Daily Schmankerl: FC Barcelona, Robert Lewandowski feel powerless against Bayern Munich’s reign of common sense; Liverpool urged to get Serge Gnabry; What’s going on with Frenkie de Jong?; Arturo Vidal to Flamengo; Another prospect leaves Bayern; & MORE!

Barca, Lewy are all dressed up, but have nowhere to go (Barca Universal)

Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski wants to leave the club, but his destination — FC Barcelona — is in a financial mess and only willing to pay a lowball sum for the striker.

All of that has led to weeks of a mess that would would make Pigpen proud. Anyway, here is the latest news on where things stand in the Lewy saga:

The Robert Lewandowski transfer saga is showing no signs of coming to an end anytime soon. Barcelona have been hot on his trails for a while now and the striker is also keen on making the jump to Camp Nou, having publicly admitted as much. However, Bayern Munich continue to stand in the way of a transfer as they do not wish to let go of their iconic goalscorer.

However, reports claim that the Bavarian giants want the full €50 million in fixed payment to part ways with the Poland captain.

While it was recently suggested that Barça might return with yet another offer, journalist Toni Juanmarti of Relevo has issued a fresh update on the entire situation with Lewandowski, Bayern and Barcelona. Speaking on Directo Gol, Toni Juanmarti claimed that both Barça and Lewandowski feel that they have done everything that they can to push for a move, with the ball now firmly in the court of Bayern Munich.

As for Barça, they had been promised by Lewandowski’s camp that a €40 million offer would be enough for them to sign him this summer. Having submitted an offer of the said valuation, they too have held up their end of the bargain but Bayern have not blinked.

With the situation now hanging in the balance, it remains to be seen what course of action Lewandowski and Barcelona take as they look to get the deal across the line at the earliest possible.

I mean...what a colossal mess. In the end, Bayern Munich is likely not going to sell Lewandowski for less than it wants. With the Pole being so valuable on the pitch this season, Barca will probably have to find a way to raise the funding if it wants Lewandowski this summer.

Barca still denies it wants to sell De Jong (@FabrizioRomano)

FC Barcelona could really get its own Disaster Schmankerl every morning at this point. Does the club want to sell Frenkie de Jong or not? Or maybe the question should be...”Is FC Barcelona willing to sell Frenkie de Jong for the right price?”

Now, it seems that Chelsea FC also wants to take a serious run at De Jong and could be looking to reunite him with Matthijs de Ligt if the club can convince the defender to spurn Bayern Munich:

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)

LFC urged to get Gnabry (Anfield Watch)

It seems like everyone is doing the math on Bayern Munich’s rumored transfers and assuming it will not be able to afford Serge Gnabry:

Former Liverpool player Steve McManaman has urged the Reds to make a move for Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry. Liverpool have been linked with a move for the 26-year-old in recent times. With that being the case, McManaman was asked about what Gnabry could bring to Anfield.

Writing for horseracing.net, as quoted by Liverpool World, McManaman said: “I think Liverpool could accommodate Serge Gnabry. He offers something a bit different, he offers pace.

“He’s shown he’s more of a winger than Salah is, because Mo likes to cut in from the right and get on his left. Gnabry more so as in he’ll drop the shoulder like a typical old-school orthodox winger. So I think they could accommodate him from a playing point of view but again having six forwards would be madness. Sometimes it just causes more problems than you need, and Liverpool’s squad is big enough when everybody is fit and well, and if it stays like that, you probably don’t need any more players.”

Villa has hopes for Laimer (HITC)

Bayern Munich and Manchester United are not the only clubs hoping to get RB Leipzig star Konrad Laimer:

Aston Villa have received a boost from Bayern Munich over their pursuit to sign RB Leipzig star Konrad Laimer, with the Bundesliga champions failing to make any progress over a potential deal.

According to Sky Germany via GGFN, the Bavarian giants can’t make any movement on signing the 25-year-old midfielder with Marcel Sabitzer still on Bayern’s books, with the Austrian international wanting to remain with the German side rather than move on.

Timossi Andersson bolts from Bayern (FCBayern.com)

Seeking a chance at first-team football and to kick start his career, Bayern Munich prospect Alex Timossi Andersson has left the club in favor of Dutch first division club SC Heerenveen.

“Alex has continued to develop after his time with us through the two loan stations and most recently made his contribution to Klagenfurt staying in the top flight. He now wants to take the next step in his career in Heerenveen. We wish him every success on a sporting and personal level and would like to thank him for his time with Bayern’s youth team,” said Bayern Munich campus manager Jochen Sauer.

