Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Villarreal; Has Noussair Mazraoui already rejected FC Barcelona?; More Marc Roca to AS Roma rumors; Red Bull blocking Karim Adeyemi move to Borussia Dortmund?; PSG wants Paul Pogba; and MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s stunning 1-0 loss to the Yellow Submarine (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich travelled to Spain and got taken to school by Villarreal. It was a completely uninspired effort by the Bavarians, who were just...bad on the night. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• Bayern Munich got off to about the worst possible start in letting up the goal from Arnaut Danjuma in the 8th minute. The goal seemed to be a breakdown in communication or coverage between Dayot Upamecano and Jamal Musiala, two players some would argue should have started on the bench.
• Villarreal was just way better early in the game and Bayern Munich looked very uncomfortable for the most part.
• It just felt like Bayern Munich was rushing every decision.
• If you had to define the first half in one word for Bayern Munich, that word would have been...sloppy.
• Bayern Munich has sooooooo many pointless long balls that had no shot to connect. There was a severe lack of creativity from the attack.
• Alphonso Davies hustled, but he was very rusty offensively. His defense was fine, but his passing was very poor.
• Joshua Kimmich and Musiala were pretty awful in the first half. I’m not saying anyone was good (they were not), but the midfield was especially bad. They were not much better in the second half either.
• Villarreal was superb in forcing Bayern Munich into awful cross attempts and also with taking Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller out of the match in the first half. The dynamic duo was a non-factor. Müller was subbed off just after the 60th minute after one of his most ineffective performances in years.
• Bayern Munich started the second half with much more energy and urgency, but the just were not good on the day. It was a total lack of precision, focus, and creativity.
• Kingsley Coman was busting it until the final whistle, but his efforts went unrewarded because even he struggled with the ball on his foot.
• Julian Nagelsmann had nothing to offer at halftime that changed the game. I think it is extremely fair to criticize his starting lineup, hesitancy to sub, and just the game plan. In every aspect of the match, Villarreal was better.
• Overall, this match was a mess on every level. The defense was sloppy, the offense was horrid, the midfield was not good...even Manuel Neuer had several moments where he cause the Bayern Munich faithful to hold their collective breath. It cannot get much worse than that. This tie isn’t over by any means, but Bayern Munich gave Villarreal a ton of hope that it could be.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look and/or a listen:

Has Mazraoui formally rejected Barca’s offer? (Barca Universal)

According to some reports, Ajax defender Noussair Mazraoui has already rejected FC Barcelona’s offer and is poised to accept a €10 million per season proposal from Bayern Munich:

As per a report from Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web (h/t Mundo Deportivo), the 24-year-old right-back has rejected contract proposals from Barcelona and AS Roma and will join the German champions once his current deal with Ajax expires. In a bitter blow for Barcelona, AFC Ajax defender Noussair Mazraoui has reportedly rejected the Catalans’ offer and is primed to sign for German giants Bayern Munich in the summer.

Mazraoui, a product of the Ajax academy, is in the final few months of his contract with the Dutch giants and is attracting widespread interest from several clubs across Europe. Barcelona had emerged as one of his most ardent suitors and until recently, it looked like the Blaugrana had the Moroccan international’s signing on a Bosman deal all wrapped up. However, Bayern Munich made a late push for his transfer and have seemingly succeeded in luring Mazraoui away from Barcelona. As per a report from Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web (h/t Mundo Deportivo), the 24-year-old right-back has rejected contract proposals from Barcelona and AS Roma and will join the German champions once his current deal with Ajax expires.

The report states that Bayern Munich tabled a lucrative contract offer worth around €10 million per season for the defender, which seems to have done enough to convince Mazraoui to snub the Catalan giants’ advances. It will come as a blow for Barça, considering the groundwork they had put in to secure the signing of the Ajax full-back. Mundo Deportivo does mention that while the Blaugrana may be set to miss out on Mazraoui, they continue to monitor the situation of Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta closely.

Meanwhile, Cult of Calcio says that Bayern Munich also outbid AC Milan and AS Roma for Mazraoui:

Milan and Roma have been pursuing Noussair Mazraoui, but Bayern Munich upped their bid and are the clear frontrunners now. The versatile defender will be out of contract in June.

More on Roca to Roma (Sport1)

The rumors linking Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca to AS Roma are legitimate and things could align for the player to move on — if e is ready to transfer:

What’s next for Marc Roca? The Bayern midfielder is attracting interest from several clubs. After the Spanish broadcaster Canal Sur Radio had recently reported that Betis Sevilla had their eye on Roca, according to La Repubblica, AS Roma and José Mourinho are now also interested in him.

