Daily Schmankerl: Chelsea’s Kai Havertz likely won’t join Bayern Munich; Salihamidžić eyes Italy move; Bayern probably can’t afford Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane; PSG building transfer plans to stop Bayern; Timo Werner is making his mark; & MORE!

Havertz fans will be disappointed (@Plettigoal)

Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg whipped out a fire hose and sprayed cold water all over those rumors linking Chelsea FC star Kai Havertz to Bayern Munich. Of course, there were previous reports implying this, but Plettenberg’s latest account seemed pretty definitive.

It appears that Bayern Munich does not view Havertz as a true solution as a No. 9:

Bayern Munich does like Havertz, but timing is everything. Two years ago, the Bavarians probably would have pulled the trigger and got the deal done if the Germany international was more affordable.

PSG eyeing Skriniar to help slow down Bayern? (Sport1)

Paris Saint-Germain might be plotting a move for Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar in hopes of having a solution for Bayern Munich’s (sometimes) potent attack:

At PSG you see a need for action - especially with regard to the eighteenth round games in the Champions League against FC Bayern! The top French club still has a lot to do on the transfer market in order to be prepared for the games against the German record champions on February 14 (in Paris) and March 8.

The focus is on signing central defender Milan Skriniar (27). The Slovakian international’s contract with Inter Milan expires at the end of the season. Skriniar’s agent Roberto Sistici told TeleNord: “We have already informed Inter that Skriniar will not renew his contract as it stands now. We told them that we feel free to talk to other clubs.”

To say PSG are interested in Skriniar would be an understatement. A transfer of the defensive player to the French capital had already been in the offing for a long time last summer, but the move then failed. It should work on the second attempt, possibly in the coming days. Should Inter sell the Slovak, they could get a fee of between 15 and 20 million euros. In the summer, Skriniar would be gone on a free transfer.

PSG coach Christophe Galtier (56) told BeIN Sports: “I can’t say if Milan Skriniar will join us in January or in the summer... He’s a player we’ve been following for a long time. We thought he was about to join us last summer...”

#TimoTime once more in Germany (@brfootball)

Timo Werner has gotten back on track since returning to RB Leipzig from Chelsea:

Just wait until next season when Marco Reus is making plays for him.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Flagship Show — Season 5, Episode 30 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich kicked off its Bundesliga re-start with a not-so-promising, but also no-so-concerning draw with RB Leipzig, which left a ton to talk about.

When you look at that, the quick turnaround for a match against FC Köln, the crazy news that this podcast has been wacked by SBN/Vox, the Yann Sommer acquisition, more rumors on Harry Kane and Kai Havertz, there is a TON to talk about.

So join me for this podcast journey, we are going to hit on a number of topics — because, damn it, that is exactly what we do here:

• A quick look at the draw with RB Leipzig.
• A preview of the FC Köln match.
• Looking at the latest rumors on Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and Chelsea FC’s Kai Havertz.
• The future of Bavarian Football Works and Bavarian Podcast Works.

Hoeneß thinks Bayern can’t afford Kane (Sport1)

We can count former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeneß among those folks (like me!), who think Bayern Munich will not be able to afford Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane:

It has been known for a long time that FC Bayern has had an eye on Harry Kane. The big problem: Tottenham Hotspur’s star striker is one of the most sought-after attackers in Europe - he would probably be expensive accordingly. Now Bavaria’s Honorary President Uli Hoeneß spoke in STAHLWERK Doppelpass at SPORT1 about the 29-year-old - and was skeptical.

“Harry Kane is a terrific striker. But that’s an order of magnitude - I think City got out at 140 million last year: I can’t imagine FC Bayern wanting or being able to pay these sums.”

Harry Kane’s contract at Tottenham Hotspur enters his final year after this season. Accordingly, the Londoners could only achieve a decent transfer fee for the superstar next summer. With this constellation, rumors about the future employer of the 29-year-old are inevitable. Now the British tabloid Daily Mail reports that the star striker should be at the top of Manchester United’s list.

Those responsible for the Red Devils are said to have even started to explore the details of a possible change. Erik ten Hag’s demand for a new centre-forward for the coming season is said to be decisive for the efforts to win the captain of the English national team. However, the interest is mutual, as is further reported. Kane himself should also be able to imagine a future in the “Theatre of Dreams”, which makes the United managers positive about being able to realize this deal.

In the past, FC Bayern Munich has also been repeatedly associated with a transfer from the Englishman. In November, Bayern’s CEO Oliver Kahn was cautious in an interview with Sky : “Of course he’s a very good player, but there are also many other very good players.” This statement is not necessarily a crystal-clear denial, but Kahn expressly emphasized that the current squad has the full trust of the bosses.

Brooks to Hoffenheim looks done (@Plettigoal)

Former Wolfsburg defender John Brooks seems to be headed back to the Bundesliga:

It looks like former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Thomas Delaney could be joining him as well:

Salihamidžić off to Italy? (@FabrizioRomano)

No...not that Salihamidžić:

Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Bayern Munich vs. FC Köln (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich kicked off its second match in five days and it did so (surprisingly) with the exact same lineup that Julian Nagelsmann rolled out against RB Leipzig last Friday.

Maybe surprising, maybe not, the starting XI was not all that effective the second time around as the squad’s battled to a 1-1 draw.

Let’s take a look at what we have on tap for this episode:

• A quick look at the lineup and its lack of effectiveness.
• Joshua Kimmich’s blast saves Bayern Munich from dropping points, but it is also clear Bayern Munich still needs Thomas Müller.
• Why there is no reason to worry, but also why fans should be at least a little bit frustrated at the lack of cohesion on the squad.
• Some thoughts on where Bayern Munich is as a squad right now and where the team could be heading.

Listen below or at Spotify: