Matthäus questions Bayern’s transfer strategy (Sport Bild)
Bayern Munich and Germany legend Lothar Matthäus is not sure that the club should have prioritized VfB Stuttgart attacker Nick Woltemade over Luis Díaz.
“Luis Díaz has proven his quality in the Premier League. He is fast and strong in the tackle. With him, Bayern have more options in attack again. Bayern’s search for a left winger was similar to the search for a coach a year ago. If they end up having as much luck with Díaz as they did with Vincent Kompany, they can be happy that the names previously
contacted by the club did not opt for a move to Munich,” Matthäus said. “Díaz is already 28 years old, Nick Woltemade is only 23. If they pay 75 million euros for a player five years older, they must have great confidence in Diaz. If one were mean, one could ask: Why doesn’t Bayern have this confidence in Woltemade, who has already committed to FCB? VfB Stuttgart would probably have been satisfied with the sum Díaz costs.”
Matthäus thinks there is now less urgency to get Woltemade due to the arrival of Díaz.
“Especially since Musiala (currently with a broken fibula and several ligament injuries in his left ankle, ed.) will be back in the winter,” said Matthäus.
Why not both?
With the rumors swirling that Harry Kane could be angling to leave Bayern Munich after this season, Woltemade could be absolutely vital to get now before either his value goes up even more, or some other club (think about what Liverpool FC did with Florian Wirtz) wows him with a different plan.
Lookman wants out of Atalanta, eager to join Inter (Fabrizio Romano)
Former RB Leipzig star Ademola Lookman is trying to force his way out of Atalanta in favor of a move to Inter Milan:
⚠️ EXCL: Ademola Lookman has now handed in a transfer request.
The Nigerian forward has officially asked Atalanta to leave the club after Italian side rejected Inter opening bid.
Lookman wants to join Inter. ⚫️
GiveMeSport journalist Ben Jacobs captured more detail on the situation, which has evolved into being contentious:
Ademola Lookman has handed in a transfer request and accused Atalanta of “blocking” a move to Inter.
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 3, 2025
Lookman adds he feels Atalanta have shown “poor treatment to me as both as both a human being and a professional footballer.” pic.twitter.com/kaUPfgRZtr
Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 8, Episode 3 (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich’s summer is pretty much over. Sure, there a few weeks left of the transfer window, but games have started and the preseason slate of matches is in motion.
Let’s take a look about how things are going, where they might go, and how they might get there. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:
- Bayern Munich got off to a good start for the 2025/26 season, so let’s unpack how we’re feeling about where things stand and how they look.
- Did the debut of Luis Díaz excite you?
- Are you bought into Tom Bischof and do you think there are enough minutes to go around in the midfield?
- Paul Wanner could get his chance…is he ready?
- Joao Palhinha’s move works for everyone involved.
- It is time to stop messing about, Bayern Munich needs to go get Nick Woltemade and stop its standoff with VfB Stuttgart.
- Our “too early” transfer report card on Bayern’s moves.
- Catching up on all of Bayern Munich’s moves so far for the first team and on campus.
Bayern eyeing Barrios (Tz’s Luca Hartmann)
Bayern Munich has been most closely linked to VfB Stuttgart attacker Nick Woltemade of late, but is there a chance that the Bavarians could have another big target in mind?
Maybe.
One report is tying Bayern Munich to 22-year-old Atlético Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios, but it seems a little far-fetched:
Spanish media are citing 21-year-old Pablo Barrios of Atlético Madrid as another alleged target for Bayern Munich. However, upon closer inspection, this transfer seems highly unlikely.
The new rumor originates from Barrios’s home country of Spain. According to the portal fichajes.net , Barrios has apparently piqued the interest of FC Bayern, and the Munich club is willing to invest a hefty transfer fee of around €80 million. According to the report, the midfielder has become a transfer priority for FCB.
The report goes on to say that Bayern executives, including sporting director Max Eberl and Vincent Kompany, agree that Barrios represents a significant reinforcement for the Munich club. Although Barrios has an astronomical €500 million release clause at Atletico, the capital city club is willing to negotiate an offer above the aforementioned €80 million. According to fichajes.net , there has even been contact between the clubs.
It seems highly unlikely that Bayern Munich would be dropping that kind of money on a transfer fee for any central midfielder at this point, let alone that release clause.