This kid has some potential and plays with a mean streak. It might be worth keeping an eye on him as he progresses.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Flagship Show — Season 5, Episode 1 (Bavarian Football Works)

July is here, and Bayern Munich have once again been linked with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar almost certainly wants to leave Manchester United this summer, and some parts of the fanbase think that Bayern should be happy to oblige. But is that a good idea? Meanwhile, there have been reports in the past week that Julian Nagelsmann wants to transition his team into a 4-3-3 formation for the upcoming season. With players already arriving for preseason, the coach’s tactical choices are once again under scrutiny.

In this episode, INNN and Tom discuss:

• The big Ronaldo news — is it a plausible transfer for Bayern Munich?
• What does CR7 bring to Bayern and the Bundesliga? And what does the club offer him?
• Is signing Cristiano Ronaldo a two-edged sword? Does his popularity bring unwanted attention?
• Concerns about CR7’s presence the dressing room under an inexperienced coach in Julian Nagelsmann.
• How would Ronaldo fit into a Bayern Munich team? Would he just slot in for Robert Lewandowski, or play a different role?
• Based on the last point, how viable would a 4-3-3 be at Bayern?
• The merits and problems with the 4-3-3, from personnel to tactics.
• How Thomas Muller’s role in the 4-3-3 formation changes everything about it.
• Would moving Sadio Mane to a false-9 role enable the 4-3-3 to work properly?
• Closing thoughts.

Vidal inching toward Flamengo move (Sempre Inter)

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal seems to be slowly making his way to Flamengo:

Inter midfielder Arturo Vidal has stated that a move to Brazilian giants Flamengo should not yet be seen as done .Speaking to the Brazilian version of sports broadcaster ESPN, as reported by FCInterNews, the 35-year-old did not deny that he likes the idea of making the switch to the Brazilian club, but was clear in denying that the move is guaranteed to happen.

Recent reports have suggested that Vidal is close to joining Flamengo this summer, with a departure from Inter having looked inevitable for some time and the Brazilians having registered an interest in him. However, the Chilean was keen to stress that nothing is wrapped up just yet, and claimed that for now things are still in the negotiation phase rather than done.

Vidal is currently in Brazil, and it will remain to be seen whether the anticipated move to Flamengo happens or whether the talks fall through, with numerous other interested clubs waiting in the wings. The midfielder called the move “A marvelous opportunity. I’m very happy to be here, even if at the moment we’re still in the negotiation phase. Tonight I’ll be at the stadium, but only as a Flamengo fan,” he added, “we hope that we win.”

United wants Dybala (Sport1)

Manchester United could be looking to bring in Paulo Dybala to bolster its attack:

Paulo Dybala is one of the hottest stocks on the transfer market. The reason for this is that the Argentine is without a contract and is currently looking for a club.

Many clubs are said to be interested in the 28-year-old, including Manchester United. As reported by mail online , those responsible have already contacted Dybala’s advisor.

At the Red Devils, the striker could be a possible replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who has asked for a release should a suitable offer come in for him.

As previously reported by the Italian TV broadcaster La Repubblica , Inter Milan, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and SC Napoli are also interested in signing the left foot.

Dybala has decided not to renew his expiring contract with Juventus Turin after seven years. He moved from FC Palermo to Turin in 2015 and made 293 appearances for Juve. The 28-year-old scored 115 goals and also provided 48 assists.

England in talks with Nike over changing white shorts due to period concerns

We have reached the point, where I cannot lend an opinion (educated or not) on a subject, so let me hand this over to Muller_Era, who can provide some insight and expertise on a topic I have chosen to willfully ignore for years! Over to you Muller_Era...

The English Women’s National Team has expressed concerns regarding the impracticality of wearing white shorts when some players are on their menstrual cycles.

After England’s 1-0 victory over Austria, Beth Mead, the goal-scorer said the team had asked their kit manufacturer Nike to change the white shorts in the future. Bayern Munich Frauen’s Georgia Stanway has echoed the sentiment, while addressing the difficulties regarding a change in colour since England has been always associated with white. However the women’s team hasn’t played in white without exception.

It is interesting to note that this is not the first time the white kit has been shown disfavour over. Several tennis players have spoken about the white dress code at the Wimbledon and cricketers too have spoken on the same.

As a girl (/woman) myself, I agree with the reasoning behind the wish to change from white. The presence of a stain can be very distracting for the player themselves and a source of mental stress during the game. Trust me, white clothes and stains... not a very good combination. Abstaining from white kits and uniforms will certainly make things a lot more comfortable for sportswomen.

— Muller_Era