Accordingly, there should even be an offer to Munich. SPORT1 knows: Last summer there was actually a Betis request from Roca’s management, but they showed no interest in a possible change. Contrary to the reports from Spain, Betis has not contacted the Roca side since then. A Roca farewell from Munich is still considered likely. The Spaniard is not satisfied with his playing times. Another reason: Ajax jewel Ryan Gravenberch is said to be a new perspective player.

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann recently said about Roca: “The role is not what he wants it to be. He’s a good player who offers us good quality, but he has a lot of competition.”

Sky’s Florian Plettenberg says that while AS Roma has interest in Roca, there has not been a concrete offer as of yet:

Bavarian Podcast Works Season 4, Episode 29 (Bavarian Football Works)

What a week, huh? Bayern Munich returned to action with a dominant (if controversial) 4-1 win over SC Freiburg, taking their lead in the Bundesliga to 9 points with only 6 games left to play. With the Champions League quarter finals now upon us, there’s plenty to talk about as we prepare for the business end of the season.

In this episode, Ineednoname and Schnitzel discuss:

• Is the Bundesliga title race done and dusted?
• Complaining about how bad Borussia Dortmund have been this season.
• INNN makes a bold prediction about the title race. Does Schnitzel agree?
• Why RB Leipzig will probably be Bayern’s main challenger for the title next season.
• Skip to around 11 minutes if you’re only here for the Villarreal preview.
• How might Julian Nagelsmann line up against them? Talking about lineup options and the availability of Alphonso Davies, Leon Goretzka, and Robert Lewandowski.
• About the opponents: How did Villarreal beat Juventus to make it to the UCL quarters?
• Schnitzel tries to force INNN to make a prediction about the game.
• Should Leroy Sane play on the right or left against Villarreal?
• Will Niklas Sule return to the starting XI? Who does he push out — Upamecano or Nianzou?
• Closing out with our review of Germany’s World Cup group. Can Germany get out of this one?

Adeyemi talks still at a standstill (Sport1)

Red Bull Salzburg forward and Germany international Karim Adeyemi was rumored to be closing in a deal with Borussia Dortmund, but things might have hit a snag when it comes to a transfer fee between the two clubs:

According to SPORT1 information, BVB and RB Salzburg have still not come closer in contract poker. At the Dortmund management level, doubts have increased in recent weeks that the transfer will really take place.

“The contract talks are still at a standstill,” says SPORT1 chief reporter Patrick Berger in a new edition of the BVB podcast “Die Dortmund-Woche.”

“Negotiations are to be resumed soon because BVB still wants the player and also wants Karim Adeyemi to join BVB. Only it is still the case that RB does not deviate from the 45 million euros, BVB wants to go up to 38 with bonus payments at most.

Berger also reveals another reason why the deal is currently threatening to collapse. “We are now hearing that RB boss Dietrich Mateschitz is still preventing the transfer in the background,” said the BVB expert.

There are only two reasons that the Red Bull organization is slowing things downs:

1 — They really want to get more money for the Germany international (especially after Borussia Dortmund absolutely fleeced them for Erling Haaland).

2 — They are trying to steer Adeyemi to Leipzig.

Bale’s exit pretty much goes official (@FabrizioRomano)

Gareth Bale’s exit from Real Madrid is all but assured for summer:

Leno back to Leverkusen? (Sport1)

Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno might want to head back to Germany, but he has not had any talks with Bayer Leverkusen about a return as of yet:

What’s next for Bernd Leno? The German goalkeeper seems to have no future at Arsenal and could therefore join a new club this summer. Apparently, a return to Germany is not out of the question either. As the Daily Star reports, Leno has shown no interest in joining Newcastle United - instead he is aiming for a transfer to his home country. Appropriately, his ex-club Bayer Leverkusen should be interested in a commitment there.

However, Arsenal are demanding at least around six million euros for their keeper. Leno moved to the island from the Werkself in 2018 and still has a contract with the Gunners until 2023. However, the 30-year-old has only made eight appearances this season. Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper is now Aaron Ramsdale, who signed from Sheffield United last summer.

Sky’s Florian Plettenberg followed up on this report with his own update, which says that Leno hasn’t had contact with Bayer Leverkusen as of yet:

Report: PSG wants Pogba (Sport1)

Paris Saint-Germain is rumored to want Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba:

Paul Pogba’s contract expires in the summer. A departure from Manchester United after six years seems likely at the moment. Now Paris Saint-Germain is said to have made a first offer to the French. This reports Manchester Evening News.

Surprisingly, Paris’ offer is said to have been lower than United’s. However, it seems that Pogba wants to take some time to decide his future. As he told Telefoot, “Nothing is decided about my future yet. There is no decision yet.”