Daily Schmankerl: Frenkie de Jong would prefer a move to Bayern Munich; Lewandowski statistically better than Messi, Ronaldo; Tillman set for Rangers debut; and MORE!

Frenkie de Jong ‘would consider’ a move to Bayern in blow to Man Utd (Daily Star)

After days of reports that De Jong would reunite with Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United, a new report has seemingly blown the Red Devils out of the water:

According to a new report from SPORT, De Jong would be interested in a potential switch to Bayern Munich. The Netherlands international knows the club’s style of play, and Germany’s proximity to De Jong’s home country would also appeal to the coveted playmaker.

Bayern, unlike Manchester United, would also be able to offer De Jong the Champions League football that he craves, while the German champions are on the cusp of bringing one of De Jong’s closest friends, Matthijs de Ligt, to the Allianz Arena.

Although a switch to Bavaria would be De Jong’s preferred option, it’s unclear if Bayern would actually be interested in rivalling United for the Barcelona man’s signature.

Of course, we have already signed his BFF (De Ligt), so perhaps that would be a great incentive. But again, would Die Roten really be interested in signing him? We are, after all, already stacked in the midfield, even without the potential signing of Konrad Laimer. Although, if De Jong did join the Bavarians, he would certainly give both Kimmich and Goretzka a little trouble in the clubs depth chart (even though the latter is unavailable at the moment).

Robert Lewandowski outscored Messi and Ronaldo in his 8 years at Bayern Munich (ESPN)

I won’t lie guys, Bayern really effed up here. Statistically, Lewandowski performed better than footballs most loved players during his 8-year tenure at FC Bayern:

Barca fans might also be interested to hear that the 33-year-old has outscored Lionel Messi during his eight-year stint at the Allianz Arena. Since arriving on a free transfer in 2014, Lewandowski has scored 344 club goals for Bayern in all competitions. In that same time frame, Barca legend Messi has scored 329 goals for Barca and Paris Saint-Germain.

What’s more, Lewy also outscored Cristiano Ronaldo during the eight years he was wearing the red of Bayern. Ronaldo notched up a combined total of 323 club goals for Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United over that same period.

Boy, we really lost him huh? I wonder if Sadio Mane can make up for this loss..(but no pressure, really).

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 2 — The soap opera that is Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowski, and FC Barcelona; The latest on Matthijs de Ligt; How Serge Gnabry fits if he re-ups; and MORE!

If you thought HUGE news would drop in the early part of this week, you were probably a little disappointed. Fear not, though, there was still plenty to talk about when it comes to Bayern Munich.

Here is what we have on tap for this episode:

• A look at the ongoing (festering?) situation between Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowski, and FC Barcelona.
• The latest on Matthijs de Ligt. Can Bayern Munich get the deal done soon?
• Serge Gnabry looks like he will ink a new deal...where does he fit?
• An exit for Chris Richards seems more and more likely.
• Is a kinder, gentler Brazzo getting deals done — and what if he was playing the long game with Erling Haaland?
• Some quick takes on the season finale of The Boys and the second half premier of Better Call Saul.

Help support BFW’s quest to be the best, by checking out this link and giving us a vote (or INNN will hunt you down): World Soccer Talk Awards — Best Club Podcast

As always, we love your feedback and appreciate all the support!

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.

Robert Lewandowski is set to be unveiled as a Barcelona player (Barca Universal)

*Insert sad crying noises* Just to rub it for y’all, Lewandowski is about to officially be a Barcelona player, after his unveiling today:

As per RAC1, Lewandowski did not train with the rest of his teammates during the afternoon training session, as he had not signed an official contract with Barcelona.

However, everything is expected to be resolved today as the club are expected to unveil the Polish international. Although the player would have ideally preferred to be presented at Camp Nou, the timing of the transfer did not do him any favours.

Well, let’s just hope Barca’s extreme broke-ness doesn’t hamper Lewy’s chances of getting the Ballon D’Or (which is, after all, the main reason he left Bayern..right?)

Malik Tillman is set for his debut at his new club (Daily Record)

After moving from Bavaria, the German-born USMNT ace is about to set a new milestone in his career after joining Scottish side Rangers:

Van Bronckhorst will be looking to get more minutes in his players legs after the 2-1 weekend win over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road as they step up preparations to hit peak match fitness for the start of the season.

Supporters are desperate to catch a glimpse of the new boys in action on home turf and Malik Tillman will be the one they want to see after the Bayern Munich loan kid watched on from the stand in Blackpool. He could be handed a start by Van Bronckhorst.

