Things do not appear to be getting any easier in dealing with VfB Stuttgart for Bayern Munich as Die Schwaben have taken a hardline stance in talks with the Bavarians.
Now, Bayern Munich is unsure if it will even present a third offer to Stuttgart, which means the club could be on the prowl for some help in the attack. With recent rumors emerging that Harry Kane could be playing his last season in Bavaria, it might be time for the Bavarians to start looking at options for its next striker.
The player
would need to be one who could either be a worthy successor to Kane (not an easy task) or someone who can play the No. 10 spot to help cover the loss of Musiala for the first few months of this season. Seemingly, Woltemade could have fit both of those profiles, but if he is off the table, who should Bayern Munich get?
Some will point to RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons or Chelsea FC’s Christopher Nkunku, but another player might be a better fit for what Bayern Munich wants to succeed Kane. Simons and Nkunku would each have value as a central attacker, but not as a pure, long-term striker. In addition, each player could be a fit on the wing, which could also be a spot that requires help for the future.
Realistically, though, Simons is closing in on a deal with Chelsea FC and Nkunku likely projects to a long-term back-up in Bavaria...so now, what?
How about RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško? At one point, Bayern Munich even contemplated playing Šeško and Kane together. Now, though, Bayern Munich might be too far behind Manchester United and Newcastle United to secure the Slovenian star.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein checked in with his information:
RB Leipzig asking price for Benjamin Sesko ~€75m guaranteed + add-ons & percentage of future sale. Fee expectation communicated to suitors for 22yo striker. #NUFC / #MUFC pursuing but no agreements yet with #RBLeipzig or Slovenia forward.
Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano says that Manchester United is posed to strike for Šeško:
Manchester United have informed RB Leipzig that they are prepared to send formal bid for Benjamin Šeško, if player accepts the destination.
Newcastle also ready to bid since last week and to match Šeško’s financial request.
Decision up to Šeško.
So...if Bayern Munich is truly looking for Kane’s successor (which, again, could come into play very soon), it might need to figure out if VfB Stuttgart really is not going to play ball for Woltemade and — if so — how quickly can the club pivot to another target...like Šeško.
Time is definitely ticking and it will not be easy to find a successor for Kane this summer or next.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 5, Episode 1
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.
Song of the Week: “Round and Round” by Ratt
Look...I was in an 80s mood...RATT was there for the taking...so, why not?
Released in 1984, this tune got a bit of a revival thanks to the release of the terrific Mickey Rourke movie, The Wrestler. I still like it after all these years, so enjoy:
Woltemade’s agent lingering around Stuttgart camp
While we mentioned the tough situation going on between VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich over Nick Woltemade above, it does not mean that the attacker and his camp have given up hope.
Woltemade’s agent, Danny Bachmann, was spotted in Rottach-Egern (where Stuttgart is holding training camp), which has sparked speculation that talks could be going on:
Nick Woltemade's agent Danny Bachmann was seen in Rottach-Egern, where VfB Stuttgart are spending their training camp. Woltemade remains determined to leave Stuttgart. His agent could be trying to bring movement into the negotiations [ @BILD] pic.twitter.com/0qCn2KkFal
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) August 1, 2025
Bayern Munich could make another attempt at Woltemade, which might help bridge the gap between the clubs. One thing is clear, though, Woltemade’s wants the move to Bayern Munich in a bad way.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Bayern Munich vs. Olympique Lyon
Bayern Munich has had quite a week.
The Bavarians finalized the much-anticipated signing of Luis Díaz from Liverpool FC to give the team a new look at left-wing. Will the 28-year-old get an early starting nod or will Vincent Kompany hold him out a bit longer? That will be just one of the key decisions made for the match against Olympique Lyon at the Allianz Arena.
This is what we have on tap for the first Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show of the preseason:
- How crazy is it that Bayern Munich is already playing a game?
- Let’s take a look at the player movement going on for both teams.
- So, who is left on the roster for each squad?
- A prediction on the match.
Entertainment Rundown
Happy Gilmore 2 (spoiler-free)
Here we are...one of the most anticipated movies of the summer and a sequel that many middle-aged men have wanted to see for years.
It was also a movie that ignited a battlefront on social media, so let’s get into it. Here are some quick hitters on the flick:
- Let’s get it out of the way — the movie was a chance for Adam Sandler to do something fun with his friends and provide a little fan service along the way. Let’s be very clear — this was never going to be as good as the original, but that does not mean it was bad.
- The plot was funky and the story featured some odd choices, but in a nostalgic way it did work. The plot was absurd, but Sandler had enough fun built around it to make it work.
- In a lot of ways, it was very similar to Clerks 2. There was very little chance that the magic could be recaptured, but there was a more grown up way to keep the story going, even if it lacked the sharpness and pure comedy of the original.
- The overall theme — which was part redemption, part current events in golf, part fan service — worked. Again, there were some bizarre plot decisions, which set the tone for the movie early on, but it was definitely a case where you just had to leave your brain at the door and just enjoy what was in front of you.
- Shooter McGavin’s role was incredible and really stole the show again.
- Overall, it was not as good as the original and it was never going to be. As someone who counts Happy Gilmore as my favorite slapstick comedy of the 90s, I did not expect the sequel to be anywhere near as good...and it wasn’t, but I did like it and did it enjoy it. There was a sense of nostalgia, fun, and even innocence to it. The sequel stayed true to the character, which is one of the most key things the audience could hope for. It hit on the things that Happy Gilmore fans wanted to see and did not go too over the top with nonsense. There will be people who hate it or who just dismiss it, but for fans of the original it worked and while it did not deliver a non-stop roar-fest like the original, it was still worth the time.
Rating: 7.75/10.00
Task
We’ve touched on this show a little, but I’m getting geeked up for it.
From the creator of Mare of Easttown, comes Task. Admittedly, I will honk this show because parts of it were filmed less than five minutes away from my house, but this does look kind of awesome:
The second season — or second show in this case — is always make or break. So many good, creative folks have failed on recapturing the magic of their initial work. Let’s hope that Brad Ingelsby can do that…
Welcome to Derry
I was a big fan of the two It movies (released in 2017 and 2019 respectively) and thought they were done exceptionally well — great casting (especially through the time jump), sharp writing, good nostalgia, and a lot of fun mixed with some good old horror.
If Welcome to Derry can capture that feel of the movies then this could be great. That will be a tall task, though:
Prediction
Attempting to predict preseason result is never a good idea...which is exactly why we will do it!
Bayern Munich will be at home against Olympique Lyon and likely looking to play a slew of players. The Bavarians are definitely deeper and more talented, but anything can happen in the preseason. In this case, we will bank on Bayern Munich being prepared to play (not always a given) and ready to get back on the pitch with each other.
As of now, it is unclear just how much the starters will play, but we should see at least a half from many of Vincent Kompany key players.
So...YOLO?
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-1 Olympique Lyon
Prediction Results
Club World Cup: 39-23
Perfect Picks: 1
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?
