Does BVB have a price in mind for Schlotterbeck? (Bild via @iMiaSanMia)
Per one report, if Bayern Munich wants Borussia Dortmund and German national team center-back Nico Schlotterbeck, it will have to pony up €50 million for a transfer fee.
Just €50 million? Per Bild, yes:
Borussia Dortmund would demand a fee of around €50m for Nico Schlotterbeck should he decide to leave the club in the summer. If he joins Bayern, he would earn at least €15m gross per year (BVB are offering him €14m). That makes it a total package of €125m over 5 years
As for Dayot Upamecano, a contract extension would see the Frenchman earn around €20m gross per year, as well as a signing fee of around €20m he’s demanding – which takes the total package to €120m over five years.
That number seems….low, especially considering the fact that BVB would likely not want to do anything to help Bayern Munich secure a player like Schlotterbeck.
In addition, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg and Patrick Berger (via @iMiaSanMia) are reporting that Schlotterbeck is biding his time to see what will develop with Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona., and Real Madrid before making anything official. That said, the report does indicate that Schlotterbeck is leaning toward moving on:
Nico Schlotterbeck is playing for time and waiting for a door to open up at Barcelona, Real Madrid or FC Bayern. Sources close to the player suggest that not extending his contract with Dortmund is currently the more likely outcome. BVB want clarity by January at the latest, but haven’t yet put the player under pressure. Dortmund would likely take a similarly firm stance to Leverkusen’s handling of Jonathan Tah. Even with only one year remaining on his contract, they would absolutely not let him go for something around €25-30m. They would even accept the risk of losing him on a free transfer in 2027. At FC Bayern, Schlotterbeck, just like Marc Guéhi, remains a candidate. However, extending Upamecano’s contract is the clear priority.
To this author, BVB would rather Schlotterbeck rot on the bench than move to Bayern Munich for the paltry fee of €50 million.
Bayern to make blockbuster move for Fernandez? (The Hard Tackle)
According to one report, Bayern Munich is planning a raid for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez:
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich are plotting a raid on Chelsea for their midfield mainstay Enzo Fernandez. Bayern Munich are looking to add more quality to their midfield, and they have their eyes set on Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, who is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world. According to a report from Fichajes, the German giants are preparing a €120 million bid to sign the Argentine World Cup winner.
Bayern Munich are very keen on signing the Argentine international, as they look to further bolster their midfield. They want to freshen things up in the centre of the park, and believe he could become one of their leaders going forward.
Kompany wants someone who can partner with Joshua Kimmich and is capable enough to control the tempo and increase the speed of play when needed. The German giants have been carefully monitoring his progress, and they are now ready to make an offer worth around €120 million to prise him away from the London club.
Meanwhile, Chelsea do not have any intentions of selling one of the main stars. With his contract running until the summer of 2032, they are in full control of his future. However, a €120 million offer won’t be that easy to turn down amidst some financial difficulty.
Bayern are not just monitoring his situation; they are ready to launch a move. They have already received a detailed report on the 24-year-old, and they are set to make initial contact with the London club in the coming days.
Bale says golf addiction was overplayed (ESPN FC)
Gareth Bale’s love of golf while he was at Real Madrid became a punchline and a meme worldwide, but the Welsh legend thinks it that is was just fake news:
Eintracht not entertaining sale of Santos (Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg)
Despite rumors to the contrary, Eintracht Frankfurt is not selling Kauã Santos (at least not right now anyway):
🚨🦅 Eintracht Frankfurt have no intention of selling Kaua #Santos in the winter, nor is Santos currently thinking about a move.
There are no offers either. Eintracht remain fully convinced that he will become their number one in the near future. #SGE
His contract runs until 2030.
Karl gets more kudos (UEFA via @iMiaSanMia)
Bayern Munich wunderkind was named to UEFA”s Champions League Team of the Week:
Chelsea leading on Smit? (ESPN)
Bayern Munich has been linked to AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit, but Chelsea could be leading on the 19-year-old:
Chelsea are the front-runners in the race to sign AZ Alkmaar wunderkind Kees Smit, according to iNews. While the likes of Newcastle United and Manchester United are also keen on signing the 19-year-old midfielder, Chelsea have been quick to establish contact with the player’s camp. Kees’ transfer is valued at around the £25 million mark, although it’s unclear if Chelsea would be willing to stump up such a sum in January. Newcastle, by contrast, are definitely pondering a move for the Netherlands international next month.
Don’t do this — fans set stadium ablaze! (MSNBC)
Football fandom is often marked by fierce passion, but at times that emotion can erupt in alarming and destructive ways.
Such a moment unfolded in Finland, where anger over a club’s relegation led a group of supporters to commit a shocking act of arson.
What FC Haka endured was chaos of an entirely different magnitude. The nine-time Finnish champions were already grappling with the sting of relegation after a punishing Veikkausliiga season, but things took an even darker turn on Sunday night when a stand at their Factory Field stadium was completely destroyed in a fire.
What should have been a symbol of community pride was reduced to a charred wreck, showing just how dangerously fan frustration can spiral out of control.
The club’s drop from the top division sparked the chaos. Relegation brings major financial and reputational setbacks, and for a section of the hardcore fan base, the disappointment became unbearable.
Instead of voicing their frustration through peaceful protest, a group – reportedly teenagers – lashed out at the symbol of their grief: club’s home ground. The attack on one of the stadium’s structures reflected the turmoil and anger that followed the team’s poor season.
The visual is pretty striking as well:
Scandal in Finland: a team was relegated and the fans set their own stadium on fire 😢🇫🇮
Top-flight club FC Haka have suffered a fresh blow after relegation.
And a stand at one end of their🏟️Factory Field (Tehtaan kenttä) stadium was destroyed after a fire broke out on Sunday night.
Police have since arrested three teenagers, and a 15-year-old has reportedly confessed to starting the blaze.
Oooof. I don’t know what parenting is like in Finland these days, but those kids might be do for a grounding…until they are like 60.
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…
