Midweek Warm-up: Report says Bayern Munich won’t offer Harry Kane a raise; UEFA World Cup Qualifier predictions; Should Bayern pursue Nico Schlotte...

Could Bayern Munich really be contemplating offering Harry Kane a contract extension without a raise? Maybe and that is according to a report from ...

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Could Bayern Munich really be contemplating offering Harry Kane a contract extension without a raise?

Maybe and that is according to a report from Sport Bild journalists Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl (as captured by @iMiaSanMia):

Harry Kane’s current contract includes a €65m release clause for next summer. However, the clause has to be activated in January (expires on January 31). In addition, Tottenham have matching rights (only for offers from Premier League clubs). Bayern’s plan is to let the release clause expire and

then intensify the talks with Kane over a new contract.

The club is hoping that the striker is not interested in a return to England. Kane is currently Bayern’s highest earner with a salary worth around €24m gross per year. Internally, a decision has been made not to offer him a pay rise. Bayern are still looking to cut costs – in addition, Kane will be 34 years old when his contract expires in 2027.

Well…yikes…so, let’s dig in.

There is merit to Bayern Munich’s alleged line of thinking in not overpaying a 34-year-old, but it’s….Harry Kane and he likely is not going to be looking to take a pay cut to stay away from home. Make no mistake, Kane not being in England does come with an added cost.

It is a very difficult situation, but it might not even get that far. The day of reckoning could be as early as this January and it is still up in the air if Kane would consider a longer stay. So far, everyone is publicly talking nice and no one has ruled out anything, but Kane has not said anything more than he would be willing to talk it over with Bayern Munich.

Fabrizio Romano (via @iMiaSanMia) dropped this bit of detail on how Bayern Munich perceives the situation:

Bayern feel that Harry Kane is very happy at the club and has no intention of a return to England in the near future. Kane feels Bayern can compete to win all titles this season and is happy at the club and with coach Vincent Kompany. Premier League clubs want to try to tempt him to return to England, but at the moment everything’s quiet and the striker is not in talks with any other club. €65m release clause for next summer needs to be activated in January.

There is no guarantee, but there are good vibes and an environment where Kane can thrive. Will that be as enticing for €25 million per season (or less) when there will surely be more money to be made in England. For as successful — and happy — as Kane might be, it could be a tough sell to get him to come back for next season.

In addition, the marketing potential for both Kane and any English club who wants Kane is off the charts as the English would be chasing a Premier League trophy and Alan Shearer’s goal scoring record.

That is a problem for another day, though.

For now, Kane is playing like the best player in the world and Bayern Munich appears to be one of the strongest squads on Earth. The fellas in board room can worry about those logistics as the month of January inches closer.

The Bundesliga Rundown with Marcus Iredahl: Matchday 6

While it might not seem that way today, Bayern Munich does have rivals. Once upon a time, it was FC Köln, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Schalke 04. Now, it’s VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen, and… RB Leipzig — the most notorious club in German football history.

Today’s Bundesliga Rundown will talk about RasenBallsport Leipzig and include:

The story behind RB Leipzig’s short history and the motivations of their owner: billionaire
Dietrich Mateschitz.
Why they’re the most hated club in Germany… but also why some see them as admirable.
How Ralf Rangnick became one of the most influential figures in Bundesliga history.
Ole Werner and today’s Leipzig: are they really the second-best team in Germany?

Matthäus says Bayern should get Schlotterbeck

Former Bayern Munich and German national team great Lothar Matthäus thinks Bayern Munich should make a play for Borussia Dortmund center-back Nico Schlotterbeck if Dayot Upamecano leaves during the summer.

“If Upamecano does leave Bayern in the summer, there will be a quality and quantity problem in that position. Then FC Bayern should go for Nico Schlotterbeck . He’s currently hesitating about extending his contract with BVB beyond 2027, and Dortmund would have to sell him in the summer if they want to get a decent fee,” Matthäus told Sky Germany (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Schlotterbeck definitely has the quality for Bayern, and a German international is always interesting for them. I think he’ll play an important role alongside Jonathan Tah in the national team. Schlotterbeck, as a left-footed center-back, would also fit in well with Tah, and Bayern’s build-up play would be even better than it already is.

“Even if Upamecano stays, Schlotterbeck is certainly worth considering, as it’s unclear what will happen with Min-jae Kim. However, I think they’ll try the same approach as they recently did with Nick Woltemade — namely, offer a fee that’s not quite in line with the market and see if Dortmund will sell. The risk, of course, is that an English club will come and offer significantly more, convincing both the player and BVB to make a move.”

What do you think, is Matthäus on to something?

Song of the Midweek: “Supernova Goes Pop” by Powerman 5000

Back in the late 90s, early 00s there was a really sound developing that was mastered by White Zombie and later Rob Zombie. As it turns out, Zombie’s brother, Spider, was pretty good at replicating the sound and even flushing it out further to be a little less metal and little electronic or even alt.

I ended up being a pretty big fan of Spider’s group, Powerman 5000, so enjoy this one:

Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Germany vs. Luxembourg and Northern Ireland

The Germany national team is up once again and has two very winnable matches on its slate for the October international break against both Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.

Julian Nagelsmann will not be operating with a full roster thanks to injuries and illnesses, but this should give him a chance to further make his mind up on several players who are on the bubble for the 2026 World Cup.

Let’s get into all of the key discussions. This is what we have on tap for this version of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show:

Taking a look at the latest roster for Germany, including the illnesses that have recently felled some key players.
What positional battles should we keep an eye on?
Is Julian Nagelsmann going to end up on the hot seat because he tinkers too much?
Is Nico Schlotterbeck going to take this time to seize a starting role?
Predictions on each match.