Daily Schmankerl: BVB’s Gregor Kobel not ready to talk about Bayern Munich; FC Barcelona has Benjamin Pavard on wish list; Marcus Thuram definitely leaving Gladbach?; Lovro Zvonarek making his mark; Liverpool alum wants Jamal Musiala; and MORE!

Kobel not thinking about Bayern move (Sport1 via @iMiaSanMia)

Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper situation is stable for the moment with Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich as mainstays on the first team roster and Alexander Nübel safely tucked away on loan with AS Monaco (at least for now).

However, Neuer is getting older, Ulreich is not seen as a future number one, and Nübel probably does not have the patience to wait for Neuer to retire. Hence the reason we recently saw Bayern Munich linked to Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

The Switzerland international is not currently reciprocating any of that rumored interest, though.

“No, and that’s not of interest to me either. I play for Dortmund and we have big plans with BVB. That’s all I care about,” Kobel said.

Kobel is certainly an intriguing player and one who looks to have a massive upside, but — like Nübel — he might not want to sit around and wait for Neuer to finally slow down.

Pavard among three finalists for right-back position at Barca (Fichajes)

All signs point to Benjamin Pavard leaving Bayern Munich next summer and FC Barcelona seems poised to add the Frenchman:

Thus, in the city of Barcelona they have remained for now with three objectives for that demarcation. Juan Foyth (Villarreal) , Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich) and Diogo Dalot (Manchester United) . All of them are now moving forward with their respective teams in the World Cup and are important pieces in their teams.

That is why it seems even more complicated that they can change scenery in the middle of the season. In any case, with almost two months to go until the winter market closes, they would be the names with which the sports management of the Barça squad works. The Catalan squad has decided to follow in the footsteps of several wingers because reinforcing that position has become a real priority for the Catalan team.

Would Pavard relent on his desire to play center-back for a chance to re-join old teammate Robert Lewandowski at FC Barcelona?

Zvonarek does his thing (@TaistoFCB)

The Bayern Munich campus’ Croatian sensation, Lovro Zvonarek, had a nice “oh by the way” goal:

Weekend Warm-up + Postgame show (Bavarian Podcast Works)

Germany is officially out! Now, who didn’t see that coming?

Japan deservedly qualify, while Spain has Germany to thank for their qualification to the knockouts. Germany however, needs a lot of thought and a lot of changes before the next major tournament rolls in. A team that is a knockout stage regular has now become a regular at being knocked out of groups. How the mighty have fallen.

So is it complacency? Is it abysmal coaching decisions? This podcast looks at a few possible reasons that may be significant to Germany’s derailment as of late. Here’s what we have in store in this special edition podcast:

• Germany’s shortcomings, and the disappointing exit
• Spain looking quite toothless for large stretches
• Hansi Flick’s baffling decisions and stubborn approach
• Complacency being a key issue of this German NT squad
• Why Japan is a great team to root for in this tournament
• Hustle as a Netflix movie recommendation
• Some classical music talk: Mozart, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, et al.

Gladbach sees France call-up as death knell for hopes of extending Thuram (Football London)

Borussia Mönchengladbach manager Oliver Neuville sounds resigned to the fact he will be losing Marcus Thuram at some point soon.

“He’s having an amazing season. He’s scored a lot of goals. I think it will be difficult for him to stay at Gladbach,” he told Radio Sportiva. “If he continues to score so many goals, it’s certain he’ll have many offers from Italy, Spain and England. We must also be a little realistic. I hope he will still be here for a long time in Monchengladbach. But now he’s been called up by French for the World Cup, it will be difficult for him to extend. I hope (he stays). But the chances are slim.”

Another person calls for LFC to get Moose (Liverpool Echo)

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson wants Jurgen Klopp to grab Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala via a transfer ASAP.

“I’d like to see Jamal Musiala in a Liverpool or back in a Chelsea shirt, especially with the way he’s playing at the moment,” Johnson told FairBettingSites. “Most top teams would bite their arm off for him. Musiala was getting involved in most of Germany’s attacks before they were knocked out. He looks like he would really suit the Premier League.”

Gakpo not worrying about his club future (90Min.com)

Netherlands World Cup breakout star Cody Gakpo seems almost certain to be leaving PSV Eindhoven, but he’s not worrying about it just yet. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United:

Cody Gakpo has admitted that while he is flattered to be a transfer target for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, his focus remains on winning the World Cup with the Netherlands.