Gunners, LFC, United keeping tabs on Karl (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)
It has not exactly been smooth sailing over the past few weeks for Bayern Munich and phenom Lennart Karl.
While board member for sport Max Eberl and head coach Vincent Kompany have offered messages of support to the youngster as he has scuffled to start the season, supervisory board member Uli Hoeneß has been critical of Karl’s commitment to the game. That criticism led to a retort from from Karl’s agent, Michael Ballack.
Of course, when there is this much discourse surrounding a player, the vultures
start to circle, and Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool are all watching the situation per Sport Bild’s Christian Falk:
When he was 18, he was given a professional contract until 2029 (the same expiry date as Michael Olise’s terms). So, we have to see what happens with the negotiations. Lennart Karl was very professional about Uli Hoeneß’s comments and played very well in the DFB Pokal win over Magdeburg. Ultimately, with injuries in the squad, Bayern Munich really need him at the moment.
Of course, the Premier League is also reading what is being said in Germany. I heard that Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United saw that there is something going on around Lennart Karl. Ultimately, when there’s a player at the Ballon d ‘Or ceremony who finished fourth in the Men’s Kopa Trophy (behind Warren Zaire-Emery, Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal), he’s going to be interesting to other clubs. So calls have been made to ascertain what’s going on with the player and whether anyone’s not totally satisfied with the young German in Munich. He’s got a value of €60m [£50.1m], so it’s more than possible for Premier League clubs. It’s getting interesting. Until now, there haven’t been any talks over a new contract.
It does not seem like things have crossed any lines just yet and — honestly — Karl really has had only a handful of decent performances this season. The player likely did need a wake-up call regarding his commitment and focus. That said, in today’s modern world of football, open criticism has become taboo.
Eberl has called for the whole situation to be further discussed behind closed doors, which is probably for the best — and a very un-“FC Hollywood” move.
Gabriel to re-up with United? (ESPN)
Manchester United is getting more and more confident that it can retain 16-year-old attacker JJ Gabriel:
Real Madrid are increasingly confident that they can sign Manchester United young attacking midfielder JJ Gabriel, according to TEAMtalk. The 16-year-old has been absent for the Red Devils since requesting to leave in September and asking for his registration to be cancelled. Attempts to keep him at Old Trafford have failed so far and a move to Spain has long been seen as the most attractive option, with Real Madrid and Barcelona the leading contenders. There is still competition from Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
It is tough to discern exactly how much of a real player in the transfer battle Bayern Munich is for Gabriel, but it seems like the race could be ending.
PSG plotting move for Maza? (Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg)
Paris Saint-Germain could be looking closely at Bayer Leverkusen’s Ibrahim Maza:
🚨🆕 Paris Saint-Germain have concrete interest in Ibrahim Maza ahead of the winter transfer window, with the player’s side aware of the interest. He’s one of the candidates on their shortlist, potentially also as a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Bayer Leverkusen are unfazed and are determined to extend his contract beyond 2030, including a salary adjustment. They see Maza as a future key player. @SkySportDE
Liverpool taking a look at Camara (ESPN)
Liverpool could be kicking the tires on AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara:
Liverpool have made contact with the representatives of AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara and have asked to be kept informed of his future, as per The Sun. While a January switch has been ruled out, after a €55 million move to Chelsea fell through over the summer, both clubs will explore a transfer for the 22-year-old Senegal international next year.
LFC to pursue Schlotterbeck? (CaughtOffside)
Speaking of Liverpool, the Reds might want Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck, too:
Liverpool are stepping up plans for a major defensive rebuild, with Borussia Dortmund captain Nico Schlotterbeck and Nottingham Forest star Murillo emerging as two of the most prominent centre-backs under consideration. Strengthening the heart of the defence has become an important part of Liverpool’s long-term planning as uncertainty grows around the futures of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
The Reds want defenders who can not only cope physically but also build attacks from deep, defend large spaces and operate comfortably in a possession-heavy system. According to Daily Briefing, Schlotterbeck remains one of Liverpool’s leading centre-back targets despite signing a new Borussia Dortmund contract earlier this year. Murillo is also admired, alongside Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni and Barcelona’s Jules Koundé.
Liverpool have not submitted a formal offer for Schlotterbeck or Murillo. For now, the process remains centered on scouting, performance analysis and assessing the conditions that would be required for future negotiations. Schlotterbeck’s new Dortmund contract runs until 2031 and reportedly contains a release mechanism worth around €50-60 million for selected clubs from summer 2027. Outside those conditions, Dortmund have been linked with valuations above €70 million.
Barca no giving up on Bastoni (ESPN)
FC Barcelona has long been an admirer of Inter Milan center-back Alessandro Bastoni and will make another charge for the defender after their last attempt in the summer was not fruitful:
Barcelona will renew their interest in signing Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni in January, says Mundo Deportivo. Bastoni, 27, was being tracked by Barcelona scouts with a view to the club making a €70 million offer last summer, but terms could not be agreed and the Italy international stayed put.
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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