Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich to face competition from Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle United for Florian Wirtz; Juventus, Liverpool also want Kalvin Phillips; Lionel Messi back to FC Barcelona?; + MORE

EPL clubs targeting Wirtz (Sport via 90Min.com)

Bayern Munich has been linked to Bayer Leverkusen ace Florian Wirtz for roughly two years now, but if the Bavarians truly want to make a pursuit of Wirtz, they could have to contend with the deep pockets of Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle United to procure the 20-year-old:

Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle are all ready to rival Bayern Munich for the signing of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, who is valued at around €85m (£74m).

It is hard to find any Bayern Munich fan not interested in Wirtz. However, the logistics of how it would work are quite unclear. Sure, the club could shift to a 4-3-3 or another alignment more friendly to playing two attacking midfielders, but some other roster adjustments might need to be made for that to happen.

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel has been extremely reluctant to remove Jamal Musiala from the No. 10 position, so it is tough to discern how Musiala and Wirtz could coexist on the pitch without a shift in philosophy.

Bayern, Juve, LFC all in running for Phillips (ESPN)

According to a report from Sky Sport, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Liverpool FC are all reportedly in the running to make a move for Manchester City defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips:

Bayern Munich, Juventus and Liverpool are all among the clubs who will look at Kalvin Phillips if the midfielder leaves Manchester City, according to Sky Sports Deutschland. The 27-year-old’s struggles for game time at the Etihad have continued, with only five appearances totalling just 167 minutes so far this season.

In addition, Liverpool could aim to bring in the former Leeds United man as they continue to shape their midfield, with the feeling being that he could provide a more defensive reinforcement alongside summer signing Alexis Mac Allister.

Sky journalist Florian Plettenberg zeroed in on what a move for Phillips might look like:

ℹ️ It’s very likely that Kalvin Phillips will leave ManCity in winter as his management is sounding out the market now. #MCFC

➡️ Talks about a loan with an option to buy

➡️ No contact or negotiations with FC Bayern at this stage!

It has never been hot with Phillips/Bayern in summer. But: It’s not excluded that he will be offered in the next weeks. One to watch now. Top mentality.

@SkySportDE

Bayern Munich will almost assuredly make a move for a midfielder and Phillips could be one of the primary targets. Joshua Kimmich’s role is cemented, but Thomas Tuchel has not shown any commitment to either Leon Goretzka or Konrad Laimer.

Messi back to Barca? (The Sun via 90Min.com)

Could Lionel Messi head back to FC Barcelona? The Sun (we know, LOL) thinks so:

Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, has other ideas though and is convinced Messi will eventually return to Camp Nou.

However, Fabrizio Romano is not onboard with any type of move at this point — even a loan:

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has struck off the possibility of Lionel Messi joining the club on loan in January - the player said as much himself after Inter Miami’s final MLS game of 2023.

Messi’s season with Inter Miami is over and he will have some quality downtime until January. If he can get his legs and body fresh, he could be even more impactful to the MLS side next season.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 6, Episode 15 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich picked up a win this weekend in the Bundesliga over Mainz 05, but bigger challenges lie ahead and the squad is officially battling #InjuryBlitz2023.

Leon Goretzka became the latest Bayern Munich player to sustain an injury and the Germany international will be out of action until roughly mid-November if things heal properly.

During a season where depth was going to be an issue, the Bavarians are hitting one pothole after another on the pathway to success. Let’s take a look at what is on tap for this week’s episode:

• Some final thoughts on Bayern Munich’s big win over Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga.
• How will Thomas Tuchel replace Leon Goretzka in the central midfield? Konrad Laimer? Jamal Musiala? Raphaël Guerreiro?
• A preview of Bayern Munich vs. Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Mourinho to replace Ancelotti (Mundo Deportivo via 90Min.com)

One name being bandied about to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid is AS Roma boss Jose Mourinho:

Real Madrid are considering a move to rehire Jose Mourinho as manager if Carlo Ancelotti leaves at the end of the season to take over the Brazil national team.

Terzic’s power on the rise at BVB? (Get German Football News)

Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic is gaining power at the club per Sport Bild:

Sport Bild reports that Edin Terzic is the most powerful manager at Borussia Dortmund since Jürgen Klopp and influences the transfer policy at the club. Terzic’s power at the club is due to his longstanding affiliation with the club. Terzic has held a role at Dortmund since 2010 whether that be as a scout, youth coach, assistant coach, technical director or head coach. This has meant that he is very familiar with every department at the club.

This longstanding connection to Dortmund also means that he has a strong relationship with Hans-Joachim Watzke and he can easily discuss any issues with the longstanding Dortmund CEO.

The majority of Terzic’s power can be seen in the club’s transfer policy. The scouts at the club draw up a list of players that could fit at Dortmund then they are discussed with sporting director Sebastian Kehl with Terzic present in the meetings. Terzic has a strong influence on the players that are eventually put on the scout’s list.

The arrival of Felix Nmecha and Niclas Füllkrug as well as Emre Can’s contract extension and the failure to sign a right-back are all due to Terzic’s influence.

Well, give them credit for trying (@ESPNFC)

When K-pop band STAYC had a recent show in Texas, the group’s advisors wanted to play to the crowd a bit and gave them Rangers jerseys to wear to endear themselves to the American League champions.

That’s a typical pandering type of move that band would do, right?

Well...they got Rangers jerseys alright...just not the Texas Rangers. Instead the band was sporting Rangers FC tops, which likely confused the hell out of many Texans in the crowd: