Daily Schmankerl: AS Roma in hot pursuit of Bayern Munich’s Marcel Sabitzer; Filip Kostic to Juventus?; Bayern eyeing Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos; Renato Sanches to spurn AC Milan for PSG?; Southampton really wants Chris Richards; and MORE!

Roma seeking Sabitzer (Football Italia)

It looks like AS Roma is considering presenting a proposal to Bayern Munich for midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, whose career seems to be in limbo in Bavaria:

Roma have reportedly made the first approach for Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. According to Tuttomercatoweb, Jose Mourinho has always been a fan of the Austria international and had also put his name on the wish-list when he first took the Giallorossi job last summer.

The 28-year-old has 64 senior caps for Austria, scoring 12 goals, and is under contract with Bayern Munich until June 2025. He was only purchased last year from RB Leipzig at a cost of €15m and Bayern reportedly want the same figure if they are to part with Sabitzer already.

In his debut season with the Bundesliga champions, he contributed one goal and one assist in 32 competitive games. Roma are revamping their midfield, already in advanced negotiations with Sassuolo for the return of Davide Frattesi, who was a product of the Giallorossi youth academy.

It just seems as if no one at Bayern Munich really has a plan for what to do with Sabitzer — and worse, maybe some of the higher-ups do not want him at the club any longer. With numerous reports indicating the club would like to sell him, nary a denial has been found. That is certainly something that Sabitzer has taken note of when assessing his options for next season.

Bayern eyeing Ramos? (Newcastle World)

According to a report, Bayern Munich is among the clubs taking a close look at Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos:

Newcastle United are showing an interest in signing Benfica’s highly-rated striker Goncalo Ramos, according to reports in Portugal.

The 20-year-old forward enjoyed a productive season with the Portuguese giants, scoring seven goals in 29 league appearances during the campaign as his side finished in third place in the Primeira Liga table.

His undoubted potential has captured the attention of several clubs according to Portuguese news outlet Record, with German giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich both said to be keen on his signature.

There is further competition from Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest also named amongst a growing list of interested clubs.

The reports states that Ramos - who is represented by super agent Jorge Mendes - has a release clause of around £103million inserted into his current contract but suggests Benfica would be willing to accept an offer of just over £30million to part with the forward.

This would seem like a longshot at this point, but a transfer by Robert Lewandowski could open up the possibility of something like this.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 1, Episode 54 (Bavarian Football Works)

There is a lot of moving and shaking these days Bayern Munich and we’re covering it all here at BFW. This week, though, some of the biggest pieces of news were not necessarily always revolving around transfers. Take a look at the big topics we have on tap for this episode:

• A deep dive into the relationship between Joshua Kimmich and Julian Nagelsmann.
• A look at Leroy Sane’s extended slump and why 2022/23 might not be so kind to the sometimes dazzling attacker.
• The latest transfer reports on Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, and Serge Gnabry.
• Ryan Gravenberch’s arrival at Bayern Munich.
• Some sad news on some of our favorite prospects.

Sanches to PSG? (Sport1)

Despite rumors linking him to AC Milan, former Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches could be on his way to Paris Saint-Germain:

Actually, a change from Renato Sanches to AC Milan already seemed a foregone conclusion – but now there is apparently movement in the personnel again. Because: As Le10Sport first reported, Paris Saint-Germain is said to have entered poker for the former Bayern professional!

Accordingly, there have already been initial talks between Sanches’ advisors and the new sporting director Luis Campos, who had once guided the Portuguese to OSC Lille. The 24-year-old still has a contract there until 2023, so this summer is Lille’s last chance to sell the midfielder for a fee.

Italian media had recently reported an agreement in principle between Sanches and Milan, only the transfer negotiations with Lille, in which there was talk of around 20 million euros, were still to be conducted. These turned out to be more difficult than expected. The Italian champions don’t seem to be completely out of the race yet, but with PSG the Milanese now have a rival who is just as sporty and attractive as they are financially strong.

Richards nearing new home? (Sports Mole)

According to one report, Southampton is lasering its focus on Bayern Munich center-back Chris Richards:

Southampton have closed in on the signing of Bayern Munich defender Chris Richards this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones. The Saints have already completed the signing of goalkeepers Gavin Bazunu and Mateusz Lis during the transfer window, as manager Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to improve on a 15th-placed finish in the Premier League last season.

Captain James Ward-Prowse has been linked with a move away from the St Mary’s Stadium, with the likes of West Ham United and Newcastle United credited with an interest, but Southampton remain keen to keep the midfielder at the club beyond the summer.

Bayern’s Richards is said to be of interest according to transfer journalist Jones, who says that the American is an option for Southampton during the transfer window. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: “Chris Richards is emerging as a real option for Saints. I’ve watched a fair bit of him and while he hasn’t made it at Bayern yet there is definitely reason to believe this would be a good signing. A few things to be sorted but people around it seem optimistic.”

For whatever reason, Richards seems to be viewed as an asset to sell, rather than a player to build with at Bayern Munich these days. The club does need cash and Richards certainly holds value.

The shame of it is that you could make a strong argument that Richards is a better long-term prospect than Tanguy Nianzou. It appears, however, that the club could be viewing the two defenders as “either/or” rather than strategizing how both could fit with the club in the future.

ICYMI: Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Germany 5-2 Italy (Bavarian Football Works)

For anyone fretting Germany’s recent performances, former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick had quite a way to make people feel a little bit more assured.

Germany smacked Italy 5-2 in a match that really was not even that close.

Die Mannschaft was dominant from the outset and never let up. Here is what we have on tap for this episode:

• A look at how the scoring went down.
• What looked different in this match for Germany as compared to some previous games.
• The offensive explosion fueled by Timo Werner, Thomas Müller, and others.
• A good showing from the squad’s outside backs.
• Why Leroy Sane needs to catch a break of some sort to get back in gear.

Be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @jeffersonfenner, @TheBarrelBlog, @tommyadams71, @bfwinnn, and more.

Kostic to Juve looks done (Sport1)

Eintracht Frankfurt star Filip Kostic looks like he is headed to Juventus:

Winger Filip Kostic from Europa League winner Eintracht Frankfurt is apparently about to move to Juventus Turin. According to media reports, the Serb will sign a three-year contract with the Italian record champions, which will bring him 2.5 million euros per season.

This is reported by the Gazzetta dello Sport . A sum of 15 million euros is mentioned as a transfer fee, Kostic’ contract in Frankfurt expires in summer 2023.

Atleti slides in on Witsel (Sport1)

We had previously heard that Borussia Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel could be headed to Olympique Marseille, but now it appears that Atletico Madrid could swoop in for the steal:

Atlético Madrid are apparently close to signing Axel Witsel. According to information from RBTF, both parties have already agreed to the transfer. The Belgian should therefore complete the obligatory medical check-up in the Spanish capital on Monday and sign his new contract a day later. Wistel has a one-year contract with the option of another season.

Other clubs had also courted the services of the 33-year-old midfielder, whose contract in Dortmund is expiring and who is therefore available on a free transfer.

In addition to Atlético, Olympique Marseille in particular is said to have shown increased interest in a commitment, but according to RBTF , a meeting between Witsel and Atlético coach Diego Simeone has now apparently tipped the scales in favor of the Rojiblancos.