Daily Schmankerl: Chelsea could outlast Real Madrid and Manchester City for Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies; Xabi Alonso the No. 1 choice for Liverpool; Why Kyle Walker considered Bayern last summer; FC Barcelona nears deal with wunderkind; and MORE!
Bayern Munich has some decision to make…
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies has become a very popular figure on the transfer market and his status in Bavaria has also become uncertain because the level of his play has not matched the lofty salary demands that he — allegedly — wants.
Real Madrid and Manchester City have been the clubs most linked to Davies, but Chelsea FC has also emerged as a prime contender. However, both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are — again, allegedly — having doubts about how much Davies is worth given a perceived performance drop-off.
Should the Bavarians and Madrid both balk, Chelsea could swoop in for the steal:
Chelsea are showing a keen interest in signing Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies but face stiff competition for his signature, according to a report from Fichajes. The report says Chelsea have expressed a ‘strong interest’ in signing the 23-year-old defender but will have to fend off competition from treble winners Manchester City – who are prepared to pay around £60m.
Not only that, the report says Real Madrid want to sign the Canadian international and are preparing a bid of their own, so it could be a three-way battle for Davies signature in the summer.
The Canadian defender has a contract with the Bundesliga club until the summer of 2025 and they could be under pressure to sell him at the end of this season if he does not sign a new deal.
Marc Cucurella has been underwhelming since his big-money move from Brighton and Chelsea should look to bring in an upgrade on the Spaniard. Davies would prove to be a quality acquisition for them and the 23-year-old has already proven himself at the highest level with Bayern Munich.
Davies is impressive going forward and he would add a new dimension to the Chelsea attack. He is capable of operating as the left-back as well as a wing back.
With Bayern Munich and Real Madrid both at least having some doubts about how much Davies is worth given his performances this season, clubs like Chelsea or Manchester City could really become more in play if Davies is intent on a move.
Whether the Canadian star really does want to leave Germany, remains to be seen. In the end, Davies has control of the situation as he can either make the necessary improvements in his game or he can continue on his current pathway, which has some clubs unsure if this is his ceiling.
Bayer Leverkusen might not be able to keep its hold over Xabi ALonso for much longer. The coach is highly coveted by Liverpool FC:
Liverpool are planning an approach for Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso after Jurgen Klopp announced his shock departure, sources have told Football Insider.
Klopp, 56, will depart Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 campaign after revealing he is “running out of energy”.
A well-placed source has told Football Insider that Alonso is the “number one choice” to succeed the legendary German in the Liverpool hot seat.
Bayern Munich has had yet another insane week.
A loss to Werder Bremen, a win over Union Berlin, a few key injuries, a dozen or so transfer rumors…as the Talking Heads once said, “Same as it ever was.”
To help stay competitive through this stretch Bayern Munich might have to spend more money than it is really comfortable with. Needless to say, a lot can still happen…but will anything actually go down? Let’s discuss:
- Analyzing the state of the team and why Thomas Tuchel still seems to be refusing to do the obvious. There could be a disconnect between Tuchel and his bosses, but no move is imminent.
- Would Hansi Flick come back and would it work if he did?
- Does Tuchel hate Leon Goretzka?
- Examining the latest transfer rumors surrounding Joshua Kimmich.
- What should Bayern Munich do with Alphonso Davies?
- Is there any reason to starting being concerned with Leroy Sané?
- Should we expect any surprises at the end of this transfer window?
Generally, there is very little interest in the transgressions of a player like Manchester City’s Kyle Walker. As many have seen, Walker’s private life became a sordid affair with reports of his infidelity, which he addressed with The Sun.
“What I’ve done is horrible and I take full responsibility. I made idiot choices and idiot decisions. I can’t begin to think or imagine what Annie is going through. I’ve tried to ask her but there’s pain and hurt. The man that’s meant to love, care and be there for her, did this. There have been days in this ordeal where I’ve just wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep,” Walker said. “The only person to blame is me. I have roles and responsibilities that I’m aware of and I’ve made stupid choices. But I need to own up to my mistakes — I owe it to everyone. My actions have caused a lot of pain to a lot of people. I’m sorry because, as a family, this isn’t meant to happen.
