Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich and Liverpool tussling over Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham...or not?; Real Madrid to trigger release clause for Manchester City’s Erling Haaland?; Updates on Christopher Nkunku and Antoine Griezmann; plus MORE!

More on LFC eyeing Musiala and Bellingham, Bayern won’t pursue BVB star (The Mirror)

Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala and Borussia Dortmund stalwart Jude Bellingham were youth teammates in England’s system and now it appears that Premier League clubs are clamoring to bring the duo back to where they developed.

Liverpool has been closely linked to both players, though getting Musiala will not happen any time soon. Knowing that, Jürgen Klopp’s club will likely focus on a pursuit of Bellingham for 2023, but could make a full court press at Musiala if a bid on Bellingham falls through:

Liverpool are considering Jamal Musiala as an alternative target should they fail to land Jude Bellingham. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is their top target next summer but they will face competition if they are to succeed in bringing him back to England. Real Madrid as well as several other Premier League sides are keen on Bellingham, who has gone from strength to strength in Germany.

If Bellingham fails to end up at Anfield, the Reds may ramp up their interest in Bayern star Musiala, who has also excelled in the Bundesliga. The teenager moved to Munich having spent several years in Chelsea’s youth set-up and has since flourished.

The Mirror cited this quote that Musiala gave Sport Bild as a reason why Musiala could potentially be tempted to leave at some point: “Many factors come together, many details. I’m very happy at Bayern. But you never know what will happen in 6-7 years. I live in the present and enjoy the moment, I’m very happy. The Premier League is a really strong league. The big stars go there. But whether I’ll go there at some point? No idea. I only know that I enjoyed my time in England. Now I’m playing for FC Bayern, one of the best clubs in the world.“

We all know that Bayern Munich would likely sell off just about anyone else ahead of Musiala, so Liverpool might be engaging in a pipe dream for this potential pursuit.

Interestingly — and seemingly for no reason — Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn issued a quote (as captured by @iMiaSanMia) that his club would not pursue Bellingham, despite not having been linked to the player for at least a year.

“Of course Jude Bellingham for me is an outstanding player. However, with (Joshua) Kimmich, (Leon) Goretzka, (Marcel) Sabitzer, and (Ryan) Gravenberch, we’re very well equipped in this position,” said Kahn. “We’re not thinking about that at all.”

Haaland to Madrid getting hot? (Mundo Deportivo via The Fresno Bee)

Is Real Madrid pondering making a massive offer to trigger Erling Haaland’s release clause at Manchester City? If you believe Mundo Deportivo, Pep Guardiola’s club might be sweating it out a bit and might already be looking to sign Haaland to a new deal:

Manchester City are trying to tie Erling Haaland down to a fresh contract which removes the nine-figure release clause in his current deal. The Norway international is said to be eyeing a move to Real Madrid in the next few years. (Mundo Deportivo)

This seems preposterous for a number of reasons, but Haaland Mania is running wild through Europe.

Tillman gets Van Dijk’d (@simonbrady95)

Just a few weeks ago, Sergio Aguero famously implied that Erling Haaland would struggle in the Premier League when he ran into defender’s like Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk. Haaland, of course, has since blazed right through every defender put in front of him, but that does not mean Van Dijk has become any less formidable...just ask Bayern Munich loanee Malik Tillman.

The Rangers attacker found out what Van Dijk is all about during Liverpool’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Rangers FC:

Aside of getting manhandled by Van Dijk, Tillman got roasted by Neil McCann (as captured by Glasgow Live). McCann said Tillman’s showing was “irredeemable.”

Yikes.

“There has to be questions asked of certain players by Van Bronckhorst, we spoke about Tillman. I need to be careful not to go overboard as Liverpool are a good side but I believe Rangers are better than that,” said McCann. “That was a sobering performance in terms of how far Rangers were off it. That was miles more than a 2-0.”

Sparing you McCann’s criticism of everyone else on the Rangers squad, here is what he said about Tillman specifically.

“I thought Malik Tillman was shocking at times, absolutely shocking. His application, I can forgive him for making wrong decisions or passes but I can’t forgive him for not trying. It looked at times like he wasn’t trying and he’s already shown that at times. He’s got the ability to show he’s a top player but you can’t just turn it on when you feel like it. It’s unacceptable,” McCann said.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Bayern Munich 5-0 Viktoria Plzen (Bavarian Football Works)

So Bayern Munich have won another game in the Champions League, and it really wasn’t even close. Viktoria Plzen will be counting their lucky stars that this game only ended 5-0, because the early minutes of the game seemed to be building up to a massacre. We saw complete dominance and clinical attacking football as Julian Nagelsmann’s side tore the Czech giants apart.

Here are our talking points from the game:

• How exactly do you pronounce “Plzen”?
• A quick recap of what went on in the game.
• Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane’s amazing linkup plays.
• Sadio Mane, offsides, and criticism of the automated offside technology.
• A basic review of each player’s performance.
• Why Leon Goretzka might be preferred over Marcel Sabitzer against certain types of teams.
• An interesting note on Benjamin Pavard being subbed on as a center-back.
• Criticizing Julian Nagelsmann for his use of youth players this season and this game in particular.

Nkunku to Chelsea looking more likely (@cfbayern)

RB Leipzig attacker Christopher Nkunku looks more and more likely to be headed to Chelsea FC:

Neuer appreciates Musiala (Tz)

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer is a big fan of what he sees from Jamal Musiala.

“He brings a certain ease with him, has a certain dynamism and is difficult to separate from the ball. He can leave two or three players at a time and is also good for our game because he is a key player for crucial moments,” Neuer said.

That is high praise coming from someone, who many consider the GOAT for his own position.

Finally, the charade is over (@brfootball)

Antoine Griezmann has been in limbo for this season. With a weird stipulation in his loan agreement about playing time, Atletico Madrid has been reluctant to the FC Barcelona loanee too much...or else it would have to pay.

Now, however, it looks like a solution will be in place for Griezmann to make a permanent move back to Atleti:

Bavarian Podcast Works: Flagship Show — Season 5, Episode 14 (Bavarian Football Works)

In this episode, Schnitzel discusses the following topics at length:

• Is Sadio Mané better as a left winger?
• Should Mané even be starting games right now?
• Jamal Musiala is the world’s best winger currently and deserves the Kopa Trophy.
• The 4-2-2-2 and why it is the way to go.
• Is Nagelsmann getting things right tactically?
• Throwing some shade at Ligue 1, as always.