For months now, the big rumors have indicated that Bayern Munich is balking at paying Dayot Upamecano a significant signing bonus like the one that was part of the new deal for Alphonso Davies.
However,
it might actually be more complicated than that.
Aside of that sign-on bonus, Upamecano also wants an exit clause built into the deal that could be triggered after just two seasons. While Bayern Munich has softened its stance on that type of option being built into its contracts, it could be another sticking point between the club and the player’s management per Sport Bild’s Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl (per @iMiaSanMia_GER):
In the discussions with Dayot Upamecano, the exit clause plays a role. One option currently being discussed is an extension by 4 years, with an exit clause after 2 years. The clause could decrease again after the 3rd year.
Upamecano’s demands are not outrageous, but they do seem to be pushing the club to its limits on flexibility. The Bavarians are notoriously stringent with release clauses, but have become more willing to include them in recent years. On paper, the combination of a big signing bonus and a very early exit clause make it no surprise that Bayern Munich and Upamecano are still rumored to be far apart on reaching an accord.
The club is already exploring the possibility of bringing in both Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi and Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck for next season should Upamecano move on as a free agent and Kim Min-jae seek a transfer.
Is there a reason to be concerned, yet? Upamecano has been very loosely linked to Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and others.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 5, Episode 14
Bayern Munich has kept up its winning ways and things are all good in Bavaria.
However, that does not mean that the Bayern Munich content machine has ceased production on talking points for us. Let’s jump in and have some fun. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Football Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- Should we make anything of the Lennart Karl story from Tz? Why some folks could be overreacting to much ado about nothing.
- Let’s review Bayern Munich’s summer transfers and loan…how are they doing? Would any of them have helped this season?
- Touching on some of the most recent news — Liverpool and Manchester City to striker out on Michael Olise? Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz already looking for exit to Real Madrid?
- Reviewing the debut episode of HBO’s Welcome to Derry.
Songs of the Week: A Spooky Mix of Halloween Songs
Given that it is Halloween, let’s celebrate the day with this spooky mix of songs:
“Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon
“Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult
“Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads
“Living Dead Girl” by Rob Zombie
“Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell
“Halloween” by The Misfits
“Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett
“Season of the Witch” by Donovan
“Bad Things” by Jace Everett
“Dragula” by Rob Zombie
“Every Day is Halloween” by Ministry
“Devil Inside” by INXS
“Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
“Freaks Come Out at Night” by Whodini
“Stranger Things Main Theme” by Kyle Dixon
“I Was A Teenage Werewolf” by The Cramps
“Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker, Jr.
“Pet Sematary” by Ramones
“Spooky” by Dusty Springfield
Are there any you wish we included? Drop them in the comments below…
Entertainment Rundown
It: Welcome to Derry
HBO is taking a gamble in trying to expand the It universe, so let’s dive in:
- The opening scene was grotesque. I might have a weak stomach (about certain subjects), but yikes, I was not expecting that level of grossness that early. A little heads up would have been nice. 🤣
- It was very clear that the writers went for the shock early and it failed. It was just disgusting.
- Something was missing from this episode. It did not capture the feel of the two It movies that this is supposed to be the prequel to. Maybe the biggest miss is that it set the audience up to start to invest in certain characters before ripping them away.
- As far as premiers go, this just did not hit. It was very choppy and the fear here is that none of these characters will be as endearing as the one from It: Chapter One and It: Chapter Two. I hope it gets better, but if it focuses too much on well, It, and not on the development of characters or accompanying storylines, it might miss completely. The beauty of the It movies was the relationships, the superb casting, and the dialogue. This was forced, rushed, and lacked any real depth. It works best when the demon is a weapon within the plot, not the main character.
Rating: 6.00/10.00
Stranger Things
Okay…I am in…because why the hell not? But it does seem ridiculous that the kids now look 30. Somehow, Winona Ryder does, too (credit to her!). Here is the latest trailer:
Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen
With the midweek DFB-Pokal match out of the way, Bayern Munich returns its focus to the Bundesliga.
In this instance, the animosity in the board room might be greater than what we will see on the pitch as Bayer Leverkusen will make the trip to the Allianz Arena to square off with league leaders.
While Bayer Leverkusen has made a strong turnaround from where it was at the beginning of the season, this group is still far from Xabi Alonso’s group of “wonder boys”, who won the Bundesliga two years ago.
Let’s dive into this match and break it all down. This is what we have on tap for the next edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show:
- What to watch for with Bayer Leverkusen.
