Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich, PSG locked in war for Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel?; FC Barcelona leads Bayern on Amadou Onana; Chelsea wants Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni; Florian Wirtz — chance creating wizard; PSG wants Gavi; and MORE!

In a bit of weird timing, Bayern Munich was again linked to Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

Per this report, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are both keeping a close eye on Kobel:

Whilst Gianluigi Donnarumma (25) is having one of his most accomplished seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, the French side are nonetheless potentially in the market for a new goalkeeper, according to L’Équipe.

Donnarumma has bailed PSG out on many occasions this season. His shot-stopping ability is not in question, but what is is his footwork and his work off the goalline in general.

Within this context, further recruitment in this position has not been ruled out. Back in February, L’Équipe reported that PSG had an interest in Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel (26).

The publication added that contact with the Swiss goalkeeper’s entourage had been established and a summer move might not be out of the question for a player who has become a core component of the Bundesliga side.

In their latest report, L’Équipe have revealed that Les Parisiens remain interested in Kobel, but they aren’t the only ones. Bayern Munich may also be interested in the goalkeeper, whom they view as a potential successor to Manuel Neuer. Borussia Dortmund are aware of the intense interest in Kobel and despite recently extending his contract until 2028, know that it may be difficult to retain him.

What we learned on Wednesday, however, was that Bayern Munich and Alexander Nübel are closing in on an agreement for a new five-year contract. That would seemingly put the Bavarians out of the running for Kobel. Nübel is expected to go out on loan again next season with VfB Stuttgart if the moves go through.

However, Bayern Munich could be hedging its bets with its post-Manuel Neuer plans and seeking to bring in Kobel as a more established option to Nübel.

Far-fetched? Probably, but there have been some head-scratching moves by the Bavarians over the years (like overloading the current right-back position), so having multiple good options at goalkeeper could be in the cards.

Gabriel Vidović is putting in a decent season on loan with Dinamo Zagreb, but his future is cloudy when it comes to what things might look like at Bayern Munich.

“I’m only looking at the here and now. Of course, I have the confidence to establish myself at Bayern in the long term. I believe in myself and my qualities” Vidović told Spox journalist Nino Duit.

After a rousing 2-2 draw in the Champions League against Arsenal FC, Bayern Munich will now have to shift its focus (a challenge of late) back to the Bundesliga for a date with a scuffling FC Köln side.

On paper, Bayern Munich should be a big favorite, but with another Champions League date with the Gunners looming, the Bavarians could be in danger of falling into another trap game scenario, like what happened last weekend vs. Heidenheim.

This is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show:

• A look at the recent league form of both clubs.
• Updates on injured Bayern Munich players.
• A guess at Thomas Tuchel’s potential starting XI and why it is likely we see a lot of changes.
• A prediction on the match.

FC Barcelona could be holding an edge over Bayern Munich in the race for Everton midfielder Amadou Onana:

Barcelona have a “slight advantage” over Bayern Munich in the race to sign Amadou Onana from Everton this summer, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Writing on their website (10 April), the Spanish news outlet report that both the current La Liga and Bundesliga champions are keen to sign the Belgium midfielder during the summer transfer window.

But with Thomas Tuchel set to leave Bayern Munich and his replacement still unknown at the Allianz Arena, the club are unable to progress with a deal and that reportedly gives Barcelona an edge in negotiations.

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is said to be a massive target for Chelsea FC, though it is doubtful that he really wants to leave Spain:

Chelsea are ready to reignite their interest in Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. The Frenchman has no desire to leave his current club but Chelsea are ‘willing to do anything’ to get a deal done.

Bayern Munich went to the Emirates Stadium and came out with a 2-2 draw. It wasn’t pretty, but it gives Thomas Tuchel something to take back to the Allianz Arena for the second leg of this Champions League quarter-final tie. Mikel Arteta will be wondering how his Arsenal side failed to win after dominating possession for most of the game, and creating plenty of chances.

Here are our talking points from the game:

• Does the result match our expectations?
• Why did Thomas Tuchel line the team up the way he did?
• A recap of how the game went and what it feels like after the result.
• Harry Kane — the perfect striker or a man misused?
• Why Tuchel’s offensive gameplan makes little sense.
• Thomas Müller needs to come back for the second leg, full stop.
• How Leon Goretzka and Konrad Laimer shut Arsenal down in the center.
• The strange case of Leroy Sané and his general role under Tuchel.
• What changes should be made for the second leg? INNN and Cyler disagree.

Bayern Munich defender Eric Dier is happy with his move to Germany, as he indicated in a recent Q&A with kicker:

• Do you miss something from England?

Dier: “I have everything I need and am very happy here. I like living in other countries and getting to know new things. That is exciting. After nine and a half years in England, the move is a nice experience”

• Do you get recognised in the city?

Dier: “The people here are very nice and respectful. FC Bayern is a big part of the culture of this city, I am aware of that. So no problem if I’m recognized”

Paris Saint-Germain could be planning to try and convince Gavi to leave FC Barcelona, though it looks like that could be a tough task:

Barcelona midfielder Gavi remains the subject of interest from PSG despite La Blaugrana’s insistence he will not be sold.

A trip to London awaits Bayern Munich; does Bayern Munich have anything left in the tank to tackle Arsenal, especially an Arsenal side that is on course to win the Premier League table. In this podcast, we look at the following:

• The Heidenheim mess one more time and what it means for the team
• Bayern’s upcoming fixtures as there is a real question mark over Champions League football
• Max Eberl’s comments and where the board might have gone wrong in terms of their comments about the current situation
• Why the board’s decisions might have led to the current debacle
• A preview of the Arsenal tie
• A look at the Arsenal tie and a few thoughts on Arsenal’s season so far
• Where Bayern stands ahead of the Champions League tie against Arsenal injury-wise and mentality-wise

Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz has been a machine in creating chances for his squad this season:

Bayern Munich extended the contract of 21-year-old defender Luca Denk:

FCBayern.com provided more context:

Amateur defensive player Luca Denk has extended his contract with FC Bayern long-term. The 21-year-old, who moved to the campus from the 1. FC Nürnberg youth academy in 2017, has signed a new contract until 2027. Denk should also grow into the role of a leading player in the record champions’ reserves from the summer onwards.

Bayern Munich campus sporting director Halil Altintop is happy to have Denk back in the fold.

“Luca has been with us since the campus opened. So he knows exactly what it takes to make his way here. That’s why we trust him to be an important player for our young team in the next few years, both on the pitch and in the dressing room, and we are very pleased that he sees his future in this role here at FC Bayern,” said Altintop.