“I am a private man but I accept that I am a public figure and I need to address what I’ve done. It hasn’t helped that it has been played out in the media. But I’ve chosen to speak now in the hope that I can at least explain myself and enable my wife and children to have the privacy they so desperately need and deserve.”
So what gives, right? Who cares? Well, the reason that we even addressed it here is that Walker — in some bizarre line of thinking — almost made the rumors move to Bayern Munich last summer to run away from all of this:
In the same month, he verbally agreed a reported £15million move to German giants Bayern Munich — to try to run from the looming scandal.
But he eventually turned them down as he did not want to be away from his family when his secret emerged.
Consider that an immense bullet that the Bavarians dodged. And yes, we left out the really messed up part of the story. If you want more information on how Walker ended up with two families (I can’t handle one!), just read The Sun’s story. It is not any nefarious reporting, it is all based on Walker’s own quotes.
Luka Modrić’s tenure at Real Madrid is likely coming to an end — and he could land in Saudi Arabia if he opts for to go that route:
Officials from Saudi Arabia are set to make contact with Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric in the coming days after his fall down the pecking order under Carlo Ancelotti.
Phew, Bayern Munich got away with that one. After going 3-1 up courtesy of goals by Aleksandar Pavlović, Alphonso Davies, and Harry Kane, no one would have expected FC Augsburg to make it a nervous finish for Bayern by getting two penalties in quick succession in the dying minutes of the game. Anyway, it was still an important win — no one can argue with three points. Unfortunately, said three points also came at the cost of some important injuries.
In this episode, we discuss the following topics:
- The starting lineups of the game.
- Manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactics and how he set up his team.
- The individual performance of one Aleksandar Pavlović.
- The future of Tuchel at Bayern Munich.
According to Sky Sport journalist Kerry Hau, there are a myriad of teams still chasing FC Nürnberg youngster Can Uzun — including Bayern Munich.
The Bavarians join Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Newcastle United, Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Sevilla, and Villarreal in the mix for the 18-year-old attacker:
Many clubs are interested in Nuremberg shooting star Can Uzun (18) – in addition to BVB and Eintracht Frankfurt also FC Bayern.
There are now two new interested parties abroad: Inter Milan and Newcastle United. There are also Brighton, Fulham, Sevilla and Villarreal. A transfer in winter is not an issue; FCN is asking for a transfer fee of at least 10 million euros for a departure in the summer.
Uzun wants to make a decision as soon as possible – including about his future as a national player. The DFB is trying to get the offensive player, who has so far only played for Turkey in the U-area.
@SkySportDE
Bayern Munich’s season currently seems as stable as uranium, with an ongoing injury crisis, consistently mediocre performances on the pitch (bordering on poor), and the possibility of a locker room implosion (it is always just a matter of time). In the meantime, the club has shrewdly acquired the services of Sacha Boey, a quality right-back who is expected to bring a lot of quality and add depth to the position.
With the impending return of Noussair Mazraoui on the horizon, Tuchel will have to make some very important decisions (welp). The team could really use some direction and a definitive plan. As Bayern nears the business end of the season, the pressure to deliver increases. The next 4 months could be the difference between a double and nothing. And we all know: a trophyless season at Bayern is blasphemous.
Schnitzel and Rayyan therefore had their hands full with topics to discuss, including:
- The Sacha Boey transfer
- An evaluation of Christoph Freund’s work so far
- Bayern Munich’s lengthy injury list
- How Bayern Munich’s season has looked statistically vs. how it looks to the eye
- Thomas Tuchel’s tactics being a mismatch at Bayern
- Jürgen Klopp being the pipe dream to succeed Tuchel
- Some easter eggs and veiled roasts (as usual)
The transfer of Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall appears to be almost complete:
Ah, just in time to deliver a stake through the heart of Bayern Munich once again this weekend, Florian Neuhaus is staying with Borussia Mönchengladbach:
Neuhaus, of course, was linked to Bayern Munich before injuries and a run of uneven play cause his star to lose some luster.
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