Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane toying with FC Barcelona future?; Arsenal to pounce on Lennart Karl?; Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund to ...

Kane tinkering with idea of Barca move? (Sport via Sempre Barca)

According to a report from Sport (via Sempre Barca), Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane could be toying the idea of moving to FC Barcelona:

Harry Kane could become one of the most talked-about players in

the next transfer window as the English striker is reportedly weighing the option of joining FC Barcelona. The Bayern Munich forward has a release clause of €65 million, which makes him one of the most attainable world-class strikers available next summer.

According to SPORT, Kane’s representatives have already held conversations with several clubs, including some from Saudi Arabia. Despite those talks, the player has not ruled out continuing his adventure in Germany. However, Barcelona have already been informed of the conditions of a possible transfer and are keeping a close eye on his situation.

FC Barcelona are once again exploring the idea of signing an experienced striker. The club’s previous bet on Robert Lewandowski paid off when the Polish forward joined from Bayern Munich and produced excellent results. Lewandowski’s contract is nearing its end, and his recurring injuries suggest he may not continue beyond this season.

The Catalan club is evaluating different options for their attack, but their decision will depend largely on their financial situation and whether they can finally meet the La Liga 1:1 spending rule. Julian Alvarez remains their preferred option, although his transfer fee is too high. They have also identified younger players such as Etta Eyong from Levante as possible long-term prospects.

Kane’s salary could pose another challenge. He reportedly currently earns €25 million gross at Bayern Munich, a figure Barcelona might be able to match, though Premier League clubs and Saudi Arabian teams are expected to offer much higher wages. Tottenham Hotspur are also reportedly keen to bring back their former captain, which could make the competition for his signature even tougher.

Even so, Barcelona remain an attractive destination for Kane.

Right now, it seems hard to fathom Kane leaving Bayern Munich. The team is sensational, Kane is dominating everyone, and his family seems comfortable in Bavaria. If Kane was to leave Bayern Munich, it would seem like England would be the logical choice.

There is an appeal to FC Barcelona, however, and Hansi Flick is the kind of coach who would put all of the focus of the attack around Kane. That could be enticing, but it still feels like if Kane actually moves anywhere (which seems very much in doubt at the moment), it would be England.

Bayern could be willing to meet Upamecano’s demands (Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke)

Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “Well, I’m sure they’ll be hoping that maybe they could sign a player of the calibre of Upamecano on a potential free transfer in the summer.

“Look, as you said, he’s under contract at the Allianz Arena until the summer and discussions over a new deal are ongoing between Upamecano’s representatives and Bayern Munich.

“Bayern are hopeful that they can persuade the France international to stay, but he will have a lot of options and there’s no getting away from that.

“Right now it’s probably an open race for signature as there’ll be so many clubs ready to sign him on a free transfer if a new deal can’t be agreed.

“But Bayern are doing everything they can to try and persuade the Frenchman to stay.”

This follows after the club’s director, Max Eberl, confirmed Bayern want Upamecano to extend his contract and have no plans to let him leave as things stand.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 8, Episode 18 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich had a great win over Bayer Leverkusen and is now headed for a showdown with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Let’s discuss everything going on with the club at the moment on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show. This is what we have on tap:

• A primer for Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and why this matchday could be special for a number of teams.
• Some of Vincent Kompany’s wild ideas are paying dividends. The experiment with Tom Bischof at left-back achieved many goals and is one of the examples of how Kompany has built trust within the team.
• News and notes from the AGM: Record turnover, the re-election of Herbert Hainer as president, and the continued struggle to make waves internationally with marketing. Can Bayern Munich break through in other countries or does this need to be more of an effort from other teams in the Bundesliga to make the league more marketable?
• Why has Bayern Munich and the league itself struggled to make in-roads abroad? Let’s explore.

Karl becoming focus for Gunners? (CaughtOffside)

Arsenal might be enamored with what it has seen from Bayern Munich phenom Lennart Karl:

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is expected to have money to spend this January if there are specific players he’s keen to bring in straight away. However, as first reported here for the Daily Briefing, there is not necessarily going to be any rush to spend more money in the upcoming winter transfer window, with the club thinking more long-term.

Arsenal decided not to enter the market last January despite having a major injury crisis, and then ended up making plenty of changes during the summer.

The Gunners remain in a good place financially, so there could be a decent budget there for Arteta to work with, though it’s too early to know for sure if the club will be actively pursuing anyone just yet.

I was told about three long-term targets to watch out for, with Arsenal eyeing youngsters such as Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Bayern Munich’s Lennart Karl, though the latter of those probably isn’t too realistic.

The north London giants might also be in the mix for Barcelona’s Marc Casado, though it’s again not clear how realistic a deal is as Chelsea are considered further ahead in the race for his signature.

Aside from that, Arsenal’s focus in the near future will be on new contracts for star trio Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, and Declan Rice.

BVB working on deals with Schlotterbeck, Adeyemi (Sky Germany via ESPN)

Borussia Dortmund is doing everything it can to re-up Karim Adeyemi and Nico Schlotterbeck:

Borussia Dortmund are negotiating new contracts for defender Nico Schlotterbeck and forward Karim Adeyemi, but whether a release clause should be included is a topic of discussion in both situations.

It would not be a big shock to see either commit to Dortmund for the long haul, but both will have options. Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and FC Barcelona are among the teams reportedly interested in Schlotterbeck.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show: Bayern Munich 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich hosted Bayer Leverkusen in a match that had all the makings of a trap game.

Sure, the Bavarians would have been hard-pressed to look past Die Werkself, but a Champions League showdown vs. Paris Saint-Germain is looming in just a few days.

Clearly, the potential for disaster was there, but Bayern Munich was able to keep its focus on the task at hand and pull out a 3-0 victory over Bayern Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena.

Let’s talk about how it all played out on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:

• A look at Bayern Munich’s starting XI selections…who stood out, who struggled, and more.
• A rundown of the scoring and substitutions as we walk through the flow of the match.
• Some final takeaways on the match.

LFC handing out new deals? (Fabrizio Romano via ESPN)

Liverpool could be planning to further flex its financial muscles with new deals for Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai:

Liverpool are planning to hand new contracts to midfield pair Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Dembélé to miss Bayern match? (PSG Post)

This could be some projecting, but Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé might have picked up a severe enough knock to keep him out of Tuesday’s showdown with Bayern Munich:

Paris Saint-Germain managed a last-gasp 1-0 home victory against OGC Nice in Ligue 1 thanks to their super-sub Gonçalo Ramos who perfectly celebrated his 100 appearance for the club. The win was important and left Les Parisiens at the top of the league, just two point ahead of their rivals, Olympique de Marseille in the table.

Now, the club will have to face Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich in a heavyweight European clash on Tuesday, a team who remained unbeaten in their first 15 games this season. To face this difficult challenge, Luis Enrique and his side will have to do without Désiré Doué who suffered another injury setback against Lorient in their frustrating mid-week 1-1 away draw.

According to French outlet L’Equipe, the 28-year-old complained of severe thigh pain immediately after their win over Nice this weekend as he stated in a conversation with PSG teammate Achraf Hakimi: ” My thigh hurts, it hurts so much!”. While the club’s medical staff is said to monitor the situation closely, a decision regarding his participation to the clash is set to be taken on Tuesday. Therefore, it is almost certain that the French international will not feature in the starting lineup, though, he was present in training on Sunday and took part with his teammates.