Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich? PSG? Where will Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo land?; Chelsea to take run a Benjamin Pavard; Does Jamal Musiala dress like an old man?; Kylian Mbappe to pass on Real Madrid?; & MORE!

Chelsea getting serious with Pavard (A Stamford Bridge Too Far)

It looks like Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard is still on the transfer radar of Chelsea FC:

According to Football. London, Chelsea have identified French defender Benjamin Pavard as a defensive reinforcement that they can make in January with the versatile Bayern Munich star capable of playing at both right-back and centre-back.

A player who is best remembered for his unbelievable goal against Argentina in the 2018 World Cup, Pavard has gone under the radar for Bayern Munich. He is a constant presence in their backline and keeps going about his business without much of a fuss.

It does look like Pavard will have his choice of clubs, but will any of them allow him to play center-back? It seems like almost everyone loves him as a right-back, but that does not appear to be the position where the Frenchman wants to spend the rest of his career.

Mbappe wants to stick it out at PSG, eschews Madrid (Sports Illustrated via 90Min.com)

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe is reportedly going to stiff-arm overtures from Real Madrid and stay with PSG:

Kylian Mbappe has once again said that he does not want to leave PSG in order to join Real Madrid, asserting that he wants to win the Champions League with his hometown club. (Sports Illustrated)

The constant “will he or won’t” drama has to be old if you are a PSG fan.

I legit laughed at this (@YESSISG16)

Seriously, this is both true and hilarious:

Huge credit to @YESSISG16 for that observation. Between Moose dressing like a grandpa and Tom Brady looking like he’s about to do an overnight Philly to Atlanta run in his 18-wheeler, this pic has it all.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 19 (Bavarian Football Works)

Former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick named his squad for the World Cup in Qatar and boy, did it get people reacting.

There were some obvious choices, some surprises, and some head scratchers, but that is exactly why we are here — let’s react and hash out where we thought Flick got it right and where he might have gotten it wrong. Here is what we have on tap:

• An overview of the position groups and who the starters might be.
• Where the Bayern Munich boys fits into the mix.
• What some options are for Flick to look at in his attack.
• Why Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka should get the call as starters.
• Why it appears that Flick valued versatility?
• The surprising return of Mario Götze and the stunning — and possibly regrettable — omission of Mats Hummels.
• Also, we talk about Bayern Munich’s recent form, the impressive run the team is on, why it might take some time to get back to that level after the World Cup, and MORE!

Upamecano, Musiala recognized for efforts vs. Schalke (@WhoScored)

Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano and Jamal Musiala were honored for their respective performances against Schalke 04 with a spot on WhoScored.com’s Bundesliga Team of the Week:

CR7 to PSG back in business? (L’Equipe via 90Min.com)

We all saw the news linking Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo to Bayern Munich (again), but Sky’s Florian Plettenberg has him looking closely at Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea FC, and Sporting Lisbon:

L’Equipe (as captured by 90Min.com) also ran a report detailing that Ronaldo would prefer a move to Paris:

Cristiano Ronaldo has confessed that he could see himself playing for Paris Saint-Germain when he leaves Manchester United. (L’Equipe)

So...what’s next for CR7? There is no way he can go back to Manchester United, right?

Rüdiger does something awesome (@brfootball)

Real Madrid star and Germany international Antonio Rüdiger deserves kudos for this:

Bavarian Podcast Works Season 5, Episode 20 (Bavarian Football Works)

With the Hinrunde over, the conversation finally shifts from Bayern Munich to the German National Team. World Cup 2022 is almost upon us, and Hansi Flick has announced the squad that he will be taking to Qatar. Despite including the likes of Karim Adeyemi, Kai Havertz, Thilo Kehrer, and other ... questionable names in the roster, Hansi Flick shocked the football community by snubbing the likes of Mats Hummels and Robin Gosens, and choosing only three midfielders for the roster. What kind of starting XI does that make?

In this episode, INNN and Tom discuss:

• Why the fullback issue could sink Germany in the World Cup this year.
• Is Niklas Sule Germany’s best option at right-back?
• How Hansi Flick’s squad selection limits his options in midfield.
• Does Thomas Muller make the lineup in its current form? Who do you drop for him?
• What should the attack look like? Should Flick use a striker or go with a Bayern Munich style strikerless system?
• Why Hansi Flick may choose to bench Leroy Sane over Serge Gnabry.
• What should the expectations be for Germany at the World Cup?