Today’s exclusive transfer round-up from Bundesliga insider Christian Falk, featuring Bayern Munich, Chelsea Dortmund, Leverkusen, Newcastle and more.

[From left to right: Xabi Alonso, Jude Bellingham and Randal Kolo Muani]

Today’s top stories:

• Dortmund won’t budge on Bellingham fee but no offer from Real – yet…
• Carlo Ancelotti’s immediate future could have consequences at Leverkusen
• And further updates on Jadon Sancho, Ivan Fresneda, Mason Mount, and more!

Bayern Munich

Bayern are still looking for a striker and most recently they had scouts and technical director, Marco Neppe, at the Aston Villa game. They won’t be making an offer for Ollie Watkins, however, because they’ve decided to continue to focus on Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani as a priority as well as seeking clarification on Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane’s intentions. Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is no longer a target for the club so Man United will be happy, though the Red Devils have an issue if they want to position themselves alongside the Bavarians for Kolo Muani.

It takes a lot of money to sign forwards of that calibre, and that’s why it could be interesting if Manchester United are actually taken over by Sheikh Jassim’s group. I heard there are three players on the Sheikh’s wish list with Kylian Mbappé at the top, as well as Eduardo Camavinga and Kingsley Coman.

I can tell you categorically that Bayern will not allow Coman to be sold, but the situation with Sadio Mané and Serge Gnabry is different. After his issue with Leroy Sané, Mané now has problems with his team-mates, and furthermore, his level of performance has disappointed Thomas Tuchel. Bayern are hoping for an offer from Chelsea – offers from Premier League clubs are welcome in Munich (!) – but there are no seriously interested parties at this stage. Any potential interest from Newcastle doesn’t appeal to Mané either.

The club would never sign Lionel Messi despite his potential availability. As well as his high salary, it would destroy the dressing room, which is why Bayern said no when Cristiano Ronaldo’s management team offered him to the club.

Bayern are also looking for midfield players and I recently wrote about the interest in Mateo Kovacic. The availability of Mason Mount is certainly of interest to Tuchel also, as he knows both players well from his time in London. Nestory Irankunda, a 17-year-old central defender who currently plays for Adelaide United, will be signed as an investment for the future, and the club are also keeping an eye on Ajax star, Edson Álvarez, who is also on Dortmund’s list as a replacement for Jude Bellingham.

Do you think Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic can be a success at Bayern? Let us know your thoughts!

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Another player who could make money for Bayern is Yann Sommer, a goalkeeper that Manchester United have previously been interested in. After a serious injury, Manuel Neuer is now back in training and if he’s considered fit enough for the coming season, Sommer is likely to be sold.

Bayer Leverkusen

Xabi Alonso prior to the Bundesliga match between Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

“If he doesn’t answer by then, we’ll activate plan B,” Ednaldo Rodrigues, the Brazilian football federation’s president, announced.

What does Leverkusen have to do with it? Very simply, if Ancelotti agrees to manage the Seleção, Bayer will have cause to worry because Los Blancos have their former player, Xabi Alonso, in their sights as his successor and are following his every move. Leverkusen had planned to work with Alonso long-term, to see him develop their young talent and then reap the fruits of his labour.

During his time at Leverkusen you can see that this former world-class player first stabilised the team defensively, then helped them dominate the pitch and now lets them attack with pace and technique. Players like Florian Wirtz (who wants to stay for another season at Leverkusen), Jeremie Frimpong (a Manchester United target) and Moussa Diaby (a target for Newcastle) have all developed brilliant under Alonso which is why they are the focus of those Premier League clubs.

For Real’s president, Florentino Pérez, Alonso is the ideal solution. Within the club, their former goalscorer Raúl is considered the crown prince and next in line for the Santiago Bernabéu hot-seat, however, Pérez believes that Alonso has developed much quicker and would prefer him to take over from Don Carlo if that scenario came to pass.

Jude Bellingham

I heard that Bellingham imagined playing for Liverpool for a few years before making the move to Real Madrid. That was the career plan but Liverpool didn’t have the money for this deal. Bellingham has always thought highly of Los Blancos, and the talks with the Spaniards convinced him to move there, dissuading him from moving back to England in the process. Those responsible at Real are planning a visit to Dortmund, whilst Mark Bellingham, who manages his son’s career as director of his own company, ‘BelloBall LTD,’ definitely wants to finalise things this summer. It concerns high commission payments and the background to this is FIFA’s new statute, which is due to come into force on October 1. It will mean that only licensed player agents can issue invoices and they would only receive a share of three percent commission from the club and three percent from the player, based on their salary. The FIFA decision also applies to family members.

Jude Bellingham of Dortmund is seen during the Bundesliga match against VfL Bochum 1848. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

In the case of a transfer after this summer, Mark Bellingham would either have to take the difficult license test or hire a licensed consultant, and the former is out of the question as he wasn’t registered for the spring course. In simple terms: Real Madrid have already budgeted an annual salary of €20m (€100m over a five-year contract) for Bellingham, and would have to pay €3m to the licensed consultant, of which only a small part, minus taxes and deductibles, goes to Mark Bellingham – and which in turn would have to be taxed. According to the current rule, the commission is still at 10%, and would flow directly from the receiving club to Mark Bellingham and would only have to be taxed once. Neither Jude could wait for Liverpool in a sporting sense, nor it seems could his father Mark in a financial one.

