Weekend Warm-up: What does Bayern Munich NEED to do in this transfer window? We might know; Throwing it back to MGMT; Bayern Munich making more progress with Liverpool's Luis Diaz; and MORE!
Aside of some loan movement for academy players, the Bavarians have succeeded in bringing in midfielder Tom Bischof and center-back Jonathan Tah, but have only managed to sell Mathys Tel, serially unhappy winger Nestory Irankunda, and academy products like Gabriel Vidović and Frans Krätzig, who were deemed to have no future in Bavaria
In addition to those moves, Bayern Munich also let free agents Eric Dier and Leroy Sané walk away as well.
So…what does Bayern Munich NEED to do, let's take a look…
Get VfB Stuttgart's Woltemade
Tensions are very high between VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich at the moment, but Woltemade is the most crucial acquisition the Bavarians can realistically make. Sure, he can play anywhere across the frontline and would be a nice asset to have on the roster this season, but the future is the key here. There is no indication that Harry Kane will remain past the end of the 2025/26 season (there is also no indication he will leave, either to be fair...it is very much up in the air), so Bayern Munich must be prepared for his exit. Woltemade would guarantee a succession plan and anything you get from him this season would be icing on the cake. Should Kane opt to extend his contract or just play out the end of his current deal (which ends in 2027), things could get complicated. However, if the club truly believes Woltemade will be a star, there will not be a better, less expensive time to get him.
Shift focus from LFC's Diaz to RB Leipzig's Simons
Liverpool FC winger Luis Diaz is the favorite to land in Bavaria and his performance will likely determine the future employment status of Bayern Munich board member for sport Max Eberl.
Right now, this writer does not have enough confidence in Diaz to make a big investment in him. While not perfect, RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons is more versatile, is already well-versed in the culture of Germany and the Bundesliga, and just might be a better fit overall.
The downside of Simons could be a questionable attitude or mentality, but being surrounded by an established core of veterans could help iron out any issues there.
Give the kids a chance
Paul Wanner and Lennart Karl are currently slated to be given an opportunity during the preseason. For Wanner, any attacking acquisitions might push him to seek out a loan, but Bayern Munich really needs to find a way to see where the kid is at in his development because right now, everything is iffy. As for Karl, he will reportedly get a chance to backup Michael Olise, which could be a great way to give the youngster minutes, while also reducing the wear-and-tear on the Frenchman.
Sell! Sell! Sell!
Part of Eberl's big assignment for the summer is to get rid of some dead weight on the roster. The list is not that long, but it could be impactful:
Kim Min-jae: The Korean defender has not yet fully asserted himself in Bavaria and — on the surface — it would be great to keep him as part of a three-man rotation at center-back. That scenario might not be amenable for the defender, though. Given that, Eberl has to find a trade partner, who can pay a big chunk of what the Bavarians paid for Min-jae just two summers ago.
Daniel Peretz: The goalkeeper has little hope for playing time and a very limited future outlook in Bavaria. Whatever Bayern Munich can get for Peretz would be fine.
Sacha Boey: Vincent Kompany might like the right-back, but his injury history and status as the third right-back on the depth chart makes him eminently expendable. Bayern Munich would take a big hit on the transfer fee as it will get nothing close to what it paid for him back in 2024 (€30 million).
João Palhinha: The midfielder is more valuable to other clubs and does not have a future at Bayern Munich. It would be a quick turnaround, but this likely needs to happen.
Bryan Zaragoza: No one at Bayern Munich wants him and it seems like he has made little effort to really acclimate to the club since arriving in January of 2024. A parting of the ways is best for everyone.
Identify a worthy, flexible center-back to join the squad
Selling Kim Min-jae will leave a void at center-back — one which Josip Stanišić might not be totally equipped to handle. Plus...Jonathan might not be 'it.' The former Bayer Leverkusen defender did not look great during the Club World Cup and — it could be argued — might be better served as part of a rotation where he can rest more. Right now, there are no clear options, but Min-jae's departure would require a quality defender to be brought in.
Stop wasting time
Enough with the chases for players like Bradley Barcola and Nico Williams. Bayern Munich does not have time to waste and should focus on attainable targets.
Hang in there
Cutting payroll this summer is going to be a massive task. Sure, Eberl can likely unload the players we mentioned above, but anything more would be incredibly difficult to make happen.
However, at this time next year, Bayern Munich will have already seen several players with high salaries already reach the expiration date on their respective deals. Check out the list:
Manuel Neuer: €21 million
Serge Gnabry: €18.9 million
Leon Goretzka: €13 million
Raphaël Guerreiro: €8 million
One big name missing from that list is Dayot Upamecano who makes €10 million. Bayern Munich is expected to extend the Frenchman's deal, but it will likely come with a massive pay increase.