Sucks to have lost out on a great talent, but hey, all we can do now is wish him the best of luck.

ICYMI: Vote for Bavarian Podcast Works! (Bavarian Football Works)

It’s our pleasure to announce that Bavarian Podcast Works has been nominated for the “Best Club Podcast” by World Soccer Talk.

That’s right your (hopefully) favorite Bayern Munich podcast network is up for an award. While we are humbled and honored that we have not chased everyone away, we could use your help in securing the trophy. That’s right...you can vote! Help support BFW’s quest to be the best, by checking out this link and giving us a vote (or INNN will hunt you down): World Soccer Talk Awards — Best Club Podcast

Bear in mind, we didn’t nominate ourselves or anything like that for this award...somebody likes us!

We’ve put a lot of hard work into helping the podcast network grow and evolve over the years. We’d love to bring home the gold here and frankly we have not been this fired up over a competition since the Bunducksliga was at its peak. Voting closes at midnight EST on July 31, 2022. (Direct link: https://worldsoccertalk.com/best-club-podcast-2022-world-soccer-talk-awards)

Edouard Mendy thinks that Mane’s departure could have a ‘huge impact’ on Liverpool next season (90min)

Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy thinks that the Liverpool could struggle next season without their star forward, but wishes his fellow countryman the best of luck:

Chelsea’s Senegal goalkeeper Mendy believes his international teammate’s exit could still have a big effect on the Reds.

Asked about Mane’s move during the Blues’ pre-season tour in the US, Mendy said: “I think it is a big loss for the Premier League in terms of quality and in terms of the person.

“We’ve lost someone great and I hope for him he will enjoy the Bundesliga.”

The stopper added: “He’s also a big loss [to Liverpool] because of his quality, the impact he makes and also because, for the young players, he’s an example. When you lose someone like this it can have a huge impact.”

Is it just me, or does the keeper sound like Mane died or something? Well whatever it is, Mane is going to smash it here in Bavaria, and Liverpool can continue to struggle without him.

Oleksandr Zinchenko hands Arsenal major £55m transfer advantage amid Leroy Sane ‘interest’ (football.london)

Recently (and to be frank, bizarrely), Leroy Sane has been under the spotlight as a potential Arsenal summer signing. The Gunners, apparently, believe that the German could boost their front line. But, his friend from Man City, Oleksandr Zinchenko is reportedly nearing a transfer to London:

The same is being said about Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is reportedly closing in on a £32m move from Manchester City. Arsenal had swiftly turned their attention to the Ukrainian international after pulling out of the race for Lisandro Martinez, and speedy negotiations have seen all parties reach an agreement.

Zinchenko has touched on his special relationship with Leroy Sane, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate to bolster Arsenal’s frontline. The duo played together at City for four years until Sane completed a transfer to Bayern Munich worth around £55m in 2020.

Whether or not Sane is a realistic target for the Gunners this summer remains to be seen, but if he is, they have some really useful tools at their disposal that can put them in a strong position if interest ever intensified.

Again, the Sane-to-Arsenal story should probably be taken with a grain of salt, but who knows? He definitely isn’t leaving this summer though.

Bavarian Podcast Works S5E3: How Robert Lewandowski leaving affects Bayern Munich (Transfers, tactics, and expectations)

So it happened. Bayern Munich have sold Robert Lewandowski to FC Barcelona for a fee of around €45m guaranteed plus €5m in bonuses. With his departure, Bayern lose a striker who has scored 50+ goals a season for three seasons in a row. Without him, Julian Nagelsmann will have to find new solutions for the attack, while the transfer fee raises money to reinvest into the squad.

Since this is a major discussion, we got three people together for only our second-ever three-person podcast.

In this episode, INNN, Tom, and Schnitzel discuss:

• Our initial impressions on Lewandowski leaving the club.
• Can the striker pairing of Sadio Mane and Serge Gnabry make up for the loss of Lewy’s goals?
• The problems with the rumored 3-5-2 formation planned by Julian Nagelsmann.
• Schnitzel suggests a different formation that gives INNN conniptions.
• How Bayern can still operate a 4-2-3-1 with Sadio Mane as a lone striker.
• INNN’s take: Why the defense needs to be the focus for the upcoming season.
• Massive argument about formation fluidity and how to use Thomas Muller.
• What transfers do Bayern Munich have left in the window? Which transfers are still likely?
• Why Cristiano Ronaldo could still end up coming to Bayern.
• Closing thoughts — what are the expectations for Julian Nagelsmann in the upcoming season? Expected positions in the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, and the Champions League.