Daily Schmankerl: Arsenal balking at West Ham’s fee request for Bayern Munich target Declan Rice?; Bayern, Newcastle United eyeing FC Barcelona’s Raphinha; Benjamin Pavard headed to AC Milan?; Joshua Kimmich earns another accolade; + MORE

Gunners iffy on fee for Rice (90Min.com)

As Bayern Munich sits in the background waiting out the talks on Declan Rice between West Ham and Arsenal FC, rumors are emerging that the Gunners might not want to pay the hefty, nine-figure fee that has been bandied about:

Arsenal are leading the race to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice but are not yet prepared to meet the Hammers’ asking price for their captain, 90min understands. West Ham expect to receive plenty of offers for Rice, who is also attracting interest from Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Bayern Munich, now that their Europa Conference League campaign has come to an end. Club chairman David Sullivan has confirmed the Hammers have promised to part ways with Rice this summer, with the 24-year-old ready to move on.

An asking price of £100m has been placed on Rice’s head and West Ham believe the midfielder could end up commanding a higher fee if a bidding war can be sparked. 90min understands Arsenal are wary of paying so much and instead value Rice at closer to £90m, and the Gunners would be looking to strike a deal that would see them pay an initial £80m with add-ons to take the price higher.

That difference in valuation has left the door open for one of Rice’s many suitors to come to the negotiating table, but sources have confirmed that Arsenal remain confident that they will win the race for Rice’s signature. Those in charge at the Emirates Stadium believe Arsenal is Rice’s preferred destination and there is confidence that will help the Gunners fend off any competition if a transfer battle arises.

Should Bayern Munich fans start to get a little excited about potential angst in the West Ham-Arsenal talks? Probably not.

Arsenal is going to try and whittle that price down, while West Ham seeks to squeeze every pound out of the Gunners. In the end, a deal between these two parties is most likely going to get done.

As for Bayern Munich, club president Herbert Hainer spoke in a generic manner on Rice, but indicated that the Bavarians will have contingency plans in place for everything.

“Our scouts and people in charge are working on many players and in talks, so that we make the right choice in the end,” Hainer told Bild TV when asked directly about Rice (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).

Bayern, NUFC still in on Raphinha (Barca Universal)

Bayern Munich and Newcastle United are rumored to be keeping a close eye on what happens with Raphinha at FC Barcelona. We already know that Thomas Tuchel is a big fan of the Brazilian:

It is audacious to assume that a club would part ways with a player who made 14 goal contributions in La Liga over the past season, let alone in his first year at the club. Yet, such is the situation at FC Barcelona. The Catalans are under a mountain of pressure to offload players this summer and have no choice but to take such harsh decisions.

Raphinha was stellar for Xavi Hernandez’s side in his first season in Spain and was the reason behind so many match-winning goals that eventually led the team to the title. This month, he could be on his way out of the club. According to reports from SPORT, Newcastle United and Bayern Munich are still interested in the Brazilian international. The English side, who have qualified for next season’s UEFA Champions League, are leading the race.

Newcastle have enquired about the winger’s availability several times over the past month, but Barcelona stalled the talks and asked for time hoping to facilitate other transfers. Complications in Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres and Franck Kessie’s moves, however, have reopened the door for the Premier League side. After all, Barcelona need to make sales of at least €100 million over the next three weeks and the Brazilian is one of their highest-rated players. Joan Laporta, in theory, is willing to sanction Raphinha’s sale if an offer over €80 million arrives for it would assure a profit.

There is no disputing Raphinha’s talent, but my fear is that Bayern Munich gets close to the end of the transfer window, has not made any big attacking signings, then goes all-in on Raphinha to make up for previous failures (aka the Sadio Mané Playbook).

Simply put, Bayern Munich does not need Raphinha — at least right now, with Mané, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, and Kingsley Coman already on the roster. If, however, Bayern Munich does sell off one or two of those wings, it could become “game on” for potential pursuits Raphinha and Juventus winger Federico Chiesa.

Chiesa, though, could cost as little as half as much as Raphinha, which would be a big selling point (at least to me).

Bavarian Podcast Works— Weekend Warm-up Podcast: Season 2, Episode 48 (Bavarian Football Works)

We are deep in the throws of silly season with Bayern Munich and it has been absolute craziness for days now.

With some big name (and money!) players potentially coming in to Bayern Munich and some club staples potentially heading out, the team is in a state of flux. There is plenty to talk about, so let’s get to it:

• The transfer of West Ham’s Declan Rice to Bayern Munich is not looking good...what’s next? Who can Bayern Munich get if Arsenal FC makes its play for Rice?
• Thoughts on Bayern Munich’s plan to revamp its attack and why it has the futures for Sadio Mané, Leroy Sané, and Serge Gnabry on shaky ground.
• Why Raphael Guerreiro was a deft pickup.
• Some thoughts on Bayern Munich’s instability, how long it might take the new leadership to fix, and why patience will be vital for fans of the club.

Grealish rocks Fleetwood Mac (@FlorianPlettenberg)

I would love to know why Jack Grealish was rocking out to “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. There is nothing wrong with the song, I just didn’t picture Grealish picking that song for his de facto conga line:

If you want to give the whole song a listen, here you go:

Also, if you wanted to see former Oasis mega-star Noel Gallagher being serenaded by a bunch of City fans, well, we’ve got that, too:

Kimmich gets another accolade (@WhoScored)

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich was named to WhoScored.com’s Champions League Team of the Season:

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 5, Episode 49 (Bavarian Football Works)

You want to talk Bayern Munich and Germany? We’ve got you covered.

Bayern Munich is in the middle of about a million transfer rumors and is looking to add — at least — three key players this summer. Germany is in throws of trying to figure out who it is as a national team and is facing three opponents in friendlies over the next week.

Indeed, there is much to yack about when it comes to some of your favorite topics. Here is what is on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works Flagship Show:

• A look at Germany’s squad for the slate of matches during this international session.
• Why Hansi Flick is towing a fine line between job security and getting sacked.
• What could go right for Germany.
• Why some German linchpins might be out of luck moving forward.
• How the summer transfer window could turn out disastrous for Bayern Munich. What if Bayern Munich doesn’t get any of the big name players that it wants?

Pavard hanging with Milan boys...hmmm (@iMiaSanMia)

Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard was spotted with AC Milan players Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez at the French Open finale:

AC Milan has been one of the clubs rumored to be interested in Pavard. It would seem like a good fit for him, especially with a few good buddies already in tow.

Rudy out at Hoffenheim (Get German Football News)

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Sebastian Rudy will not be lacing up his boots for Hoffenehim any longer:

Hoffenheim have announced that Sebastian Rudy will leave the club at the end of his contract, which expires at the end of June. On why he will end his 11-year total cooperation with Hoffenheim, Rudy said: “I owe a lot to TSG and spent most of my career in Hoffenheim. I have become a German national player here and have experienced many ups and downs with the club”

The 33-year-old also reflects on his time at Hoffenheim: “For me, the beautiful moments predominate, such as the successful relegation against the 1. FC Kaiserslautern, the fourth place in the Bundesliga in the 2016/2017 season or the appearances with the TSG in the Europa League. I have now reached a phase of my career in which I would like to think carefully about how it could continue in terms of football for me. Maybe there will be another step. In any case, I still feel like kicking and am open to new things. But no matter what may come: I will always carry the TSG with its fans and the entire region in my heart.”

It is unclear what Rudy intends to do next.