Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich’s Marcel Sabitzer still shunning offers; Brazzo sends salvo back at Spartak Moscow; Liverpool won’t pursue Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic; Just another ‘Manic Mané’; and MORE!

Sabitzer still spurning outside interest (@Plettigoal via @iMiaSanMia)

Bayern Munich is giving Marcel Sabitzer every signal that it would like to part ways, but the Austrian star is not taking the hint.

According to Sky journalist Florian Plettenberg, AS Roma is among the clubs interested in making a move for Sabitzer, but the former RB Leipzig midfielder does not seem to want to entertain the possibility of a move:

Marcel Sabitzer has options, including AS Roma - but the player is blocking all enquiries and wants to stay at FC Bayern @Plettigoal @SkySportNews

The situation is awful for Sabitzer. The 28-year-old absolutely has gas left in his tank and is much better than he showed last season, but whatever went on during that campaign seems to have left the Bayern Munich brass a little scarred. Moreover, it does not seem as if Julian Nagelsmann is jumping in to help find a solution for what to do with Sabitzer, either.

Whatever the case, hopefully the player and the club can find a mutually beneficial solution.

Brazzo fires back at Spartak Moscow (Bild via @iMiaSanMia)

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidzic had the last laugh after taking a few barbs from Spartak Moscow regarding his rumored proposal to Liverpool for Sadio Mané:

Spartak Moscow’s Twitter account is actually a lot of fun. They do a terrific job of generating interest in the squad through snarky tweets and just overall zany posts. I’d recommend giving them a follow — even if Brazzo might not want you to.

ICYMI: 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 Mané, and Serge Gnabry.
• Ryan Gravenberch’s arrival at Bayern Munich.
• Some sad news on some of our favorite prospects.

Just another Manic Mané (Bavarian Football Works)

The quick-turn to slow-burn of Sadio Mané’s transfer from Liverpool to Bayern Munich was crazy to say the least.

The move seemingly came out of nowhere, was closed quickly, then took an extended period to go official. it was equally fun, draining, exciting, and maddening to cover — especially considering the dominoes that could potentially fall. Will Robert Lewandowski stay at Bayern Munich? Will Serge Gnabry reconsider his future (surely, he’s not thanking his agent for the help on this, since Björn Bezemer represents both players)? Will Leroy Sané’s role diminish? Will there be enough balls on the pitch to keep all of that attacking talent happy?

Certainly, the move was both exciting and risky. The risk, though, is not on whether or not Mané can or will perform, but if his presence will create issues that Julian Nagelsmann will not be able to overcome.

Team chemistry — despite the posts on Twitter and Instagram — can be awfully tricky once the reality hits of a coach having to bench players — some of whom will be star players with massive egos.

No doubt, fans should be ecstatic because this could be awesome. The thought of Mané working in conjunction with some of the current Bayern Munich attacking group should strike fear into opponents and draw massive excitement from fans.

It would be unwise, however, to not have one eye looking at how a coach, who was slightly under fire last season, can make it all work — and keep the team together in the process. For sure, that will be easier said than done.

Kalajdzic draws interest from Brighton? (Bild via @iMiaSanMia)

AS Roma and Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly keen on VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic. Kalajdzic, of course, is rumored to be one of Bayern Munich’s top targets on the transfer market — especially if the club decides to sell Robert Lewandowski:

Brighton is currently the club showing the most concrete interest in Sasa Kalajdzic. But the Austrian wants to move to a top club. Bayern’s interest has cooled since efforts to sign (Sadio) Mané, while Dortmund have opted for (Sebastien) Haller.

Roma have also been eyeing Kalajdžić for a long time, but a move to Italy would only be a last resort for him. Stuttgart does not want to let him go for less than €25m. If he ends up staying, they want to extend his contract by one year with a pay rise.

ICYMI: Bavarian Podcast Works Flagship Show — Season 4, Episode 35 (Bavarian Football Works)

We’ve reached a point where there’s a bit of a lull in competitive matches for both club and international football, but there’s been plenty of news to follow in terms of Bayern Munich’s activity in the transfer market. They’ve already secured the signing of both Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch from AFC Ajax while Sadio Mané’s move from Liverpool is a done deal pending his medical later on this week. The trio of players have certainly been positive additions to Julian Nagelsmann’s squad, though we still don’t know what the near-term futures hold for both Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry.

Germany also had a slew (four to be exact) of UEFA Nations League matches that gave Hansi Flick a chance to make some adjustments to his squad and get a good look at some players that he hasn’t had the chance to do so for in recent international breaks. They finished their slate of matches with a draw to Italy, a draw with England, a draw with Hungary and then an emphatic win over Italy to close out that round of fixtures.

In this episode of Bavarian Podcast Works, Tom and Teddy discuss:

• The arrival of Noussair Mazraoui
• The arrival of Ryan Gravenberch
• The anticipated arrival of Sadio Mané
• How the three signings will fit into Nagelsmann’s systems
• How often we think the signings will play
• Bayern’s added depth
• Germany’s results in the Nations League matches
• Germany’s future Nations League matches in September ahead of the World Cup

Diaby back to PSG? (Sport1)

Could Bayern Leverkusen be ready to ship Moussa Diaby back to Paris Saint-Germain? It is starting to look that way:

Paris Saint-Germain are apparently considering signing Moussa Diaby. According to information from Sky , the 22-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen is on a long list of interested parties from PSG. A transfer fee of 60 to 70 million euros is in the room, which the French capital club would have to raise for the international. It was not until 2019 that Diaby switched from the Parisians to the Bayer cross for 15 million euros.

Diaby commented on the rumor a few weeks ago: “Paris is my training club, which taught me everything. I’m not ruling out a return, you never know what can happen in football. If PSG should call me one day, I will think about it.” The winger is tied to the Werkself until 2025, and his contract does not contain an exit clause. Last season he gave his calling card with 13 goals and twelve assists.

LFC likely to get an attacker, just not Pulisic (The Express)

After losing Sadio Mané, Liverpool is seeking to add another attacker...it just won’t be rumored target Christian Pulisic. The Chelsea FC and USMNT star is not on Liverpool’s “most wanted” list at this point:

Liverpool have not ruled out the possibility of signing another forward before the end of the summer transfer window but will not pursue a move for Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic, according to reports. The Reds recently added to their attacking ranks by rubber-stamping a move for Benfica forward Darwin Nunez, with the six-time European champions paying a fee in the region of around £67million for his services.

Pulisic was rumored to be a favorite of Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, but, alas, the Pennsylvania-bred attacker might still be stuck at Chelsea for another season.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Special Edition — Sadio Mané joins from Liverpool FC! (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Sadio Mané! The Liverpool FC winger joins on a deal worth €32m + €9m in add-ons, which looks like a great deal given the current state of the market.

Helping INNN on this reaction show is Fergus, who makes his podcast debut! Be sure to welcome him warmly.

In this special edition podcast, INNN and Fergus discuss the following:

• Our first reactions to the Sadio Mané transfer — are we excited or cautiously optimistic?
• Does Bayern Munich need to sell either Robert Lewandowski or Serge Gnabry to afford their massive spending this summer?
• Could the Bayern board have done better with the money spent on Mane?
• Moving onto the actual positives (for a change) — does Mané’s arrival mean Leroy Sane is sent to the bench?
• How the player’s presence affects both the dressing room and mood of the fanbase overall.
• Where will Julian Nagelsmann use Mané Where do we want to see him used? On the left with Alphonso Davies, or as a center-forward once Lewandowski leaves?