Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich, PSG, FC Barcelona eyeing Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard?; Real Madrid focused on A…

Say what? Bayern eyeing Ødegaard? (Daily Cannon)

This seems like (and probably is) utter nonsense, but Arsenal Martin Ødegaard is reportedly being targeted by FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and…Bayern Munich? That seems odd, right? Well, let

Arsenal’s captain, Martin Ødegaard, is reportedly drawing interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and PSG. Ødegaardhas had an impressive season, contributing 15 goals to Arsenal’s title challenge. With his contract expiring in 2025, Arsenal are expected to offer Ødegaard new terms soon. Recent reports suggest that European football giants Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and PSG are setting their sights on Arsenal‘s prodigious talent, Martin Ødegaard.

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As an attacking midfielder, there is likely no need for Bayern Munich to pursue Ødegaard, but maybe Thomas Tuchel has something up his sleeve that we don’t even know about yet.

(Okay…probably not…)

Barca to dangle Fati in Kimmich pursuit? (Barca News Network)

The rumors of FC Barcelona’s desire to bring in Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich are out there and one report states that Barca could try to entice the Bavarians to make a swap deal by offering up young attacker Ansu Fati:

According to the report, despite earlier news that Bayern Munich consider the German midfielder to be untransferable and not for sale, they have possibly begun to realize that they cannot keep his services to themselves for much longer and could now be willing to let him leave for a transfer that would see both direct funds and player swaps needing to occur.

A likely candidate from the perspective of FC Barcelona for such a deal would be Ansu Fati as per reports, the Spaniard being a player that Bayern Munich did retain an interest in as well not too long ago.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 45 (Bavarian Football Works)

Another week, another set of Bayern Munich stories to discuss.

The Bavarians stomped Schalke 04 last weekend and we saw some plans for the 2023/24 leaked out this week as well. Knowing all of that, there is plenty to discuss. Let’s take a look at what is on tap for this edition of the Weekend Warm-up Podcast:

• A look at the rumors regarding Joshua Kimmich’s rumored position change, his power at Bayern Munich, and the interesting timing of the transfer rumors linking him to Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Manchester City. What does this all mean for Leon Goretzka’s future with the club?
• Will Bayern Munich move on Ajax’s Edson Alvarez? What about Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Kai Havertz? Or maybe…West Ham’s Declan Rice? Finally, the latest on Bayern’s interest in Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani.
• Some thoughts on the title race and the implications of this weekend.
• Should Sadio Mané stay or go? Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Newcastle United, and Juventus might be interested…but he could want to stay.

Kloppo cheering on BVB to knock off Bayern’s reign (This is Anfield)

Liverpool FC boss Jurgen Klopp hoping to see Borussia Dortmund win the Bundesliga:

Talking to Bild, Klopp said: “It’s probably no secret that I want BVB to be champions, because what you experience then, you never forget.

“With the trophy around the Borsigplatz (an area of Dortmund), that’s still one of the really big highlights of my career. I would like to give that to the fans, club, coach and players this year.”

The German newspaper even reports that Klopp ‘regularly’ phones CEO Aki Watzke to congratulate him after a win.

Klopp added: “I believe that the boys can do it. The opportunity is so great, they will use it!”

Pep wants to keep Gündoğan (The Athletic via 90Min.com)

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants the club to find a way to keep Germany international İlkay Gündoğan. The midfielder has been closely linked to FC Barcelona:

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola remains hopeful that İlkay Gündoğan will spurn the advances of Barcelona and sign a new contract.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Preview Show — Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig (Bavarian Football Works)

With Borussia Dortmund only one point behind Bayern Munich with two games left to play, RB Leipzig are the last team the Bavarians want to face. The Lawnball-based side have not been having a great season this year, but they will be looking for a win to secure Champions League qualification for next season. This is a game that could decide the title race.

Here are our talking points ahead of the game:

• Who’s in and who’s out in the lineup?
• Thomas Muller should obviously start.
• A case for Leroy Sane on the right hand side, and Musiala on the left.
• Heresy for some: Maybe give Leon Goretzka a chance.
• Why does Joshua Kimmich get everything he wants?
• Why Dayot Upamecano will have a tough time getting his spot back.
• Thomas Tuchel could field a 4-1-4-1 again — is that a good idea?

Pep way of Grealish’s confidence (90Min.com)

It is hard to look at Manchester City these days and not see the best team currently assembled in the world. Fans know, pundits know it, and even Jack Grealish knows it:

“I don’t think many teams can do that to Real Madrid but when we’re all together and playing, especially at home, we feel unstoppable,” Grealish said after Wednesday’s victory. “I saw a stat the other day about how many Champions League games we’ve won at home compared to away, I couldn’t believe it. When we play here in front of our fans, we feel unstoppable. Even in the league, we feel nobody can beat us. You see what we’ve done to Bayern Munich, Leipzig and tonight, it’s unbelievable.”

Guardiola was not thrilled with Grealish’s exuberance:

“I don’t like that, no,” Guardiola said. “Every team is stoppable if you do what you have to do. It’s nice the players feel that, but football can change from one game to another. You have to stay calm. I would like to give the players two days off, but I cannot give them one because the Premier League is there. We cannot extend it because Brighton and Brentford are really tough places to go. We have to finish soon so we have a little more time mentally to prepare for the two finals we have. This is one of the highest [results of my career], considering the opponent, Real Madrid, in the semi-final of the Champions League,” he said. “We had to perform well, and we did it, especially in the first half. It was really, really good.”

“I had a feeling these last days that we had a mix of calmness and tension to play these kind of games. After 10 or 15 minutes, I had the feeling that all the pain of last season was there today. It was so hard and tough last season [against Real Madrid], when we played quite similar to how we played today.”

Madrid prioritizing Davies move? (The Hard Tackle)

Real Madrid could be getting serious about a move for Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies:

Real Madrid will reportedly prioritise signing Canadian wide man Alphonso Davies from Bundesliga club Bayern Munich this summer.

According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Alphonso Davies is the subject of interest from Real Madrid. The Merengues view the Bayern Munich wide man as a priority target for the summer transfer window. But his market value of €70 million means the Bundesliga champions will likely demand an astronomical sum.

Bayern Munich will likely put up a fight to retain Davies’s services beyond the summer transfer window. And if push comes to shove, chances are that the Bundesliga champions will demand over €70 million to part ways with the Canadian international. But the Merengues are in a strong-enough position to afford to pay €70 million to sign the youngster.