Kane, who makes €21 million and has a deal that expires in 2027, could also be on the move next summer and players like Kingsley Coman (€17 million), and Konrad Laimer (€9 million) could get sold a year ahead of their contract expiration.
So...budget relief is on the way.
Are you onboard with this plan? If not, what would you do? Tell us in the comments.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 4, Episode 52
Bayern Munich's summer has been one filled with rumors and, well, not much action.
But why? Let's dig into how things are playing out and why Bayern Munich could be facing some tough times ahead. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
Luis Diaz is either onto make or break Max Eberl's Bayern Munich career, isn't he?
Is the rest of the Bundesliga sick of being bullied by Bayern Munich?
Is the league bleeding too much talent?
After BPW called for it, will Paul Wanner finally get his chance? It looks like it.
Lennart Karl could also get his big break.
The father of Florian Wirtz talks through how the decision to join Liverpool played out.
HBO screwed me this week…find out how and why!
Well...about Diaz
While we might want to pass on getting Liverpool FC's Luis Diaz, it appears that Bayern Munich is making progress on that pursuit per Sport Bild's Tobi Altschäffl (via @iMiaSanMia):
Bayern are making progress for Luis Díaz. After Liverpool's initial 'not-for-sale' stance, there are now indications that things are really moving forward and that concrete negotiations can begin soon. A meeting between Bayern and Liverpool officials is planned soon. Díaz has agreed a 4-year deal until 2029 at Bayern worth around €14m gross per year that could go up through performance based add-ons. The Colombian has informed Liverpool of his desire to leave.
At this point, it would be shocking if Bayern Munich does not land Diaz.
Song of the Week: 'Kids' by MGMT
Admittedly, I have a bit of a soft spot for MGMT. A while back I featured 'Time to Pretend', which I think is a genius song. This week, though, the song 'Kids' is on the agenda — and maybe not for the reason you think.
I stumbled across this video of the group playing the song on their college campus and I am complete sucker for this kind of thing:
Anyway, MGMT would go on to 'make it' and eventually put out 'Kids' for real. Released back in 2008, this was in a heavy rotation on the alt rock stations in Philly at the time and I was a fan. Enjoy:
Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 7, Episode 60
Bayern Munich is embroiled in a lot at the moment. Transfers, potential front office instability, and youth development are at the forefront of the discussion, so let's talk about all of that and more! This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:
Bayern Munich saw bids for VfB Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade and Liverpool's Luis Diaz rejected...now what? It appears that Max Eberl and the fellas are going to keep plugging away.
Why it is hard — even as a fan — to just dismiss the financial ramifications of such deals.
Are Christoph Freund and Max Eberl on the hot seat? We have explored the topic before, but this could be a make or break season for the duo.
Nestory Irankunda became the latest youngster who did not work out in Bavaria...but why? Is Paul Wanner the next to go?
Entertainment Rundown
Squid Game: The Challenge
This is a weird one because I did not watch the whole season, but the reality show/game show version of Squid Game is out and...it was pretty good.
While they can't gun down contestants or let them physically harm each other, the premise was solid, the interpersonal dynamics were interesting, and it was...fun. My kids were watching it, so I caught a few episodes with them.
For anyone who likes the show or is a fan of the mixed reality show/game show format, this was solid.
The Wire
HBO did me dirty.
Typically, the network will go through phases of playing one of the series it has produced on two of its channels over the course of a week. In a way, it is the HBO version of allowing its viewers to partake in a lazy binge watch, where they do not even have to surf over to a streaming service.
Of late, there have been some good series (like The Sopranos) that will grab my attention and ruin my sleep cycle, but more often than not, it is some random series that I could not care any less about.
Not this week.
HBO ran The Wire and while I definitely did not sit in for a binge marathon, it did steal at least a few hours of sleep late night for a few days.
I had not watched any episodes in quite a while, but it did bring me right back to remembering why the show was one of the most brilliant and captivating series ever produced.
It also made me wonder if I should do the a retrospective on the show like I did on Game of Thrones.
What do you think?
More from bavarianfootballworks.com:
A forgettable international match day for all Bayern Munich players involved
Czech Republic vs Germany lineup, discussion: Time, TV schedule and how to watch World Cup Qualifiers online
'What about Thomas Müller?' Support pours in for Bayern Munich's troubled icon
BFW Transfer Deadline Day 2017 live thread
Kingsley Coman confident of his part in Bayern Munich's plans this season
Report: Renato Sanches set for loan move to Swansea
Would this guy be the perfect backup for Robert Lewandowski?
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