United to make play for Barca youngster? (ESPN)
Manchester United could be attempting to take a run at FC Barcelona youngster Fermín López:
Manchester United are ready to make a €70m offer to sign Barcelona midfielder Fermín López, says Sport. Fermin, 22, is regarded as one of the gem’s of the famed La Masia academy, but he has yet to cement his place in the first XI and the club would consider sanctioning his exit if such a large fee is offered. Barca still have financial issues and €70m would go a long way to helping them sign new players, though the player himself is reportedly reluctant to leave.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show: Bayern Munich 2-1 Olympique Lyon (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich hosted a solid Olympique Lyon side in a preseason friendly that might have been a little more challenging than some would have thought.
Regardless, the Bavarians outlasted the visitors for a 2-1 victory behind a brace from Michael Olise. Let’s talk about all of that and more on the Bavarian Podcast Work — Postgame Show. This is what we have on tap:
- A look at the starting XI and our thoughts on the mix of youngsters and veterans. What did we like? What needed work?
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions. Which kids were able to showcase themselves and who might need more seasoning.
- Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match.
Al Nassr wants Fernandes (ESPN)
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes is drawing attention from Al Nassr:
Al Nassr are pushing to sign Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes following Al Hilal’s failed attempt to bring him in, A Bola says. Al Hilal’s initial offer had been worth a fee of €120m and a five-year contract worth €70m-per-year for Fernandes, but that kind of money won’t be an issue for Al Nassr. They hope that reuniting the 30-year-old with manager Jorge Jesus and former United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo could be enough to persuade him to join them after they also signed João Félix from Chelsea.
Spurs keeping tabs on Kolo Muani (ESPN)
Tottenham Hotspur might not be done with its transfer work after its move for João Palhinha. Spurs could also be looking to bolster its attack with Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani:
Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani is on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Newcastle United after a permanent move to Juventus stalled, says Le Parisien. Kolo Muani, 26, spent the second half of last season on loan at Juve, where he scored 10 goals in 22 games, but the two clubs are far apart on their valuation of a transfer and the France international is open to moving to the Premier League.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 5, Episode 1 (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich had a busy week, so let’s unwind and break it down. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- In a crazy turn of events, João Palhinha is headed to Tottenham Hotspur. What does that mean for Bayern Munich from a sporting perspective and financially?
- Reports are finally dropping that Harry Kane could leave Bayern Munich after this season. How concerned should Bayern Munich fans be? Does the club need to reconsider its stance to hold firm on its bid for Nick Woltemade?
- An awesome Listener Q&A segment.
- A review of Happy Gilmore 2 — and maybe two reasons to get excited for what HBO/Max has coming up.
Milan wants Vlahović (ESPN)
Dušan Vlahović has been available for months now, but AC Milan is seeking to bring in the Juventus striker:
Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic is still the priority as AC Milan search for a striker, but Gazzetta dello Sport has stated that Manchester United’s Rasmus Højlund and Paris Saint-Germain’s Gonçalo Ramos are now seen as alternatives to the Serbia international. The Rossoneri would likely try to sign either of the new options on loan. They are also looking at Young Boys’ Zachary Athekame amid struggles to sign Strasbourg right back Guela Doué and are still working on a deal for Club Brugge midfielder Ardon Jashari.
A quick note (Bavarian Football Works)
The Daily Schmankerl will take a one-day migration-induced hiatus. We will be back in business on Wednesday August 6th.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26076413/IMG_2080.png)
Photo courtesy of BFW’s Alberto.LAFC, Spurs reach agreement for Sonny (GiveMeSport)
Tottenham Hotspur fan favorite Son Heung-Min is headed to LAFC:
LAFC have reached an agreement with Tottenham for a fee in the region of $20-26 million (£15-20 million) for Son Heung-Min, and have reached total agreements on personal terms, and are now finalizing the blockbuster signing, sources tell GIVEMESPORT.
All agreements are set, now everything needs to be finalized. The fee may set a new MLS league record transfer, which currently stands at the $22 million Atlanta United spent to acquire Emmanuel Latte Lath this winter.
More from bavarianfootballworks.com:
- A forgettable international match day for all Bayern Munich players involved
- Czech Republic vs Germany lineup, discussion: Time, TV schedule and how to watch World Cup Qualifiers online
- ‘What about Thomas Müller?' Support pours in for Bayern Munich's troubled icon
- BFW Transfer Deadline Day 2017 live thread
- Kingsley Coman confident of his part in Bayern Munich’s plans this season
- Report: Renato Sanches set for loan move to Swansea
- Would this guy be the perfect backup for Robert Lewandowski?
