Eberl says Olise’s camp never approached him about move (Bild via @iMiaSanMia)
All summer, there were stories that Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise had an urge to make the move to Real Madrid.
For board member for sport Max Eberl, those stories were nothing more than silly rumors.
“Not at all, not a single time. Michael sent me a WhatsApp message during the World Cup. I hesitated for a moment before opening it,” said Eberl with a laugh. “I didn’t know whether he might actually be getting in touch about that topic. But it was a photo of him with Manu Koné, whom I had brought to Gladbach
at the time, with a heart underneath it. The two of them sent their regards to me from America. Afterwards, I asked Michael whether he wanted to wear the No. 11 shirt next season. But he wanted to keep No. 17. That was my contact with Michael, so everything was always fine.”
When asked the hypothetical asking price on Olise would be, Eberl danced around, but did give an effective response.
“If you want to win the Champions League, that question doesn’t arise. That’s the great thing about Bayern Munich: you don’t have to be tempted by any amount of money,” Eberl stated.
At some point, there could be a time where Olise wants to leave Bayern Munich, but — for now — it is all about just seeing how far this core group can take the Bavarians.
Real eyeing Rice? (ESPN)
Real Madrid missed out on getting Rodri (who ultimately went to FC Barcelona), but could be contemplating a pursuit of Arsenal superstar Declan Rice:
Real Madrid are interested in Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, TEAMtalk reports. The club’s hierarchy are reportedly keen on the 27-year-old and pushing to make him a priority signing, but manager Mikel Arteta is keen to keep his title-winning side together. Transfer journalist Nicolo Schira reports that the Gunners are already preparing contract talks with Rice amid plans to offer him a deal that will secure his future at the club until the summer of 2031. He has previously rejected interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
Hatchard says El Mala needs some seasoning (Casino Guru)
Bundesliga pundit Kevin Hatchard admires the talent of FC Köln attacker Said El Mala, but admits that the youngster still needs to make some improvements within his game.
“He’s still very raw. There’s no doubt about that for me. I don’t think he was ready for a Premier League move. I don’t think he was necessarily ready for a move to Dortmund either, and it looked as though that’s what was going to happen. But they went a different direction,” Hatchard told Casino Guru. “I’ve spoken to somebody on the coaching staff of Köln and they’re very excited that he’s still there, but they accept that there’s work to do to develop him. He’s not the finished article, he’s not perfect, but the raw material is there, so that’s the challenge for Kehl, for René Wagner and his coaching staff, to try and get El Mala to the level where he is a legitimate German international, he is a legitimate Bundesliga star.
“You have to bear in mind that only two seasons ago, he was in the third division. So, he’s come a long way in a short space of time. There are rough edges of his game to smooth, but he is exciting.”
Lemperle says Hoffenheim needs to get back to having fun (Bild)
Hoffenheim is off to a disastrous start after an abysmal ending to last season.
According to Hoffenheim attacker Tim Lemperle, the squad just needs to have fun.
“First of all, we mustn’t lose our sense of fun. I think that’s the most important thing: that we go into next week with a positive attitude, know what we’re capable of, and then approach the game with that same attitude,” Lemperle said. “It was really fun for many phases, and that’s always a sign that the things we’ve set out to do are working well. Now, after 90 minutes and after the second matchday, we’re left with zero points – and that feeling is absolutely awful.
“Either make it 3-0 or defend more cleanly. It’s probably a combination of both.” There’s certainly no lack of fundamental quality. Lemperle said: “I think we have tremendous potential in the team. But football is a results-oriented sport. Potential alone won’t buy us anything.”
Amen to that, brother.
Chelsea passed on Sanches move (Foot Mercato)
Chelsea passed up a chance to sign former Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches:
Eager to fill the void left by Enzo Fernandez’s departure to Manchester City, Chelsea explored numerous options at the very end of the transfer window. After being turned down by Manu Koné and Lamine Camara (who was retained at the last minute by AS Monaco), the Blues turned to some surprising free agents. Following an initial consultation with Georginio Wijnaldum, who ultimately joined Al-Ittihad in recent hours, the London club’s board added another former Paris Saint-Germain player to their shortlist. According to our information, Renato Sanches (29 years old), recently released from the final year of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, met several criteria valued by the British club’s sporting management (top-level experience, immediate availability, etc.).
Stamford Bridge’s management has ultimately decided not to pursue the matter further, preferring to place their trust in the existing squad, as recently suggested by their new manager, Xabi Alonso.
Chiesa will look to leave LFC in January (Football Insider)
Liverpool attacker Federico Chiesa could be kicking around the idea of an exit in January:
Federico Chiesa will look to leave Liverpool in January if he struggles for game time after returning from injury, sources have told Football Insider. Chiesa is currently sidelined with a muscle injury, but is expected to return to training during the international break later this month. He was left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad for a second season running last week, alongside Wataru Endo.
Andoni Iraola included him in his pre-season plans before injury woes struck, as Chiesa stayed put at Anfield despite speculation linking him with a return to Serie A.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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