According to a report from Bild journalists Julian Agardi and Christian Falk (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović was a prime transfer target of Manchester City this summer, but the Germany international balked at a potential move.
The insane part of this story is not just the interest from City, but also that the club was — allegedly — willing to pay nine figures for Pavlović:
Aleksandar Pavlović rejected an inquiry from Manchester City, who were willing to bid
up to €100m for him. An initial inquiry from City had already taken place in March. The German international was City’s preferred target for the position, with coach Enzo Maresca actively involved. Pavlović feels comfortable at Bayern, wants to win the Champions League with the team and rejected City’s approach. Therefore, an official offer from City to Bayern never arrived, even though Bayern were informed of the interest. Man City ended up signing Bouaddi instead.
Sport1 (via @iMiaSanMia) backed up the report:
@SPORT1 can confirm that Aleksandar Pavlović rejected a move to Manchester City this summer. The Premier League side wanted Pavlović to compensate for Rodri’s departure and were willing to bid €100m. But after Pavlović made it clear he was not interested in leaving Munich, City refrained from submitting an official bid to Bayern.
This is — obviously — an incredible gesture from Pavlović to commit to Bayern Munich. In an era where so many players are just willing to jump ship for more money and a bigger platform, Pavlović is keeping it old school with his approach.
Sometimes, the comforts of home and the realization that the developmental pathway that a player is on can still override the instant gratification that it seems so many players crave. In making this decision, Pavlović showed maturity beyond his years and true love for his club.
Around here. we are never going to complain about that.
However, it does raise at least one intriguing question — if Pavlović would have considered the move, would Bayern Munich have pulled the trigger?
Eh…maybe we are better off not knowing the answer to that.
Song of the Week: “Sweet Potato” by Cracker
We are back into the 90s for a little diddy from a band that had a unique sound in an era full of them. Admittedly, this is a deep cut from a band that was a fixture in the early to mid-90s alt rock radio scene. We have featured Cracker here before, but never this song. We are guessing that not a lot of you have come across it in your time, but Cracker was a cool band with good music from an awesome period. Enjoy:
Entertainment Rundown
The Waffle House Index
When I first saw this, it seemed to be stranger than fiction, but it is apparently legit:
Inde Navarrette will star in a new sci-fi thriller ‘THE WAFFLE HOUSE INDEX’ for Apple. The film follows a Waffle House waitress who has a terrible night shift featuring a gunman, a mass flood, killer crocodiles, a nuclear explosion, a magical bunker under the Waffle House & aliens.
Obviously, Waffle House has become a meme for its 24×7 operations and propensity for hosting late night scuffles (most of which are decidedly won by the restaurant’s staffers). The joke is built in, but can a movie sustain that much weirdness (as described above) in such a short amount of run time?
I guess we are going to find out.
As someone who has eaten at Waffle House a few times, I was never privy to a late night brawl (I know…it’s is a vital rite of passage here in the United States). Maybe one day…
Predictions
Admittedly, Bayern Munich has not hit its stride yet and has not necessarily look to be at its best (despite three wins where it was was rarely challenged).
In this case, that does not matter much.
Bayern Munich is going to need some time to fully lock in and — chances are — they might not look at their total best just yet against Schalke 04. Even as the squad seeks to rebuild its chemistry and get fully aligned, its current form is still good enough to smoke the home side this weekend.
The biggest question will be how Vincent Kompany picks his lineup. With so many good options, the coach might be feeling a little spoiled.
Prediction: FC Schalke 04 0-5 Bayern Munich
Other Bundesliga predictions include:
- VfB Stuttgart 3-2 FC Köln
- TSG Hoffenheim 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
- Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Union Berlin
- Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-1 SV 07 Elversberg
- Werder Bremen 0-3 RB Leipzig
- SC Paderborn 1-2 SC Freiburg
- Hamburger SV 1-1 Mainz 05
- Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 FC Augsburg
Prediction Records
Total: 161-66
Perfect Picks: 24
Bundesliga Last Matchday: 5-4
Bundesliga Overall: 5-4
DFB-Pokal: 29-3
World Cup: 71-28
International Friendlies: 50-30
Champions League: 0-0
Club Friendlies: 5-1
Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 1-0
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