Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan for Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku (?!); Lionel Messi hits back at Robert Lewandowski; AS Roma eyeing Marc Roca; Arsenal wants Corentin Tolisso; Ivan Perisic signs Tottenham Hotspur deal; and MORE!

Bayern vs. Inter for Lukaku — kill me now (@giaco_iaco)

According to Italian journalist Giacomo Iacobellis, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan will square off for Chelsea FC striker Romelu Lukaku.

Nothing against Lukaku, but with an uncertain future at Bayern Munich, the Belgian would be one of the last players I would be looking to build around. He went to a Champions League winner and made them worse.

Anyway, here is his tweet on the subject:

#Bayern is the great rival of #Inter in the bid for #Lukaku. The Nerazzurri would offer a loan while the Germans would offer an important transfer + 3-year contract to the player. Contact between Lukaku’s lawyer and Bayern this week #Chelsea @TuttoMercatoWeb

Messi-Lewy tiff in the making? (Marca)

Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi finally offered a retort to Robert Lewandowski’s comments regarding the Ballon d’Or where Messi was undeservedly given the award (again): “I honestly don’t agree with what he said but I didn’t give it much importance. That’s it, he can say whatever he wants and I’m not interested.”

Surely, Lewandowski will not respond, but Messi waiting month to reply is kind of...weird?

Anyway, The Mirror captured the comments that they think set Messi off:

Lewandowski then made headlines when he suggested Messi’s request could be “empty words” before subsequently backtracking. “I’m not that enthusiastic about [the chances] of getting the 2020 award.

“I would like it [Messi’s 2020 Ballon d’Or statement] to be a sincere and courteous statement from a great player and not just empty words.” He then clarified his comments to Kicker, in an attempt to de-escalate the row between the two superstars.

“I never wanted to say that Lionel Messi’s words were not sincere or serious,” he said. “On the contrary, I was very touched and delighted by Lionel Messi’s speech at the event in Paris, in which he expressed that, in his opinion, I deserved the Ballon d’Or 2020. I just wanted to express my statement that I would of course be very happy if Messi’s words would be heard. I respect and appreciate Lionel Messi beyond measure and once again congratulate him on winning the Ballon d’Or.”

Italian power in the mix for Roca, too (Sky Sport via @iMiaSanMia)

Last week, we saw that Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Barcelona, and Real Betis were all contemplating a bid on Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca. It looks like we can AS Roma to the mix as well:

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 1, Episode 51 (Bavarian Football Works)

Another week is in the books and Bayern Munich news was flowing per the usual.

With Robert Lewandowski’s transfer saga drawing numerous headlines, a new signing to man the right defensive flank, and a whole lot more going on, we had plenty to chat about. This is what we have on tap for this episode:

• A look at the latest on Lewandowski, Bayern Munich’s no-win situation, and why it is no shock that Real Madrid and Chelsea are both trying to get involved.
• Real Madrid’s pursuit of Serge Gnabry and why the Germany international probably is leaning toward leaving.
• Sadio Mane and Sala Kalajdzic...are you in or out?
• The signing of Noussair Mazraoui, the latest on Ryan Gravenberch, and why the midfielder might not be the best use of money.
• Bayer Leverkusen’s aggressive week and why the Bundesliga might view Bayern Munich as susceptible.

Gunners in on Tolisso (Football.London)

Arsenal FC could be getting serious about a pursuit of free agent Corentin Tolisso:

Midfielder Corentin Tolisso has been released from Bayern Munich as a free agent after failing to reach an agreement with the club over a new contract. It comes after Arsenal were one of a number of sides linked with a move for the Frenchman earlier this year.

Should the Gunners revive their interest, the 27-year-old could be one of a number of potential incomings in a huge summer for the club. Mikel Arteta has the challenge of bringing in a number of players to help improve his squad in a bid to return to the Champions League.

Damn...this hurts (@WhoScored)

If you look at this way, you might assume the sky is falling in the Bundesliga, I guess:

Bavarian Podcast Works Season 4, Episode 33 (Bavarian Football Works)

It’s been two weeks since our last main episode, and plenty of news has come out since then. While there are no games to talk about, Bayern Munich are at the center of a transfer storm involving clubs across Europe. While Robert Lewandowski continues to push for a move to Barcelona, Brazzo and Nagelsmann eye Liverpool’s Sadio Mane as a major transfer coup for the summer. Meanwhile, the fanbase begins to speculate about what the squad will look like in two months.

In this episode, INNN and Teddy discuss:

• The Sadio Mane transfer in-depth — how much would he cost, where would he play if he comes, and how would Bayern use him?
• The implications of signing Mane on the rest of the squad, especially Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry.
• Potential pitfalls of a Mane to Bayern transfer.
• Should Bayern Munich switch to a striker-less system next season?
• Can Julian Nagelsmann really pull off a system without a striker? Does he even want to?
• The problem with switching to a system without a striker.
• A striker-less system or a Lewandowski-replacement — which is better?
• Moving onto the final topic, what exactly is Bayern’s plan for transfers this summer?
• So many questions to answer — does Bayern want a center back? Who are the main targets for the summer? What will the squad look like next season? What is the team’s biggest weakness? Are the needs being met?
• Should Julian Nagelsmann be more or less involved in transfer planning?
• What will Bayern look like at the start of next season?

Lewy urged to join LFC (Liverpool Echo)

Robert Lewandowski’s manager for Poland, Czeslaw Michniewicz, wants his star player to go to Liverpool:

Poland’s manager Czeslaw Michniewicz then offered his opinion on where the prolific forward should up next season, stating: “I’d like to see Lewandowski in Liverpool since I’m a supporter of the club.” If this were to ever become a reality, it would see the Bayern marksman reunited with his former coach.

Milan eyeing Götze (Sport1)

It looks like Benfica is not the only club interested in 2014 World Cup hero Mario Götze — AC Milan is also reportedly in the mix:

According to SPORT1 information, the newly crowned Serie A champions AC Milan are particularly interested in the attacker. Götze is currently in impressive form. Since moving from Dortmund to Eindhoven in the summer of 2020, he has impressed in 77 competitive games with 36 goals. So the dream of winning the Champions League is still alive...

Perisic inks Spurs deal (@SpursOfficial)

Former Bayern Munich attacker Ivan Perisic officially signed a contract with Tottenham Hotspur: