The contract negotiations saga between Bayern Munich and Dayot Upamecano is ongoing and while there have been mixed reports of where things stand, one thing has become clear — there is still much work to be done before the two sides agree on a new deal.
This has become more complicated given the timing. In a matter of weeks, Upamecano can start formally talking to other clubs, some of whom will have the financial wherewithal to be able to meet all of the French center-back’s demands.
According to a
report from Sport Bild’s Christian Falk (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), there are still big obstacles to overcome in the talks:
Dayot Upamecano has an offer on the table from Bayern but it won’t be the last one. If there’s still a chance of the defender signing and the agents want to talk about some clauses or a bit more money, Bayern are still willing to renegotiate. It’s not the last offer. All in all, Upamecano could earn up to €20m gross (including bonuses) – he currently earns up to €16m. Bayern are doing everything they can to keep hold of the player.
Kicker journalist Georg Holzner (via @iMiaSanMia), also had information on Upamecano and where things stand:
Dayot Upamecano and his management have submitted their demands to Bayern’s sporting management, led by Max Eberl. These demands include a signing fee and additional clauses. Upamecano can imagine staying at FC Bayern in principle, but the terms have to be right for him. The player’s representatives currently do not consider further negotiations necessary. That means either Bayern accept the demands, or Upamecano leaves the club at the end of the season. PSG and Real Madrid are said to be prepared to accept Upamecano’s demands in order to sign him on a free transfer. At FC Bayern, however, it is said that after the expensive contract extensions last spring (Davies, Kimmich, Musiala), not every demand will be met.
Finally, Bild (via @iMiaSanMia), issued a more in depth update and it does not paint anything resembling progress:
There’s neither an agreement nor a breakthrough in sight between FC Bayern and Dayot Upamecano. There are currently no negotiations ongoing and things have been at a standstill for weeks. The player’s representatives have already presented Bayern with their financial demands, from which they are unwilling to budge. Upamecano wants to become one of the top earners if he stays in Munich, aiming for a salary of around €20 million gross per year.
Furthermore, he’s demanding a signing fee of around €20m, pointing to what Alphonso Davies also got when he signed a new deal. It’s unlikely that there will be any movement in the negotiations before Christmas. Upamecano and his agents are in no hurry regarding a contract extension and are calmly waiting for a response from Bayern – if necessary, they’re willing to wait for several more months. PSG and Real Madrid are watching the situation closely and would be willing to meet Upamecano’s demands.
While it is not time to slam the panic button just yet, it is at the stage where Bayern Munich had better start to put its contingency plans in place. Crystal Palace’s Mark Guéhi and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté will be available for free in the summer, but Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is expected to have a hefty cost associated with his name.
The market for all three players will be extremely competitive and even with Guéhi and Konaté being free transfers, it will likely take a hefty signing bonus to get either player.
Complicating matters for Bayern Munich is the uncertainty surrounding the future of Kim Min-jae as well. Bayern Munich could potentially be looking at needing two center-backs.
At this point, it is fair to wonder if Upamecano and Bayern Munich will be able to find a common ground in these negotiations. The club has seemingly drawn its line in the same on some issues, while Upamecano’s camp seems unlikely to budge on what they want.
What we have here is a good, ol’ standoff between what appears to be two stubborn sides. All fans can do from there is sit back and hope for the best…how do you think it will play out?
Song of the Week: “Sailin’ On” by Bad Brains
We are going back to 1982 for a tune you might not even know. At the tail end of the punk craze in the USA, Bad Brains put together this one, which is — by all accounts — the definition of a deep cut. Enjoy:
Entertainment Rundown
It: Welcome to Derry
The latest episode of this HBO venture was good, but did drag in spots. By the end of the episode, there was a “new opening” for the plot to continue toward a meaningful finish. Let’s get into it:
- The fall out from the end of the previous episode was a bit messy to wrap up and the one danger that the show had (too many characters being killed off) was still prevalent — not to mention another seemingly important character being whisked away to what we can assume would be the psychiatric hospital.
- As the episode developed, things settled in more and more, but the general aloofness of the town of Derry toward the horrific things going on is very, very curious…if not convenient.
