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Bayern out on Kalajdzic...for now at least (Abendzeitung)
Bayern Munich’s rumored pursuit of VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic might have ended. Per Abendzeitung, the Bavarians will pass on adding the big striker:
Sasa Kalajdzic (24), the center forward of VfB Stuttgart , will not switch to FC Bayern as a Lewandowski replacement, according to AZ information.
According to the report, Bayern Munich will still seek out a new striker if Robert Lewandowski leaves, but the club does not feel as if Kalajdzic is that player.
Even though Bayern Munich has done a lot during this transfer window already, it appears that there still could be a few more moves in the making.
Dembélé’s salary expectations scared off Bayern — but maybe not Barca and Chelsea (Sport1)
Prior to inking former Liverpool attacker Sadio Mané, Bayern Munich was seriously considering a move for Ousmane Dembélé. The problem was that the Frenchman’s salary demands were too outrageous for the Bavarians:
Ousmane Dembélé’s future remains unclear. The 25-year-old’s contract with FC Barcelona expires at the end of June, and there is still no sign of any movement: will he stay or will he go?
According to information from Marca in Spain, Dembélé has had an offer from the Catalans for a long time, to which he is said not to have responded. Reason are differences in the question of salary.
As Marca writes, both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea FC are interested in signing the dynamic winger. FC Bayern is also mentioned in the report — a variant that is classified as very unlikely after Sadio Mané’s transfer .
According to SPORT1 information, the Rekordmeister had dealt with Dembélé in the recent past, but was put off by his salary expectations. The Catalans are also said to be reluctant to make Dembélé a better offer. According to Marca, the ex-BVB star wants to stay at Barcelona, allegedly pushing coach Xavi to persuade the Catalans’ board to make a new offer. So far this has not happened.
At Chelsea Dembélé would meet his former coach Thomas Tuchel. PSG would mean returning to his home country. According to Marca, the Parisians are still in contact with the 25-year-old despite rumors of a waning interest. Meanwhile, the Blues are said to be more interested. Tuchel is said to have the intention of making his ex-protégé a pillar in a new offensive system.
Klopp eyeing Sterling? (Football Transfers)
According to journalist Ronan Murphy, Liverpool could be eyeing Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling:
Raheem Sterling may be destined to leave Manchester City for Chelsea or Barcelona, but the England winger’s first choice this summer was Liverpool, FootballTransfers’ sources have learned.
With a year left on his contract, Sterling faces a big decision with regards his future: does he commit to another year at City, where there have been few rumblings of a potential new deal, or will he seek a transfer elsewhere?
Sterling had been loosely linked to Bayern Munich, but the recent signing of Sadio Mané has probably killed any thoughts (no matter how far-fetched) of that being legitimate.
Neymar to Juve? (Sport1)
Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar could be drawing interest from Italian giant Juventus:
According to a report by Spanish newspaper Sport, Juventus are interested in signing Brazilian superstar Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain. The trigger for the mind games should therefore be coach Massimiliano Allegri, who asked for reinforcements for the current squad. Apparently Neymar is his dream player.
The Italians are looking to upgrade this summer as they also want to bring Ángel Di María (PSG) and Paul Pogba to Turin. A transfer summer with the three players? That would be a bold statement! However, money will play a major role in the commitments. Pogba and Di Maria are free transfers this summer and Juve would only have to pay a fee for Neymar. However, all three superstars probably want to earn some salary.
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
Cardiff City on Bale’s list (Sky)
Gareth Bale is keeping the suspense high on his potential move to Cardiff City:
Sky Sports News understands Cardiff City are just one of many options under consideration by Gareth Bale for his next club, but a move to a new team is not currently close to happening. The Wales star is a free agent when his contract with Real Madrid ends on June 30 and he is expected to keep playing until at least the end of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Bale will ultimately make the decision himself over where he plays next, and Cardiff – his hometown club – are one of many interested. A report by WalesOnline today said Bale had visited Cardiff’s training base this morning and held talks with manager Steve Morison.
The report claims chiefs at the Championship club have held talks with the player’s representatives in recent weeks and on Wednesday morning Bale reported at Cardiff’s training ground to undertake some physio work with the FAW’s medical staff. WalesOnline also says boss Morison and the Wales talisman discussed the player’s future with Bale telling the club he is set to make his decision in the coming days.
United getting closer to De Jong...or not? (SI.com)
Depending on how you define progress, Manchester United is either making headway...or losing ground on its effort to land Frenkie de Jong. There have been talks and exchanges of proposals, but nothing that seems convincing enough to push the Catalans to sell:
The Dutch midfielder is reportedly the center of a transfer saga between Manchester United and Barcelona, with the former looking to reunite him with new manager Erik ten Hag. The hope there is that it would help de Jong rediscover the top form he enjoyed under ten Hag at Ajax while rejuvenating a Man United midfield that was often outdone last season.
The 25-year-old is reportedly the top target for chief executive Richard Arnold, with Man United said to already have had a €60 million ($63.5 million) bid rejected by Barcelona and while preparing a €70 million ($74 million) follow-up bid. Barcelona could use the money—especially if it wants to sign Lewandowski—and will surely have a breaking point despite president Joan Laporta’s claim last month that he thinks de Jong should stay put. Unless Barcelona thinks de Jong is invaluable to its project, a club in such a precarious financial situation would be wise to mull its options.
Sport1 provided additional detail on FC Barcelona’s rejection of Manchester United initial bid for De Jong:
After a messed up season, Manchester United now want to attack with new coach Erik Ten Hag. The Dutchman is currently turning the squad upside down . For the new start he would like to secure the services of Frenkie de Jong.
Ten Hag knows the midfielder well from his time at Ajax Amsterdam and knows about the qualities of the 25-year-old. But the negotiations stalled. The Spanish newspaper Marca has now stated that the negotiations between the “Red Devils” and FC Barcelona have stalled.
So far, United is said to have only offered a transfer fee of 65 million euros plus further bonus payments. However, Barca are said to insist on a transfer fee of at least €75m as they paid that sum to Ajax in 2019. The first offer of 60 million euros plus 20 million euros in bonus payments had already been rejected by the Catalans.
An agreement is therefore still a long way off. And even if the teams agree, the Premier League club still has to convince the Dutchman. After all, he said last : “I’m currently playing for the biggest club in the world and I feel good there. So I have no news.”
Gunners bidding on Raphinha? (kicker)
Arsenal FC is considering a bid for Leeds United star Raphinha:
Where does Raphinha (26) end up? The offensive man from Leeds United has been traded at FC Barcelona for a long time, but his hands are tied for the time being because of his financial problems. Now, according to “The Athletic”, Arsenal has also gotten involved and made an initial offer for the Brazilian - which Leeds has therefore rejected. Raphinha, it was said recently, would like to move to Catalonia. His agent is ex-Barça pro Deco.
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?
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