Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich loanee Alexander Nübel could see return when Manuel Neuer retires; Virgil van Dijk recruited Cody Gakpo to Liverpool; Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola pokes fun at Kalvin Phillips comments; Shenanigans for Neymar; and MORE!

Nübel can see future at Bayern, just not until Neuer leaves (Tz via @iMiaSanMia)

Bayern Munich loanee Alexander Nübel made it very clear that he has no immediate interest in returning to the club to lend the team a helping hand as Manuel Neuer recovers from a broken leg.

However, Nübel might not be totally ready to close the door on Bayern Munich forever per Tz journalists Philipp Kessler and Mano Bonke (as captured by @iMiaSanMia):

Despite his most recent statements, Alexander Nübel still believes there’s no more interesting position at a top club than that at FC Bayern, especially with Manuel Neuer’s age.

Hasan Salihamidžić contacted Nübel’s camp during Christmas to inform them about negotiations with Monaco. The French club is unwilling to let Nübel go, as they have no potential replacement in sight. Therefore, a return to Munich is looking unlikely.

With Monaco rejecting Bayern’s approaches, Yann Sommer is set to be even more in focus. The Swiss goalkeeper, out of contract in summer 2023, would cost at least €5m in January.

It has to be Sommer...there is no other choice. As for Nübel, things might need to warm-up between him and Bayern Munich after this fiasco before he can think of a comeback down the line.

Van Dijk sealed the deal for Gakpo (Eindhovens Dagblad via 90Min.com)

When the final stages of Liverpool’s pursuit of Cody Gakpo hit, Jurgen Klopp turned to the big guns to get the deal done:

Virgil van Dijk spoke to Cody Gakpo to help convince him join Liverpool from PSV. A deal is expected to be confirmed shortly.

Pep pokes fun at previous Phillips quotes (@FabrizioRomano)

In the midst of prodding Erling Haaland a bit about some poor finishing (at least in the manager’s eyes, Haaland did have two goals against Leeds United), Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola tried to diffuse the comments he made about Kalvin Phillips earlier in the week:

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 5, Episode 26 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich has had a lot going on off the pitch lately, including transfer rumors, potential scouting options, contract extensions, and the curious case of one Benjamin Bottom Pavard. When the rest of BFW is busy celebrating and enjoying Christmas and you all are having a good time in the comfort of your homes, I have tried to crank out a podcast to give you Bayern fanatics a little something to listen to if you’re in need of Bayern coverage or mild entertainment.

And yes, that is me referring to myself in the third person on the dek, something I occasionally like doing.

Without waffling for much longer, here are the major talking points in the podcast:

• Christmas greetings
• Neuer’s replacement and potential goalkeeper replacement options
• Why Alexander Nübel deserves his shot
• Bayern Munich’s youngsters, with a focus on Mathys Tel
• How these youngins are unfazed by the spotlight and performing admirably
• Some speculation about the formations Nagelsmann could potentially employ in the Rückrunde
• Contract extensions on the horizon
• Benjamin Pavard on the move?

Oh no....Lewy (Barca Universal)

When looking at this pic, I immediately thought FC Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski was prepping for Halloween or might be a Chester Clippers supporter (deep #Delco cut):

Some Barca fans, however, perceived things differently:

Hoffenheim finalizing move for Dolberg (Sport1)

Hoffenheim has been after Kasper Dolberg since 2019 and now they look like they are finally getting their man:

Kasper Dolberg’s move to TSG Hoffenheim seems to be just a formality. As Bild reports, the Bundesliga club and OGC Nice have agreed on a loan transfer until the end of the season.

In addition, there should be a purchase option for the Danish national striker, who is currently on loan at FC Sevilla and is tied to the French until 2024. Before that, the loan contract with Sevilla has to be ended before the 25-year-old can start training at Hoffenheim on January 2nd and travel to the training camp in Albufeira, Portugal a day later.

Insert thinking face emoji (@ZachLowy)

Could Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar have punched his ticket to Brazil on purpose? One soccer journo connected those dots: