Daily Schmankerl: Is Bayern Munich going to pursue Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane after all?; Erling Haaland’s nickname; Did Manchester City turn away PSG’s Neymar at the deadline?; Chelsea swipes German gem from Bayern, Man City; UCL talk; & MORE!

Bayern...in or out on Kane? (Bayern Insider Podcast via @iMiaSanMia)

How serious is Bayern Munich about Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane?

On the latest edition of the Bayern Insider podcast, Bild journalists Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl dive directly into that topic. Here is what the duo had to say (courtesy of @iMiaSanMia):

Bayern want Harry Kane in 2023. The England captain is considering signing a new contract at Tottenham, but Bayern told him to wait because it’s still too early. The club is watching Kane’s situation closely and will try to sign him if he doesn’t renew.

But...not so fast my friend. Sky’s Florian Plettenberg says that Kane is only a contingency plan for Bayern Munich and would only come into play if someone from the current attacking group decides to leave or if someone loses their form:

Ah...so after reading those two accounts, we STILL don’t know the answer to the initial question. The interesting part of the timing on the Bayern Insider report is that came just a day after Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić sat down with Plettenberg.

To add intrigue, Salihamidžić addressed rumors that Kane “likes” Bayern Munich in this manner:

Needless to say, the 45-year-old would not delve into any internal plans that the club might have for Kane, but Salihamidžić admitted that hearing Kane “likes” Bayern Munich has an effect on the club executives: “That makes us happy.”

So what do you say...do you want Harry Kane?

Haaland anointed Daemon...first of his name (Sport1)

Well, it did not take the Manchester City squad long to hit Erling Haaland with a nickname:

Nine goals in five games, two hat tricks: Erling Haaland is plowing through the Premier League - and has now been given a suitable nickname.

I have to break up this blockquote to simply say Sport1 is genius here for working “plowing” into this story, given all of the Farmers League nonsense always being bandied about. Carry on:

According to the British tabloid Sun, the Manchester City newcomer is only called ‘Dämon’ (Daemon) in the dressing room. Inspiration for this name is the new series ‘House of the Dragon’. The character Daemon Targaryen appears in the spin-off of the world-famous series ‘Game of Thrones’.

You be the judge...is that a good one?

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 9 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich once again could not find a way past Borussia Mönchengladbach and settled for a draw, but rebounded with a nice win over Viktoria Köln in the DFB-Pokal.

Even with all of the action on the pitch, there was still a lot to talk about off of it. Let’s take a look at what we have on tap for this episode:

• Assessing the club’s performances against Gladbach and Viktoria Köln.
• Bayern Munich’s depth is incredible.
• It’s a matter of time before Matthijs de Ligt is an anointed full-time starter.
• Daydreaming about a Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City Champions League finale.
• A look at Bayern Munich’s transfer window.

City beats Bayern, Chelsea on German youth (@FabrizioRomano)

This one flew under the radar a bit, but Manchester City got the best of Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC in a competition for German youth player Farid Alfa-Ruprecht:

Ruprecht was previously playing for Hamburger SV as a winger.

Brazzo dines with Lucas to set the contractual mood (Bayern Insider Podcast via @iMiaSanMia)

The contract talks between Bayern Munich and Lucas Hernandez seem like they are going to hit hard and fast after sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić and Hernandez met for dinner:

Hasan Salihamidžić had a meal with Lucas Hernández last Tuesday. The atmosphere was good and informal talks too place. Concrete talks over a new contract will follow soon.

Espresso with Julian Nagelsmann? Dinner with Lucas Hernandez? When do we get beers with BFW, Brazzo?

Bavarian Podcast Works: Preview Show — Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin (Bavarian Football Works)

It was just last weekend that Bayern Munich faced then-second-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach. Now, die Roten would again have to face the team at the #2 spot in the Bundesliga table, Union Berlin. Union’s attack has been imperious this season, scoring a whopping 11 goals, second only to Bayern. With 3 wins and a draw, they find themselves tied on points with Bayern Munich, and the winner would be clear at the top of the table.

This mouthwatering fixture has all the elements of a blockbuster showdown. As always, everything you’ll require to prime yourself for the game has been covered in the pod, including the following:

• Union Berlin’s form, and why they are so fearsome.
• Bayern Munich’s form and recent fixtures.
• Reflection (more like a state of denial) on Bayern’s most recent Bundesliga game.
• Union Berlin’s key players.
• Union’s lineup and preferred tactic(s).
• Bayern Munich’s lineup and potential changes.
• Nagelsmann’s approach and tactics for the game.
• A final scoreline prediction.

Everyone way of the UCL “Group of Death” (Sempre Inter)

Viktoria Plzen head coach Michal Bilek had to see his Champions League draw and just wonder what he did to deserve such a fate: Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, and Inter Milan.

Bilek, though, is embracing the challenge.

“I’ve talked with the guys about how incredible it feels to be in a group like this, but the league is also important,” Bilek remarked.

It is a commendable attitude for sure...and who knows? Maybe Viktoria Plzen will get a chance to play the role of giant slayer.

City refused Neymar transfer? (Sport1)

Manchester City reportedly turned down a chance to bring aboard Neymar:

There was a lot on offer again on Deadline Day: Big names, surprising deals and of course the obligatory glitches. But according to the Spanish newspaper Marca , there was even a sensation in the air. “A bomb that didn’t explode,” as the paper writes. Accordingly, PSG superstar Neymar would have actively offered Manchester City. Despite the Brazilian’s outstanding start to the season (15 points in 6 competitive games!), Neymar’s relationship with Kylian Mbappé continues to worry those in charge at Paris.

Since Mbappé has just extended with great fanfare and PSG want to prevent possible problems in the cabin due to oversized egos, Neymar ManCity was offered - without success.

Because an intact cabin is also the top priority for the Citizens. The club around coach Pep Guardiola, who already signed Erling Haaland in the summer, also feared the effects on the team climate of a transfer of this dimension. Accordingly, City refused - and Neymar and Mbappé probably have no choice but to come to terms with each other (for the time being).

For a club with nearly unlimited resources, this probably took some willpower, but was the correct move. Like them or not (most people don’t), Manchester City has the look of a dominant side. Adding Neymar to the current mix, might have complicated a lot of things.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Bayern Munich 5-0 Viktoria Köln (Bavarian Football Works)

As expected, Bayern Munich throttled Viktoria Köln 5-0 in the DFB-Pokal. The match started out tough for the Bavarians, who struggled to get going, but once they did, they were an unstoppable force. This is what we have on tap in this episode:

• A walkthrough of how the scoring broke down.
• An incredibly slippery pitch thanks to rain (and maybe over-watering) — which set the Bavarian Grass Works alert off.
• A choppy start to the match did not deter Bayern Munich for too long.
• The kids are alright — Ryan Gravenberch and Mathys Tel scored goals, while Josip Stanišić got his first extended run of the season.
• Viktoria Köln was scrappy and played tough as hell.
• The rotation was necessary and good for squad morale.