- When it comes to the actual monster/demon, though, things have remained on-point. Pennywise and each scene with him (It?) is captivating and filled with suspense and horror. To that point, the show hits the mark fully. It is the time-filling aspects of the show that still — to me — just still don’t exactly hit. It almost feels as if there is enough of a storyline and origin story to It, that not a lot of filler was needed. Maybe it will all tie together neatly toward the end, but something tells me that major parts of storylines will just be disregarded in favor of the over-arching grand story of It.
- One of crazy parts of the story is still that — despite all of these horrific things happening — the people of Derry just continue to go about their business. Wouldn’t you think there would be a mass exodus by now?
- To that point, these kids have dealt with numerous traumas in a short period of time, which almost feels like it is too much, rather than a series of random attacks. Sure, it is all a game to Pennywise, but for all of the damage it looks like he is doing, we are only getting one perspective of it.
- Overall, it was a quality episode and entertaining, but does seem like it is accumulating too many loose ends to compensate for. Will any of that matter in the end? Maybe, but we can assess all of that after the final episode.
Episode Rating: 7.75/10.00
Stranger Things — Season 5, Part 1
Maybe the most anticipated season for any show since the final season of Game of Thrones, the Duffer Brothers’ long-awaited final season of Stranger Things is here, so let’s get into it:
- First and foremost, you have to bend your own reality a bit to believe the kids are still, well, kids. I could do it, but I know some people will not be able to and will bail immediately.
- Time gap for production aside, the show picks right up with the nostalgia and innocence that we all liked in the first place. Yes, the plot has gotten complicated and yes, the kids are able to conveniently provide solutions to the many problems of Vecna and the Upside Down by relating them to their every day life, but it still just works perfectly.
- The dive back into Vecna’s past was very interesting (especially the one Easter egg involving a main character). To me, this was one of the stronger points of this set of episodes. We are truly learning more and more about how this character was formed.
- Hopper and Steve Harrington are still the best on the show, while Dustin and Robin are not far behind. The cast still works…it really does. The deeper voices and more grown-up looks do not, but — again — you just have to expand your imagination a bit. It would have been ideal for this be released years ago when it was a less awkward of an age transition, but the overall story just makes it all work and keeps your mind focused on the important things.
- A callback to previous seasons and a big reveal figure to play a role in how the show evolves in the next set of releases.
- For me, the writing is still great and the character development and interactions still are stellar. I was worried there would be a drop-off (let’s face many top shows just lose their touch as they race toward the end), but Stranger Things does not miss a beat.
- The inclusion of Linda Hamilton into the case was yet another cool little nugget.
- The Holly Wheeler storyline is very interesting. I was very skeptical of where it was was going, but how it played out on the show just worked.
- Dipsh*t Derek was a great add to the cast.
- The military’s involvement in the developments in Hawkins is still being handled well, but still feature the gap of them sort of ignoring the greater Vecna issue and being more focused on Eleven.
- Overall, the first four episodes of the final season were great. They really were. To be able to pick up where the show left off and seamlessly tie things together, while also providing new wrinkles was incredible. I really could go on and on about the show as I thoroughly enjoy this set of episode, but I’ll limit myself to these points. I am still all-in on the show and am curious to hear/read your impressions as well.
Rating for Season 5, Part 1: 9.50/10.00
Predictions
Bayern Munich will host Mainz in match that looks like a total mismatch on paper.
However, there might (or might not) be a heavy rotation from Vincent Kompany, which means it could take the group a bit to get on the same page. That said, Bayern Munich is still the superior team — if it can come out focused and aggressive.
Mainz does present a problem, but between injuries and suspensions, it is a bit depleted under new coach Urs Fischer. With a surging home crowd behind it, the Bavarians should be on-point no matter who starts.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 5-0 Mainz 05
Other Bundesliga predictions include:
- Hoffenheim 2-1 Hamburger SV
- Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 FC Köln
- Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 VfL Wolfsburg
- Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 FC Augsburg
- SC Freiburg 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
- Union Berlin 0-2 RB Leipzig
- SV Werder Bremen 1-3 VfB Stuttgart
- St. Pauli 1-1 FC Heidenheim
Prediction Results
- Total: 323-168
- Perfect Picks: 32
- Bundesliga Last Matchday: 5-4
- Bundesliga Overall: 71-46
- DFB-Pokal: 45-11
- World Cup Qualifiers/Friendlies: 99-45
- Champions League: 65-43
- Club World Cup: 39-23
- Club Friendlies: 3-0
- Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 1-0
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…
