Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich to pursue Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt?; Robin Gosens to Newcastle United after all?; Borussia Dortmund out on Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen; Ousmane Dembele told to beat it by FC Barcelona; and MORE!

Bayern back in on De Ligt? (Repubblica via @iMiaSanMia)

Bayern Munich and Matthijs de Ligt have have had a long history of mutual flirtation. Now, with the Dutchman’s future in doubt at Juventus, the noise is getting louder that both parties might finally want to get together.

Per Repubblica (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich would be willing to bring in De Ligt once again — and pay €65 million to do so:

There are certainly some holes that just about anyone could shoot in this report. Let’s take a look at a couple:

• The Price Tag: Juventus paid €85.5 million to Ajax back in 2018 for De Ligt and while The Old Lady might need money, €65 million seems a little light. De Ligt is also rumored to have a nine-figure buyout, but if that is true, Juventus would like be willing to bargain.
• Organizational Depth: As far as center-backs are concerned, Bayern Munich is loaded. Currently, Niklas Süle, Lucas Hernandez, Dayot Upamecano, Benjamin Pavard, and Tanguy Nianzou are all players able to fill that role on the first team — and that does not even include loanees like Chris Richards and Lars Lukas Mai.

However, the futures of both Süle and Pavard are uncertain, Nianzou has been very shaky during his appearances, and there is a possibility that neither Richards nor Mai actually return from those loan assignments.

Is a move for De Ligt possible? Sure.

Is it likely? Hmmmmm...probably not.

Crazier things have happened, but this does feel like a longshot.

Bayern eyeing Brazilian prospect (NBC Sports)

Bayern Munich is reportedly one of the clubs looking at 15-year-old Brazilian sensation Endrick. Liverpool, Manchester City, FC Barcelona, and Manchester United are also said to be in the running:

A very young player has scored a golazo in Brazil, which we believe means that a robot lifts Florentino Perez onto a private jet and instantly races him to South America with a contract.

The difference here is that top clubs are already well-aware of Endrick, the 15-year-old Palmeiras starlet who scored an 18-yard bicycle kick goal (off some pitiful clearance efforts) Wednesday in Brazil.

Endrick, who doesn’t turn 16 until late July, was playing for Palmeiras in Copinha 2022, a tournament for U-20 teams in Sao Paulo, when he challenged for an aerial and sank his teeth into the second ball.

The result is the stuff of wonder.

Endrick is being linked with essentially every big club in Europe from Liverpool to Man City, Barcelona to Bayern Munich, and reports just this week claim that Manchester United’s made contact with his representatives.

Gosens to NUFC after all? (Sport1)

After Atalanta said it would not happen, Germany international Robin Gosens could actually leave for Newcastle United this summer — if he wants to make the move:

The fuss about the German national player Robin Gosens from Atalanta Bergamo goes into the next round. The 27-year-old was recently specifically linked to a move to the Premier League to Newcastle United .

His club had taken a position on this and tried to take the wind out of their sails: “Every day we read new reports in the newspapers about players from us who are said to be in talks at Newcastle. It seems like a lottery to me,” Atalanta’s managing director Umberto Marino was quoted as saying.

But as Sky now reports, Gosens could be on his way to Newcastle.

Accordingly, the Magpies Gosens are said to have submitted a concrete contract offer. The left-back is said to have a salary of around 3.5 million euros at Newcastle. The two clubs are apparently already in negotiations. However, it is uncertain whether Gosens, who has repeatedly raved about a move to the Bundesliga, wants to join Newcastle.

Atalanta still has no plans to let the national player go this winter. Gosens has been playing for Bergamo since 2017 and is currently out with a thigh injury.

Wriedt signs with Kiel (Sky)

Former Bayern Munich striker Kwasi Wriedt has signed a deal to move to Holstein Kiel, which should mark a new beginning for the former Willem II forward and potentially another bitter ending for Fiete Arp:

Holstein Kiel has strengthened with attacker Kwasi Okyere Wriedt. Sky had previously reported about it.

“We are very happy that we were able to win a technically strong and very versatile striker in Kwasi Wriedt,” said sporting director Uwe Stöver.

The 27-year-old striker comes from the Dutch Eredivisie club Willem II and, according to Sky information, costs the second division club around one million euros. On Thursday, the attacker completed the medical check and then signed a contract until the summer of 2025.

Wriedt should be able to make an impact with Kiel, but his presence will likely mean the end of meaningful playing time for Arp.

BVB out on Christensen (@cfbayern)

Borussia Dortmund has found Chelsea FC defender Andreas Christensen too rich for their Black and Yellow blood:

Bavarian Podcast Works: Preview Show — Bayern Munich vs. Hertha Berlin (Bavarian Football Works)

With no DFB-Pokal to worry about, Bayern Munich had the opportunity to get rested and healthy this week, which should there are plenty of bad things in store this weekend for Hertha Berlin.

Die Alte Dame is not exactly lighting the world on fire and, truthfully, it is tough to find many reasons that Hertha Berlin would be able to slow down Bayern Munich.

This is what we have on tape for this episode:

• A look at where each team sits within the Bundesliga table.
• The legitimate threat that Hertha Berlin could end up in a fight for its first flight life.
• A look at who is in and who is out for Bayern Munich.
• What Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI selections on the backline and in the central midfield might tell us about futures of players like Niklas Süle, Marcel Sabitzer, and Corentin Tolisso.
• A prediction on the match.

Dembele wears out welcome with Barca (@FabrizioRomano)

It sees like Ousmane Dembele has officially bothered FC Barcelona enough for the Catalans to let him go:

A fire sale on Dembele would be good for Barca, but will it happen? Bayern Munich was linked to the Frenchman, but that appears to be a very unlikely destination for the 24-year-old now. Whoever jumps into the fray with be getting an oft-injured player, who quite often has not lived up to his lofty billing — or salary.

Proceed with caution.

Whatever the case, Dembele fired off a statement of his own:

(Apologies, a technical issue prevented the Schmankerl from being released at its normal time)