- A look at Bayern Munich’s injury situation.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
Halloween Candy List — The Dirty Dozen…Embrace Debate!
We are running this back.
Speaking of Halloween, it represents a season where I get to sneak some candy from whatever haul my kid’s get. Let’s take a look at the Top 12 items I hope to see:
- Reese’s Take 5: A (relatively) new age star, this candy combines the best of a few key ingredients — milk chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels, caramel…a Hall of Famer from the jump that was rebranded to be a part of the Reese’s tree of candies a few years ago.
- Whatchamacallit: An underdog and underplayed delight…if I see one of these in the bag, I stake a quick claim! If you want a sneaky great bar that is off-the-radar, too, check the bastard son of the Whatchamacallit…the Whozeewhatzit (also made by Hershey). It’s also really, really good.
- Reese’s Cups: A classic that would be a No. 1 seed for many folks.
- Reese’s Pieces: It wasn’t just E.T. who liked these!
- Snickers: Another Hall of Fame bar. The taste never gets old.
- Peanut Butter M&M’s: An improved version of the original M&M (which just lacks that extra kick).
- Peanut M&M’s: Similar to its Peanut Butter brethren, it’s an upgrade over regular M&Ms.
- Reese’s Sticks: Yup, another entry from the Reese’s family of candy. You won’t be disappointed if you try this one.
- 100 Grand: You don’t see this one that often any more, but it is terrific.
- Milky Way: Another bar that has stood the test of time.
- Rolo: Simple….chocolate + caramel = good times.
- Almond Joy / Mounds: You either are a staunch hater of these, or you are like me — a big fan. Go ahead…bring your hate.
What’s your go-to candy?
Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show: FC Köln 1-4 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich traveled to Cologne for a midweek DFB-Pokal tilt with FC Köln.
Heading into the match, the Bavarians were riding high, but the squad knew that FC Köln would not be an easy out in front of its home crowd. Ultimately, Bayern Munich pulled out a 4-1 victory doing exactly what they have done to every other opponent it has had of late — wear them down and pounce.
Let’s get into all of the details on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show. This is what we have on tap:
- A look at Bayern Munich’s starting XI selections…who stood out, who struggled, and more.
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions as we walk through the flow of the match.
- Some final takeaways on the match.
Predictions
Bayer Leverkusen is much better than anticipated, but it will still take a hell of an effort for Die Werkself to knock off a motivated Bayern Munich side at home.
Bayern Munich is operating at a level far above anyone in the Bundesliga at the moment and while Bayer Leverkusen is dangerous, it would take a near-perfect effort to take down the Bavarians.
It won’t happen.
Expect Bayern Munich to come out very focused and to attempt to pop in a few early, so that the early subs can begin.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen
Other Bundesliga predictions:
- Borussia Dortmund 3-1 FC Augsburg
- Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 Heidenheim
- Mainz 05 1-0 Werder Bremen
- RB Leipzig 2-0 VfB Stuttgart
- Union Berlin 1-1 SC Freiburg
- VfL Wolfsburg 1-2 Hoffenheim
- St. Pauli 0-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
- FC Köln 1-0 Hamburger SV
Prediction Records
- Perfect Picks: 22
- Bundesliga Last Matchday: 7-2
- Bundesliga Overall: 43-29
- DFB-Pokal: 40-8
- World Cup Qualifiers/Friendlies: 68-28
- Champions League: 36-18
- Club World Cup: 39-23
- Club Friendlies: 3-0
- Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 1-0
- Total: 230-109
Bavarian Podcast Works — Edges and Underdogs, a BuLi Action Show: Match Day 9
Welcome to Bavarian Podcast Works — Edges and Underdogs, a BuLi Action Show!
This is not your run-of-the-mill gambling show as we are putting more focus on the ins-and-outs of the actual match day’s showdowns, rather than an odds-driven format (but yes, you will get the odds as well). This podcast is for people who watch the Bundesliga intently and who want to dive into some of the big games for each match day. Through that, we will also provide some information that could help those seeking to make a wager or two.
Each week, we will highlight three matches to talk through and break down who has the edge, who might be hurting, who is susceptible to being upset, who’s getting hot, and more! This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Edges and Underdogs, a BuLi Action Show:
- Catching up on how we did last week.
- A look at this weekend’s match-ups — including win probability, odds, injury updates, trends, AI predictions, and our predictions as well.
The bottom line…it’s time for some action.
