Daily Schmankerl: Liverpool to join Real Madrid in pursuit of Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies?; Did a girlfriend ruin Mesut Özil’s chance to play for Bayern?; Fulham prepping for loss of João Palhinha?; Chelsea, LFC to chase Florian Wirtz?; & MORE!

LFC could get in the mix for Davies (Anfield Central)

Liverpool FC could rival Real Madrid and Manchester City for Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, who many are expecting to leave Germany during the summer:

Liverpool are keeping a close eye on Alphonso Davies as the Bayern Munich fullback’s contract inches towards its 2025 expiry which has put Europe’s major clubs on alert.

Jurgen Klopp is having to make do without Andy Robertson after the Scotland international suffered a dislocated shoulder that required surgery, ruling him out until 2024.

The Canadian is a fantastic player but Bayern will be worried about losing him for free when his contract expires in 2025. If an extension cannot be reached before the end of this season with a new contract offer likely, the Bundesliga club will likely opt to sell him to capitalise on potentially their last chance to make a profit on him.

Journalist François Plateau reported in October that the Reds had “requested updates” on Alphonso Davies future at Bayern Munich ahead of next summer’s transfer window.

Plateau checked in with new information as well:

Davies leaving Bayern Munich is starting to feel more and more legit. A prodigious talent, Davies has plateaued at Bayern Munich, but it would not be fair to put his stagnant development on Bayern Munich.

At some point, Davies has to be accountable for fixing his deficiencies and evolving. As of now, the Canadian just has not done that. Still, he is a player that would be tough for the Bavarians to lose because if he does eventually clear a few hurdles with his progression as a player, he could be a mega-star for the next decade.

The Most Schmankerl story ever? Bayern rejected Mesut Özil over who he was dating? (The Daily Mail)

Mesut Özil had a storied career, but did you know he almost made the move to Bayern Munich back in 2010? You might, as there were some rumors floating around at the time.

However, did you know the reason why the move fell through? It will probably surprise you:

Mesut Ozil’s father has claimed that his son’s proposed move to Bayern Munich in 2010 fell through because of the player’s off-field relationship. At the time, Ozil had been plying his trade for Bundesliga side Werder Bremen before securing a lucrative move to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2010.

However, Ozil’s father Mustafa has said that his son could have joined league rivals Bayern Munich in that summer but the move fell through due to his relationship. Back then, Ozil was dating Anna-Maria Lagerblom - who has been married to rapper Bushido since May 2012 - for around a year and a half up until November 2010. While for many clubs this wouldn’t be an issue, according to Ozil’s father, this proved to be a major obstacle in the playmaker earning a move to Bayern.

Speaking on the RTL+ podcast, Mustafa Özil said: ‘In 2010, Mesut almost ended up at FC Bayern Munich instead of Real Madrid’. However, the club ‘didn’t view the relationship with Lagerblom that well.’

According to German outlet BILD, Öziland Lagerblom had dated for a brief period before separating in the same year. Lagerblom is seven years Ozil’s elder.

I legitimately have no idea why Anna-Maria Lagerblom was so controversial, but Bayern Munich had some reason (I guess?). Anyway, the elder Özil also took his son’s agent to task by implying Mesut was influenced by in making the decision to retire from the German national team.

“If I had a magic wand, I would turn the wheel back,” Özil senior said in an interview with Bild. “Mesut’s career couldn’t end like this. I still don’t accept it to this day. I am sad and disappointed. It hurts me. Mesut was influenced by his environment. That wasn’t good for him. You can’t say that Germany is xenophobic, that the country where he was born wouldn’t have given him a chance. Such statements do not come from him, that is not him. Honestly: I have the feeling that Mesut was also taken advantage of. I think he is being used to a certain extent. But you shouldn’t read too much into it. Nevertheless, as a father, I wish that he would simply leave out social media messages about his origins, religion and politics. He’s an athlete.”

Fulham prepping for losing Palhinha? (Bruno Andrade)

Journalist Bruno Andrade is indicating that Fulham FC is eyeing a replacement for João Palhinha in the event that the defensive midfielder bolts for Bayern Munich in January:

Fulham are leading the race to sign Fluminense midfielder André. The Premier League club believes that Bayern will make another move for João Palhinha in January and are therefore planning to sign a replacement as soon as possible.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 3, Episode 18 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich was sleepwalking for the majority of its Champions League match against Galatasaray, but did pull out a victory that frustrated many fans.

The Bavarians eventually snared a 2-1 win ahead of this weekend’s Bundesliga showdown with Heidenheim. We will cover ALL of that, plus take a look at those pesky transfer rumors surrounding Joshua Kimmich and our old friend Robert Lewandowski’s recent struggles with FC Barcelona.

Here is the full rundown of what we have on tap for this edition of the Weekend Warm-up Podcast:

• A breakdown of the Bayern Munich vs. Galatasaray match.
• A preview of Bayern Munich vs. Heidenheim — will Thomas Tuchel learn his lesson with injuries?
• Thoughts on Robert Lewandowski’s struggles with FC Barcelona and those links to MLS (do I have to fire up another post like this?)
• How legit are the Joshua Kimmich transfer rumors?

Chelsea, LFC also interested in Wirtz (TEAMtalk via 90Min.com)

Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC could both be in the running for rumored Bayern Munich transfer target and Bayer Leverkusen ace Florian Wirtz:

Chelsea and Liverpool are interested in Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, though they will have to wait until the summer to sign him with a winter exit ruled out by the Bundesliga leaders.

With Davies rumored to be transferring awahy and Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich also — allegedly — open to leaving Bavaria, Bayern Munich might not be able to afford missing out on Wirtz.

Interesting...(Reddit)

This is a very fascinating look at the “purchase value” of the teams in the Champions League this season:

Sommer is asserting himself nice with Inter (@OptaFranz)

Former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Yann Sommer some unnecessary heat during his time in Bavaria, but he is showing how good he is already with Inter Milan:

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 6, Episode 17 (Bavarian Football Works)

Craziness is abound as Bayern Munich had the most painful of losses and the most exuberant of wins within four days of each other.

The Helter Skelter nature of the team’s performances on the pitch continues, but — more than anything — Bayern Munich keeps winning in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

There is a lot to talk about and analyze, so that’s what we will do. Here is what is on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show:

• Some thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich massive 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker — and why even a certain type of loss would have been an okay result (I know...blasphemy).
• A preview of Bayern Munich vs. Galatasaray in the UCL.