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Lost in the massive debacle that the Harry Kane transfer saga became, was that Manchester City defender Kyle Walker dissed Bayern Munich at the last minute and opted for a longer stay with Pep Guardiola.
City is the defending Premier League and Champions League winner, so the decision should not be all that surprising...until you look at how far down the road the two parties got.
Bayern Munich had agreed to a deal with Walker...Walker accepted...Walker told City he wanted to leave...then...he walked it all back (no pun intended).
Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg unearthed some details on the matter and said that the Germans were disappointed with how the situation played out. Plettenberg reported that Bayern Munich is feeling a but spurned after getting the runaround from Walker (as captured by @iMiaSanMia):
Bayern are very disappointed with Kyle Walker and his behaviour after telling them he wanted to join the club for him to then change his mind.
It is understandable that Bayern Munich feels that way, but...the club has found itself chasing its own tail on three separate occasions during the summer transfer window.
First, there was the ill-conceived, Thomas Tuchel-driven pipedream that Declan Rice was going to leave West Ham and England (in general) for Bayern Munich.
Say it with me now: That...move...was...never...going...to...happen.
Rice, of course, left the Hammers for Arsenal FC and you could argue that any time spent on that pursuit was a complete waste.
Then, it was Walker’s turn to lead Bayern Munich down the transfer path only to pull out and head back to City.
All of that set the stage for Kane to be the next Englishman to leave Bayern Munich at the altar…and at one point on Thursday, it looked like it might happen.
Until it didn’t.
Once the fees for everyone involved all settled, Kane was clear to make the move to Bayern Munich. Would things have turned out differently for Walker had Kane’s deal been finished earlier?
Maybe, but now it doesn’t matter. Bayern Munich got one of the three Englishmen that it had targeted and that might be good enough for a nice sustained run in the Champions League.
However, the bitter taste of what happened with Walker will not soon be forgotten in the office at Säbener Straße. Perhaps, the Bavarians might get a chance to show Walker exactly what he is missing later on this season.
Surely, that type of match up is exactly why Bayern Munich endured the Kane saga in the first place.
Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 3, Episode 5
After months of speculation, it finally appears that Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane is making the seemingly unlikely move to Bayern Munich.
The final days here have been a whirlwind of “will he” or “won’t he” stories that eventually all faded away. Barring a last minute collapse, Kane should be making his way to Germany for a physical and could be presented at the DFL-Supercup — if things go to plan.
All that said, there was plenty to talk about, so let’s dig in:
- Why I am crushing a crow sandwich.
- Recapping the craziness that occurred on Thursday August 10th as news was flowing from everywhere about Kane’s potential move.
- How Kane will fit and why Thomas Tuchel’s biggest job is to ensure this move is a success. Also, some thoughts on what happens if Tuchel can’t make the team mesh quickly.
- What else Bayern Munich might be looking at in the transfer market and why some of the perceived needs probably are exactly requirements.
Song of the Week: “What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy)” by Information Society
After doing some roadtripping (again), I found myself locked on the SiriusXM’s “80s on 8” and got a strong dose of my favorite decade.
One of the tracks that broadsided me (because I had not heard it in forever) was “What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy)” by Information Society. Released in 1988, this tune came out at the tail end of 80s when that distinct sound of the decade start to fade behind heavy metal, the early stages of grunge, and the emerging sound of west coast rap.
If the 80s were on the their way out, this was not a bad track to remember the era by. Enjoy:
Bonus Beer Tip
During my little family vacation, we ventured into the small mountain town of Saluda, North Carolina for some kayaking and afterward, we went into a pretty cool place called the Saluda Whistlestop, which had great food and a good atmosphere. It also a beer I had never had: Boojum Lite, which was excellent.
If you get a chance to get your hands on some, you should.
Pep downplaying loaded City squad
With Bayern Munich now (hopefully) having wrapped up its move for Harry Kane, the Rekordmeister will sit among a handful (or less) of teams that have a legitimate shot of competing for the Champions League crown.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, whose absolutely stacked team won the UCL last season, thinks it will be very difficult for his squad to make that kind of run again and win a treble.
“It is once in a lifetime. It will not be possible to do what we did last season. We climbed the highest mountain last season, but in the last two days we came down from it and now we start again. Everyone has the same intention and there will be a lot of difficulties to climb the mountain as high as possible. Our football, our level, our mentality will dictate how the season will be,” Guardiola said (as captured by Goal).
When quizzed about one of his team’s biggest competitors in the Champions League this season — Bayern Munich — Guardiola had some thoughts on the then-rumored move for Harry Kane.
“Everybody knows (what qualities he brings to the table). Just take a look at him and how good he is. He has great attributes and is a top, top striker. Right, left, header, dropping, quality to play assists, score goals arriving. An exceptional striker that has shown it for many, many years. Just Alan Shearer is ahead of him as the Premier League’s top goalscorer, exceptional player,” Guardiola remarked.
After adding center-back Josko Gvardiol and midfielder Mateo Kovačić to an already lethal mix, Manchester City will likely only be able to be slowed by injuries. With Kane, Bayern Munich will present a challenge, but so will Real Madrid. As of now, those three clubs are the best of the best in Europe.
Prediction
Here were are — the unofficial, official start of the season.
Bayern Munich will take on RB Leipzig in the DFL-Supercup at the Allianz Arena on a day where some are expecting Harry Kane to be presented to the fan base.
Whether or not the Kane move goes official remains to be seen, but either way, there will be a competitive match between two clubs, who appear to be headed in different directions.
Bayern Munich looks loaded and ready to be a force in Europe, while Die Roten Bullen is in a state of flux. RB Leipzig has already lost Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City), Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool FC), Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea FC), Angelino (Galatasaray, loan), Marcel Halstenberg (Hannover 96), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Sørloth (Villarreal), and Andre Silva (Real Sociedad) among many others.
Those kind of losses cannot be offset even with the arrival of players like Lois Openda (Lens), Benjamin Šeško (Red Bull Salzburg), Christoph Baumgartner (Hoffenheim), Xavi Simons (Paris Saint-Germain, loan), and Fabio Carvalho (Liverpool, loan), plus a few others.
RB Leipzig will likely take a while to get on the same page and mesh, while the Bavarians should be ready to roll for the DFL-Supercup. There is no need to overcomplicate things and Bayern Munich should be able win this one handily.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-0 RB Leipzig
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