Daily Schmankerl: Liverpool plotting moves for Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham; Tottenham Hotspur’s Emerson Royal spent how much?; Antonio Rüdiger and Nico Schlotterbeck for top Germany pairing?; and MORE!

LFC eyeing Musiala move? (Football 365)

Bayern Munich phenom Jamal Musiala is lighting up Europe and despite the fact you would probably have to pry him from the cold, dead hands of sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić, there are rumors that some English clubs are quite chuffed about initially missing on the Germany international.

In fact, Liverpool is allegedly prepared to start putting together a proposal for Musiala — who undoubtedly, will not be sold any time soon:

Liverpool can take advantage of Chelsea transfer mistake by signing ‘Lionel Messi heir” is the mightily intriguing headline Express have gone with this morning. They love a speculative story over there and this is all about Chelsea academy graduate Jamal Musiala, who moved to Bayern Munich as a 16-year-old in 2019.

Liverpool apparently showed a loose interest in signing Musiala in the summer and ‘can’ sign him next summer, in the same way Manchester City, Chelsea and Plymouth ‘can’. Musiala has been in stunning form for Bayern so far this term and tops the Bundesliga goalscoring charts for the German giants with five goals, also contributing three assists.

His rise isn’t all that different to that of Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund and Express have the gall to suggest Musiala could be an alternative to Bellingham for Liverpool, despite them playing in very different positions.

Liverpool is said to be very interested in Bellingham as well as Musiala. Could the English club grab both? Maybe (as captured by This is Anfield):

Expected to depart Dortmund next summer, Bellingham is already attracting a number of high-profile clubs, with it reported that he is Liverpool’s top target for the midfield.

There is a sense that the No. 22 would be perfect for Jurgen Klopp‘s side, and vice versa, but there is also a growing feeling that they could face serious competition in their pursuit.

The Telegraph‘s Matt Law has only added to this with a report that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who is also currently serving as their sporting director, has “already attempted to make inroads into the Bellingham camp.”

This is crazy (@ZachLowy)

In what can only be described as one of the most insane self-improvement plans every devised, Tottenham Hotspur’s Emerson Royal has spent £800,000 to help make himself a better player:

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 13 (Bavarian Football Works)

Between Germany and Bayern Munich, there is no shortage of discussion points for fans to talk about and debate.

For those looking forward to the World Cup, we got a sneak peek on what things could look like for Germany in Qatar. For Bayern Munich fans, it is time to re-boot and start over after a tough run in the Bundesliga.

Let’s take a gander at what we have on tap for this episode:

• A look at Germany’s international break and what we might have learned ahead of the World Cup.
• What to look for in Bayern Munich’s games.
• Jamal Musiala’s star is beginning to explode.
• Bayern Munich might already be planning for life after Benjamin Pavard.
• Is Bayern Munich interested in Chelsea FC’s Kai Havertz?

Rüdiger, Schlotterbeck as Germany’s top pairing in Qatar (Sport1)

Sport1 pundit Maik Franz is convinced that Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is just the man to anchor the backline for Germany at the World Cup in Qatar.

“(Schlotterbeck) will be the cornerstone back there,” Franz said. “He still has room for improvement in the national team, but he’s a top player for the next few years. You should put your trust in him. He came from Freiburg and is an undisputed regular in Dortmund - an absolute top team.”

Franz thinks that Schlotterbeck will also develop into being a team leader and should be the man starting next to Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger when Germany takes the pitch in Qatar.

“He will also become the leading player in the national team. Schlotterbeck and Rüdiger should be set. Those are two real machines over there,” Franz said. “Yes, he made a few mistakes, but you shouldn’t overestimate that. He can develop further. You saw that. He will develop more self-confidence and then we will have a lot of fun with this player. He is the future player in defense for Germany. (Mats) Hummels and (Niklas) Süle are also two good central defenders. Matthias Ginter is also doing a great job in Freiburg. We have alternatives. First choice for me are clearly Schlotterbeck and Rüdiger!”

Bittencourt stumps for Füllkrug (Sport1)

Werder Bremen’s Leonardo Bittencourt made his pitch for Germany to call up Niclas Füllkrug.

”I think he’s the best German striker we have at the moment. If he doesn’t let himself be impressed by it, but continues like in the last few years or last year with the second half of the second division, he will definitely be a candidate,” Bittencourt said. “He’s a nine, which in my opinion doesn’t exist that often anymore — at least not in Germany. If he can jump on the bandwagon in the end, we’d all be happy.”

As for Füllkrug, he doesn’t want to speculate on what might — or might not — happen.

Nübel named Monaco’s Player of the Month (ASMonaco.com)

Bayern Munich loanee Alexander Nübel was named AS Monaco’s Player of the Month:

Following a high-caliber September, the German goalkeeper was named player of the month with 44% of the votes by the Rouge et Blanc fans on the AS Monaco App.

Impassable, unbeatable, determined, decisive… There is no shortage of adjectives to describe the month of September turned in by Alexander Nübel. With only two goals conceded in all competitions, the German goalkeeper has been a symbol of the great form of AS Monaco.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Bayern Munich 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen (Bavarian Football Works)

After four consecutive Bundesliga games without a win, Bayern Munich have responded in solid fashion with a 4-0 win over a struggling Bayer Leverkusen side. The entire front four managed to score as Julian Nagelsmann’s system shone in its ability to create chances and suffocate the opposition with a high press. Even so, after all these poor performances, we have to be wary about declaring the crisis over after a single win.

Here are our talking points from the game:

• A quick recap of how the game went down.
• How Sadio Mane playing on the left might be a move to optimize his role.
• Leroy Sane’s excellent performance, overshadowed by the even better Jamal Musiala.
• Why a “quiet game” from Thomas Müller is a myth.
• A quick review of the midfield partnership (not much to say here) and Sabitzer’s Kante-esque role.
• Does Matthijs de Ligt look a little ... large?
• Countering the confusing narratives about Alphonso Davies.
• Interesting moves by Nagelsmann on set pieces.
• Criticism of the substitutions.