Helmes not a fan of Jackson move (Goal)
Bayern Munich’s loan acquisition of Chelsea attacker Nicolas Jackson has been met with mixed reviews from the Bayern fanbase. Some think he is great and could succeed Kane, while others are scratching their heads wondering why Bayern didn’t just buck up for Nick Woltemade.
No matter how you feel about Jackson, it is probably not as skeptical as former Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes, who thinks Bayern might have gotten fleeced:
Bayern Munich sealed Nicolas Jackson on loan with a €65 million
clause, but ex-striker Patrick Helmes warns the Chelsea man is “no Harry Kane”.
Former Germany international Helmes delivered a stinging assessment of the transfer: “Brutal figures,” Helmes told Sport.de. “€16.5 million is incredible for a loan deal. Add to that the €65 million if he makes certain appearances. In total, we’re looking at the [Nick] Woltemade deal. That’s completely overpriced. He’s no Harry Kane.”
While acknowledging Jackson’s flashes of quality in the Premier League, Helmes was clear: “For me, he’s still just a backup for Kane, nothing more, nothing less.”
Helmes also doubts that the forward will impress enough to trigger a permanent transfer, adding that “the purchase will not happen.”
Wow.
It is fair to wonder if Jackson will get enough time to really show what he can do. After all, Bayern Munich has four solidified spots in the attack for this season when Jamal Musiala returns. At that point, Jackson will be battling Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl for sub minutes.
So…where does Jackson fit after a one-year “break glass in case of emergency” role? Is he the successor to Kane if the Englishman leaves in 2026? Will he be returned to Chelsea? There are quite a few possibilities, which makes this one of the key subplots to watch for the season.
Müller back at Säbener Straße (Bild via @iMiaSanMia)
Thomas Müller is already sick of Canada, isn’t he? Just kidding, but the Raumdeuter is already back at Säbener Straße doing some training during the international break:
Bavarian Podcast Works — Special Edition: Germany’s World Cup Qualifying Preview Show (Bavarian Football Works)
Germany will be starting their World Cup Qualifying campaign this week with matches against Slovakia and Northern Ireland. Julian Nagelsmann’s side will be eager to right their wrongs after failing to win the Nations League title on home soil in Munich. Join Jack Laushway and Michael Scott as they break down the 23-man roster, a potential starting lineup, as well as Germany’s prospects in this group.
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
Gündogan to Galatasaray (Sky Germany’s Patrick Berger)
İlkay Gündoğan made the move from Manchester City to Galatasaray:
🔴🟡🦁 TOTAL AGREEMENT between Galatasaray and Man City for the transfer of Ilkay Gündogan (34/🇩🇪) – both clubs have agreed on a free deal. Gündogan is on his way to Turkey to complete medical checks and sign his contract. 🇹🇷
@PlettigoalHe will sign until 2027. The transfer window in Turkey is still open, but @GalatasaraySK
are under pressure as they want to register Ilkay for the Champions League (deadline tonight).
@kerry_hau @SkySportDE
Florian Plettenberg added some of his own information as well:
🚨💥 EXCL | Ilkay Gündogan to Galatasaray – DONE DEAL ✔️
Galatasaray have reached full agreement with Manchester City. #Gündogan joins on a free transfer and will sign a contract until 2027, as revealed on Monday. Medical today. He’s now on his way. #MCFC
One more sensational signing for @GalatasaraySK. 👏
🚨🦁 Official and confirmed: „An agreement has been reached with Manchester City Football Club Limited regarding the free transfer of professional football player İlkay Gündoğan (…) For the 2025–2026 season, a net guaranteed salary of €4,500,000 will be paid, and for the 2026–2027 season, a net guaranteed salary of €4,500,000 will be paid.“ 🇩🇪
Matthäus touts Kimmich (Sky Germany via @iMiaSanMia)
Lothar Matthäus is backing up Joshua Kimmich’s ability to give opinions on the squad planning.
“Joshua Kimmich said that, after Wirtz did not come and Müller and Sané were leaving, that he had ‘the feeling that something could be done’ – Max Eberl is right when he says the player should perform on the pitch. Eberl is doing his job, but others are still allowed to have their say,” Matthäus said. “FC Bayern should be grateful that Kimmich, as a leading player, also thinks outside the box and considers where improvements are needed. That’s what sets him apart and makes him so important to the club.”
It’s a fine line for critiquing the squad planning, but Kimmich did not necessarily say anything out of turn, nor did Kane. Those are two players highly invested in the success of this season’s squad. If players like those said they needed some help, they probably did.
That said, there is still the old school way of doing things, where the players play and the executives handle the squad management.
The Bundesliga Rundown with Marcus Iredahl: Matchday 2 (Bavarian Football Works)
Matchday 2 delivered — and it almost feels cruel that we now have to wait two weeks for Bundesliga action.
In this episode of the Bundesliga Rundown, Marcus covers:
- Why Hamburger SV never matched Bayern Munich’s success
- What makes St. Pauli the most unique club in German football
- The thrilling 3-3 draw between Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen
- Why Bayer Leverkusen sacked Erik ten Hag in a historical fashion — and why Marcus thinks it might have been the right call
- …and much, much, more.
If you’re on BlueSky, be sure to follow the Bundesliga Rundown and Bavarian Football Works at:
If you’re on Instagram, be sure to follow the Bundesliga Rundown at @TheBundesligaRundown
Kane recognized for effort (WhoScored.com via @iMiaSanMia)
Bayern Munich star Harry Kane — and VfB Stuttgart loanee Alexander Nübel — were named to WhoScored.com’s Bundesliga Team of the Week:
As far as WhoScored.com’s Bundesliga Team of the Month goes, Bayern Munich was well-represented. Kane, Serge Gnabry, Michael Olise, and Luis Díaz were all named to the squad:
Rummenigge thinks back to UCL exit last season (Welt am Sonntag via @iMiaSanMia)
Bayern Munich legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge does not want to make too much of last season’s exit from the Champions League, but when looking back at it, he does have some things to say.
“Against Inter, we were missing key players due to injury. We also made mistakes for which the coach wasn’t responsible. After we equalized in the first leg, the team was too ‘greedy’, wanting to make it 2-1 and then we conceded the 1-2. You have to learn to be content with a 1-1 when in doubt. Pep Guardiola, under whom we played the most spectacular football, always preached that. I’ll never forget one of his words, in particular,” Rummenigge said.
