Daily Schmankerl: Real Madrid, Liverpool plotting move for Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala; Toni Kroos had the itch; PSG’s Lionel Messi not going to Inter Miami yet; Bayern still chasing Marcus Thuram; Chelsea won’t loan Christian Pulisic; and MORE!

Madrid has plans on Moose move (The Hard Tackle)

Real Madrid is reportedly very fond of Bayern Munich phenom Jamal Musiala and could be poised to start offering up proposals to the Bavarians:

La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly tracking the progress of 19-year-old Bayern Munich prodigy Jamal Musiala. According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Jamal Musiala is the subject of interest from Real Madrid. The reigning La Liga champions are monitoring the 19-year-old Bayern Munich prodigy closely at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Jamala Musiala is an English-origin midfielder born in Stuttgart. And the teenage prodigy started his youth career in Germany at TSV Lehnerz before moving to England. The German international went through the academies at Chelsea and Southampton before returning to Germany by joining Bayern Munich. And the move has done wonders for his career.

Musiala is a versatile player who can reprise different roles in the midfield and offensive units. So he is an attractive target for Real Madrid as he can potentially succeed Luka Modric or Toni Kroos. Alternatively, the Bayern Munich prodigy can also slot in on the wings, making him an appealing attacking option.

Not so fast my friend. Liverpool FC is also interested in Musiala and wants to get a deal done at the end of this season (The Mirror as captured by FootballFancast.com):

Liverpool are interested in a deal to bring Jamal Musiala to Anfield at the end of the current campaign.

That’s according to a report by The Mirror, who claim that, should Jurgen Klopp miss out on the signing of Borussia Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham next summer, the German manager will consider launching a bid for the Bayern Munich midfielder as an alternative to the England international.

The report goes on to state that the 19-year-old’s form in the Bundesliga, as well as his impressive displays for Germany at the Qatar World Cup, have caught the eye of the Premier League side, however, the forward-thinking talent is believed to be happy at the Allianz Arena.

As we all know, a buy would probably have to pry Musiala from the cold, dead hands of Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić before the club lets him go.

Ronaldo’s mega offer from Al Nassr (@FabrizioRomano)

Al Nassr is set to make Cristiano Ronaldo even more insanely rich than he already is:

Would Ronaldo take that deal? Would you?

Kroos had the itch (dw_sports)

When watching Germany...Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos did kind of, sort of want to suit back up for Germany — at least temporarily:

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 5, Episode 22 (Bavarian Football Works)

Another game on the books and Germany are still alive in the World Cup. In some ways, a draw versus an in-form Spain team looks good on paper, but Hansi Flick needed so much more. Germany were far from convincing for most of the game, but some game-changing subs including the addition of Leroy Sane and Niclas Fullkrug in the second half allowed them to rescue a point. The performance leaves a lot to be desired.

In this episode, Chuck and INNN talk about the following:

• Why did Hansi Flick field another strikerless lineup versus Spain?
• The problem with the role Thomas Muller was forced to play, illustrated by the players around him.
• No gegenpressing again — why? The strategic failure of the lineup.
• How and why the substitutes changed the game for Germany. The sheer impact of Fullkrug.
• Pointing out the terrible performances of the fullbacks, Thilo Kehrer and David Raum.
• Who should start against Costa Rica? What changes should Hansi make?
• Should Serge Gnabry or Thomas Muller start the next game?
• What kind of World Cup is Bayern Munich having? Answer: A really bad one.
• Is Jamal Musiala a little over-awed by the occasion?
• Serge Gnabry’s awful form.
• Dayot Upamecano shining among the French contingent.
• Bad news for Matthijs de Ligt.
• An overall roundup of the injury situation and the silver lining if the Bayern players get knocked out early.

Messi’s future is not in MLS...yet (ESPN via 90Min.com)

There were some crazy rumors floating about that Paris Saint-Germain star and Argentina international was going to move to Inter Miami after this season. However, it appears that the mega-star will not be going anywhere just yet:

Lionel Messi has not agreed a deal to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, according to his representatives. Reports on Sunday suggested the Argentine was finalising a move to Florida from PSG.

Spy Sports (as captured by 90Min.com) corroborated the report and added on a potential timeframe for when Messi might actually move on:

Lionel Messi is expected to continue playing his club Europe in football until the end of the 2023/24 season at least, despite reports claiming he is closing in on a transfer to Inter Miami at the end of the current campaign.

Bayern likely holds most interest in Thuram (L’Equipe via @iMiaSanMia)

Right now, Bayern Munich is probably the club most interested Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram, but the Bavarians could be getting some deep-pocketed company soon eight...but who? The French outlet would not reveal who the “top 5 Premier League club” might be:

Chelsea not willing to let Pulisic leave in January (Daily Mail vis 90Min.com)

USMNT star Christian Pulisic rose to the occasion against Iran, but that does not Chelsea FC will use this momentum to find him a loan assignment. However, the club would be willing to sell him outright — if the right offer came along. Manchester United and Arsenal FC are reportedly interested:

Chelsea are reluctant to allow Christian Pulisic to leave on loan in January but would consider a permanent sale. Manchester United and Arsenal have been linked with the American winger.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 21 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich’s luck has been pretty terrible at the World Cup. For Germany, it has not been much better, either.

For both club and country, Citizen King’s 1999 tune “Better Days” absolutely rings true (and yup, there may have been ample Thanksgiving beers consumed for me to remember that song).

Bayern Munich and Germany could use some new juju to change up the way things have been going, and we’ll see if we can find some reason to get the optimism rolling.

This is what we have on tap for this episode:

• Bayern’s rumored offer to Gladbach’s Marcus Thuram.
• Could Bayern Munich really expedite their pursuit of Florian Wirtz?
• What Bayern Munich’s backline will look like without Lucas Hernandez.
• Some final thoughts on the series finale of The Walking Dead.

Programming Note: The Weekend Warm-up Podcast will be off this week (Bavarian Football Works)

Due to Germany’s match ending on Thursday in the late afternoon EST, the Weekend Warm-up Podcast will go on a one week scheduling hiatus so we don’t have an all-out podcast collision.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.