coup for Bayern Munich, but it would be curious to see how the roster has evolved at that point. As always, there are no sure things in the transfer game.

Pulisic for Sane swap deal brewing? (AS)

The rumored swap deal between Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC for Leroy Sane is picking up steam. While it is still curious as to why or how this rumor even started (maybe Sane’s camp, maybe 100% nonsense), the discussion is picking up steam and Pulisic’s name is being bandied about as a player of interest to Bayern Munich:

Chelsea are apparently willing to offer Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi in exchange for Leroy Sané. It is a surprise to many that the Premier League side is willing to part ways with the American playmaker because he has become a key player for manager Thomas Tuchel.

Pulisic has proven to be an important player when he starts or comes off the bench. But Bayern would see his arrival as a positive addition to the team because of his experience in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.

Ziyech is a regular starter for Tuchel, but he suffered a shoulder injury and has only played eight minutes in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, while Hudson-Odoi has been linked with a move to the Bundesliga all-summer long.

I cannot see Bayern Munich selling sane or engaging in this cockamamie swap arrangement, but who knows?

ICYMI: Bavarian Podcast Works: Preview Show — Germany vs Iceland (Bavarian Football Works)

Germany will square-off against Iceland in the final game of this international break.

And with Thomas Müller, Kingsley Coman, and Alphonso Davies all already picking up injuries during this club hiatus, Bayern Munich fans are probably hoping for a clean, injury-free game more than anything else.

After picking up victories over Liechtenstein and Armenia, Germany will look to pick up a clean sweep of wins during this break. On this episode we talk over the following:

• How Germany has looked this far under former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick.
• Why Jonas Hofmann could potentially solve Germany’s problem at right-back.
• Who might start for Germany against Iceland.
• A prediction on the match.

Bayern World Squad series hit You Tube (You Tube — FC Bayern)

Check this trailer out for the upcoming series documenting the ups-and-downs and behind the scenes action of the players who were selected for Bayern Munich’s World Squad:

I am excited for this as I interviewed two of the players during the process and to hear their stories was pretty fascinating.

Bayern, Madrid, Juve to pursue Rüdiger (The Hard Tackle)

Could Bayern Munich be headed for a battle with Real Madrid and Juventus to land Chelsea’s Antonio Rüdiger? It would seem like a very odd addition for the Bavarians, but perhaps a good fit for Real Madrid or Juventus:

Real Madrid are reportedly set to face competition from Bayern Munich and Juventus in the race to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger.

According to a report from Spanish publication Fichajes, Real Madrid have been joined by Bayern Munich and Juventus in the race for Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, even as manager Thomas Tuchel pushes the club to hand the German a new contract.

It was only after Thomas Tuchel took over from Lampard that Rudiger was reintegrated back into the starting XI at Chelsea and he has not looked back since. The former AS Roma man has been one of the pillars of strength in this Chelsea team, playing a key role in their UEFA Champions League success last term and the UEFA Super Cup win earlier this season.

Unpacking what happened with Brazil vs. Argentina (CNN)

The early stoppage of the World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina was, perhaps, the most bizarre story of the weekend (non-Weston McKennie division). Here is what CNN found out:

The World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina was suspended minutes after kick-off at the Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil after Brazilian health officials came onto the pitch and escorted multiple Argentinian soccer players away.

The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) had requested support from the country’s Federal Police to prevent four Argentinian players from participating in the qualifier, saying that the players in question made false statements upon arriving in Brazil, omitting that they had been in the UK in the past 14 days.

According to Brazilian Covid-19 regulations, any passenger who visited the UK 14 days before arrival cannot enter the country.

“Anvisa considers the situation as a serious health risk, and therefore advised the local health authorities to determine the immediate quarantine of players, who are prevented from participating in any activity and must be prevented from remaining in Brazilian territory,” the organization said in a statement.

According to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil, Anvisa asked for the deportation of Emiliano Martínez, Emiliano Buendía, Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero — all English Premier League players.

ICYMI: Bavarian Podcast Works S4E5: Timo Werner and Leroy Sane’s Germany lifeline; Mandzukic retires; Nagelsmann vs Arteta Arsenal banter, and more! (Bavarian Podcast Works)

With the international break still chugging along, we don’t have that much Bayern Munich content to talk about. But that doesn’t mean that our podcast will take a break, because there’s always Germany! And plenty of other unrelated topics too ...

In this episode, Ineednoname and Samrin discuss:

• How Germany games are become a lifeline for Timo Werner and Leroy Sane.
• Can Werner keep being a key player for Germany?
• A quick meltdown over Bayern’s injuries.
• Talking about Mario Mandzukic’s career and Bayern legacy.
• Bayern alumni Mark van Bommel’s Wolfsburg team — including their chances in the Champions League!
• Some Arsenal banter to close things off, including a reference to that meme-worthy tweet comparing Nagelsmann and Arteta.