Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich phenom Gabriel Vidović will officially spend the season with Vitesse; Joshua Zirkzee to Bologna; FC Barcelona’s Xavi talks Group C; Christian Pulisic unhappy with Chelsea stay?; Spain suddenly loves Lewy; & MORE!

Official: Vidović on one-year loan to Vitesse (@MijnVitesse)

Bayern Munich phenom Gabriel Vidović has officially accepted a one-year loan to SBV Vitesse where he will get first team experience.

Vidović, of course, is one of Bayern Munich’s brightest, young prospects and would likely already be on the first team of his parent club if he were basically anywhere else in Germany.

With Vitesse, Vidović will get the chance to take on a big role right away...and already started his flex by going shirtless in his Twitter reveal:

This is a fantastic move for all parties involved and should give Bayern Munich a decent idea of where Vidović is with his development. The Eredivisie should be a fertile proving ground for the Croatian youth international to show his attacking prowess.

“Gabriel proved with his good performances in pre-season that he is rightly in our first-team squad. We’ve now weighed up what’s best for his development and decided on a loan move to Vitesse Arnhem,” said Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić (per FCBayern.com). “Gabriel has greater chances of playing regularly there. Arnhem are very well known in Europe for developing young talents, as demonstrated by examples like Mason Mount or Martin Ødegaard. We’re sure that Gabriel will take the next step in Arnhem and we’ll be keeping a close eye on his development.”

For Vidović, Vitesse represent an opportunity to show what he can do.

“I’m really looking forward to this new challenge. There were several options, but it was my wish to play football at this club. I have heard many positive things about Vitesse and have also had very pleasant conversations with the management,” said Vidović (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).

Vidović will wear the #10 jersey for Vitesse.

“That feels like an honor, although I am aware of the responsibilities that come with that number. But I am very grateful for this opportunity and will do everything I can to help the team as best I can,” Vidović remarked.

Every Bayern Munich fan should at least glance over at how Vidović is handling his loan...or at a minimum follow our guy LKChuggz and his weekly Bavarian Loan Works updates.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 8 (Bavarian Football Works)

We are back for another another weekend, which mean you’ve got another Weekend Warm-up Podcast to listen to.

Bayern Munich is set for a couple of matches in the next few days and as the transfer window nears a close, things are getting a bit wild. Let’s take a look at what we have on tap for this episode:

• Quick thoughts on Bayern Munich’s Champions League draw.
• Transfer comings and goings for Adrian Fein, Joshua Zirkzee, and Callum Hudson-Odoi (!?).
• Bayern Munich’s plan for Paul Wanner.
• Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić’s admission on how the club dealt with Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Manchester United’s late run at Benjamin Pavard.
• Some thoughts on House of the Dragon...were you let down or did you just not expect much?

Pulisic disappointed with Chelsea stay (@brfootball)

Chelsea FC attacker Christian Pulisic is reportedly disappointed that the club will not let him leave. The Pennsylvania-bred attacker is stuck in London and unsure exactly how much consistent playing time might be there for him:

Being a Pennsylvania guy myself, Pulisic has always been a bit of a dream transfer for me to go to Bayern Munich. Funny enough, Pulisic would probably be electric in this 4-2-2-2 alignment under Julian Nagelsmann, but there is little-to-no shot that the Bavarians would make a move for Pulisic in the near future considering the presence of current attacking group, plus youngsters like Paul Wanner, Gabriel Vidović (on loan to Vitesse), and Arijon Ibrahimović (Bayern Munich U-19s) all still being part of the club’s future plans.

Spanish publications fawning over Lewy (Sport1)

What player were people watching for the last five years? It appears that only now do the Spanish publications recognize how good FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is:

Mundo Deportivo:

Lewy, the new idol of the Camp Nou. He came to make Barca a personality again. No fuss, no big talk. Only with work and professionalism at the age of 34.

Sport:

The Pole showed how a nine should play, both in finishing and creating space for his team-mates. On his first big night at the Spotify Camp Nou, Lewandowski scored twice and played a great game against Valladolid.

AS:

Xavi’s Barca takes off with the help of a Polish locomotive. Robert Lewandowski, with two goals and a lesson in centre-forward, led a side that squeezed Valladolid from the first minute to the last with pressing and attacking play.

Marca:

(Lewandowski) showed how to conquer the Camp Nou in two days. He hit like a rocket.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Bayern Munich 1-1 Gladbach (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich have been stopped. The juggernaut is slain. All rejoice, the Bundesliga is now free from tyranny.

Okay, maybe not. But it is true that Gladbach have not lost to Bayern. And given the kind of performances we’ve been enjoying lately, that is quite an achievement. Yann Sommer saved 20 shots in what could be the greatest performance by a keeper in the history of the Bundesliga.

Here are our talking points from the game:

• A very short mental breakdown to preface the pod.
• Why Yann Sommer deserves the credit for this result.
• A quick recap of what happened in the game.
• Could Robert Lewandowski have changed this result? Did Nagelsmann subbing on Matthijs de Ligt mean he needs a CF?
• Why Julian Nagelsmann’s tactics cannot be blamed for this result.
• The referee was horrible. That is all.
• Why Thomas Muller remains one of the most effective players on the pitch, despite a lack of recent goals/assists.
• Sadio Mane’s constant offsides — why does it keep happening?
• How a draw against Gladbach allows us to make adjustments for the upcoming Champions League table.
• Why we can’t take too many negatives from this game.

Xavi talks toughness of UCL Group C (Sempre Inter)

FC Barcelona boss Xavi knows Group C (Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, and FC Viktoria Plzeň) in the Champions League is going to be a grind.

“We’ll try to beat any opponent. We got a very difficult group, perhaps the most difficult of the last ten or twenty years. We’ll have to do very well to get to the second round,” Xavi said. “But our hope is very great and that’s what we are working with. The goal is to get out of the group, and it will be a big challenge.”

Official: Zirkzee completes move to Bologna (FCBayern.com)

Gabriel Vidović was not the only Bayern Munich player on the move on Tuesday. Joshua Zirkzee also completed his move to Bologna. As was rumored, Bayern Munich did secure a buyback option on Zirkzee’s move.

“Joshua Zirkzee has great potential and it’s now vital for his development that he plays regularly. That’s why we complied with his request and have now agreed a transfer with Bologna FC. The agreement includes a buy-back clause because Joshua remains a very interesting player for us. We will follow his progress in Bologna and wish him much success in Serie A,” said Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić (per FCBayern.com).

Zirkzee’s move feels far more “final” than some others. It is hard to think of a scenario where Bayern Munich would bring him back unless he completely explodes and dominates Serie A.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 5, Episode 9 (Bavarian Football Works)

In this flagship episode of Bavarian Podcast Works, Tom and Schnitzel cover the following topics:

• Yann Sommer’s Bundesliga saves record masterclass.
• Bayern’s prospects in their Champions League group.
• Sadio Mane’s knack for goals being ruled out.
• Brazzo’s summer and incoming contract extension as sporting director.
• Julian Nagelsmann’s mid-match tactical switches and rotations.
• Bayern’s upcoming English Weeks.
• Manuel Neuer housing a banana mid-match at VfL Bochum.
• Tom’s brilliant European football impersonations.

Akanji to City? (@David_Ornstein)

Borussia Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji is reportedly headed to Manchester City: