City planning re-boot of Sané Era? (City Xtra)
When Leroy Sané made the move from Manchester City to Bayern Munich, he was hailed as the wing savior for the German club.
The 27-year-old has been really good at times, but has not quite reached that dominant level that many expected of him. In addition, Sané has had minor issues with both Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann during his time in Bavaria, though nothing that would make anyone consider him a “diva” (which was a something it was feared he might be when arriving from Manchester City).
All-in-all, though, Sané has been a good, hard-working player for Bayern Munich.
The recent news that Sané was taken off of Bayern Munich’s “untouchable” list was a bit surprising, but Manchester City could be thinking about a reunion:
The possibility of Leroy Sané returning to the Etihad Stadium this summer could become more realistic in the coming months, according to a report from Germany.
It is stated that officials at Bayern Munich expect players’ performances to match their salaries – something that Leroy Sané along with Serge Gnabry have failed to do in recent matches. As such, if both players ‘continue to underperform’, then the Bundesliga giants will not rule out an exit for either player providing they receive a ‘big enough offer’.
Looking ahead at next season, Bayern Munich has a glut of talent at the winger position and there is no guarantee that Nagelsmann will even use a formation that requires true wings.
If Nagelsmann commits to a 3-4-2-1 or some variation of that, it would be good business to try and generate some revenue to fund other transfers to help fill out the roster positions that will be needed for the future.
If Sané ends up leaving, how do you think you would ultimately view his tenure?
Options for Hummels laid out (@RaeComm)
Earlier in the week, we saw that Mats Hummels and Borussia Dortmund were exploring how to best work together moving forward. Derek Rae captured some of the finer details from Sport Bild on what it might take for that to happen:
ICYMI: Mourinho unhinged? (Get Italian Football News)
It appears that AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho might have flown off the handle a bit watching a U-14 match between AS Roma and Lazio:
There has been talk of Roma manager Jose Mourinho behaving in an unsportsmanlike behaviour during Roma Under-14s’ recent derby game against Lazio Under-14s.
A video of Mourinho celebrating with the Giallorossi youngsters had gone viral but Il Messaggero (via Corriere della Sera) have highlighted a different side to the Portuguese’s visit to the Under-14s game last Sunday.
It is stated that Lazio have accused Mourinho of refusing to sticking to simply watching the game. The Roma boss reportedly booed a Lazio Under-14s player called Alexandru Milou, when he was taking a penalty in the clash on Sunday. When Roma Under-14s went ahead, Mourinho is said to have told the team’s players to feign injury and resort to time wasting to win the game.
Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 34 (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich is at a key juncture of its season.
With big matches just about every week, plus a roster that is likely to be tweaked this summer, there is nary a day that goes by without some sort of news breaking.
This week, there was plenty to discuss and we had no shortage of topics. Here is what we have on tap for this episode:
- The news that Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry could be on the way out at Bayern Munich.
- Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s new deal and what it means moving forward.
- Bayern Munich’s new clubhouse punishment system.
- Some thoughts on the PSG tilt and why this is such a key moment for Julian Nagelsmann.
- A recap of the latest episode of The Last of Us.
United still pursuing De Jong? (Alex Crook via Football Talk HQ)
According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Manchester United might still be tryin to convince FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong:
A pursuit of De Jong could potentially have some effect on Bayern Munich loanee Marcel Sabitzer. While both Sabitzer and United seem to have interest in making their relationship a long-term venture, Erik ten Hag is reportedly a big fan of his countryman. It is unclear at this stage if Manchester United would pursue both players.
Leipzig to bring back reserve squad? (Get German Football News)
RB Leipzig is entertaining the idea of bringing back its reserve team:
As reported by Bild, RB Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl is in favour of introducing a second team at the club. Speaking at a fan event recently, Eberl said: “I am very much in favour of introducing a second team at RB.”
The plan would be to have the reserve team act as a feeder for those in the U19s who can’t quite break into the first team. If Leipzig are serious about having a reserve team, they would have to register by May 31st in order to obtain a license. Theoretically, RB Leipzig II would have to start at the bottom of the pyramid in the local district leagues. However, each regional association handles it differently. For example, Eintracht Frankfurt II were able to start in the 5th league.
Messi offered two-year deal? (Joan Fontes via 90Min.com)
Lionel Messi to Saudi Arabia? Say it ain’t so:
Lionel Messi has been offered a two-year contract with Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad which would include the biggest salary in football history. An €88m annual wage is on the table for Messi if he leaves Paris Saint-Germain, trumping the €70m salary earned by Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.
That is a hell of a lot of money, though.
Bavarian Podcast Works: Preview Show — VfB Stuttgart vs. Bayern Munich (Bavarian Football Works)
On the heels of its huge Bundesliga win over Union Berlin last weekend, Bayern Munich will square off with VfB Stuttgart on Saturday…just days before a massive meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
It would be easy for Bayern Munich to look right past this match, but Julian Nagelsmann will have to do everything he can to prevent that from happening. This is what we have on tap for this episode:
- A look at where each team resides in the Bundesliga table and how they have done in recent games.
- A couple of VfB Stuttgart players to potentially keep an eye on.
- Trying to predict Julian Nagelsmann’s formation and starting XI when factoring in upcoming suspensions, rest days, continuity, etc. (It’s not easy!).
- A prediction on the match.