Now Dortmund are waiting for Real Madrid’s offer.  They want a fixed amount of €120m which could rise to €150m, and as they’ve shown in the past with Dembele, Sancho and others, they have precise expectations when it comes to transfer fees and they’ll stick to them.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Another argument for Glasner to leave the club is that it’s going to be very difficult to keep his team together. For example, Randal Kolo Muani is being hunted by top clubs like Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. With that potential departure in mind, 22-year-old Keito Nakamura is on the list as a potential replacement. At Austrian club Linz he scored 16 competitive goals this season and and assisted eight more. If Eintracht are able to get the €120m for Kolo Muani that they desire, then the fee for Nakamura would be easy to pay. William Pacho (€9m from Antwerp) and Omar Marmoush (free from Wolfsburg) have already been signed by the club too.

Julian Nagelsmann or Oliver Glasner? Who is the perfect option for Tottenham Hotspur? Let us know below!

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Daichi Kamada and Evan Ndicka will most likely leave Eintracht on free transfers. Kamada should go to Benfica though Ndicka’s potential destination is unknown at present. Talks with Markus Krösche are now pending for Ndicka and it’s expected that Eintracht will withdraw their contract offer, just as they did previously with Kamada.

Last summer, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle were close to midfielder Djibril Sow, but this time around it’s West Ham doing the chasing. The Swiss star has been watched several times by the east Londoners, most recently in Dortmund by chief scout Rob Newman himself. The Hammers had already inquired about Sow in the winter window, but at that time sports director Krösche put a stop to it. Eintracht are now ready to talk, and would let Sow leave for €15m.

He’s the engine room in midfield who loves to drive his team forward – and he really wants to go to the Premier League. He joined Eintracht from Young Boys of Bern in the summer of 2019 for a fee of €14m and has played 154 competitive games for the club so far. Capped 36 times by the Swiss national team, he has eight goals and 13 assists at international level. He won two league titles with Young Boys and last season’s Europa League success is the greatest of his career to date.

Ivan Fresneda

If Dortmund do want to bring the player to the Bundesliga, in order to have enough money for him they’ll need to sell Thomas Meunier. The 31-year-old Belgian has a contract until 2024 but is only third-choice full-back and is also very injury-prone. No wonder that sports director Sebastian Kehl would like to save on his annual €7m salary, whilst also commanding a small fee for his services.

Jadon Sancho

Werder Bremen

The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Inside the Bellingham deal, Tuchel’s double Chelsea swoop, Bayern’s preferred striker target & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

[From left to right: Harry Kane, Thomas Tuchel and Randal Kolo Muani… how big of a shake-up could we see happen in the Bundesliga this summer?]

Today’s top stories:

• Does Tuchel’s arrival at Bayern affect a move for Kane this summer?
• Tuchel’s summer transfer plans…
• Florian Wirtz’s future amid reported Barcelona interest…

Thomas Tuchel

Bayern tried to keep Julian Nagelsmann this season, due in no small part to clauses in his contract that would have meant it would have been easier to fire him on July 1.

There are a few reasons why they decided to go in a different direction: one is that the team lost 10 points on Dortmund in 2023. If he hadn’t beaten PSG in the Champions League, he would have been fired earlier. Another thing was that he lost the dressing room; all the leaders in the team had concerns and there were technical questions over his decision-making. The handling of João Cancelo was a case in point, with Nagelsmann struggling to work out how to use him.

I heard Bayern have been holding talks with Thomas Tuchel since the beginning of the week – this is one reason why they had to pull the trigger now, as they were afraid to lose Tuchel for a second time.

In 2018, there were already talks with Tuchel and he was keen to join after Bayern sacked Carlo Ancelotti. Then Jupp Heynckes came and there was another round of talks with Tuchel after the former admitted he didn’t want to do another season with the club.

I know from a meeting with Hasan Salihamidžić in his house in Munich in 2018, they talked for three to five hours and they were clear that they wanted to proceed. However, the president at this time, Uli Hoeneß, didn’t want to accept it.

When they made the final call and said ‘Thomas, we want to do it now,’ he said they were too late and that he’d signed for a new club. He didn’t tell Bayern officials that it was for PSG – but that was indeed the case!

This time, there was a lot of pressure on Bayern to make a decision given the very concrete interest from Tottenham in Thomas Tuchel. We’ve discussed before about the manager being on the list of Real Madrid as well, so Bayern were aware of the possibility that if they didn’t act quickly they would lose him again for a second time to another club.

What’s also very interesting is where this leaves Julian Naglesmann. I know he was very surprised when Bayern first came to him, because of Hansi Flick’s job with the national team, to make that leap from RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich. He had another career plan in mind, specifically making a step in between before joining one of the top five clubs in world football. One of the clubs in this plan was Tottenham, so, perhaps, they will give Nagelsmann a call now.

There was a very, very little thought about Jürgen Klopp perhaps but it was very clear that he’s not on the market. Tuchel was and Bayern was always going to be his No.1 choice if there was a chance for him to become their coach.

Oliver Glasner

The news that Thomas Tuchel is joining Bayern Munich is good news for Oliver Glasner.

They clearly like German coaches over in Tottenham! A few years before, they tried to get Hansi Flick, now they’ve tried to go for Tuchel, they’ve got Glasner on the list; he’s Austrian, of course, but German-speaking and German-thinking.

[Oliver Glasner with the Europa League trophy after Frankfurt beat Rangers – Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images]

The point is that Glasner is thinking about this move, which is why he’s yet to sign a new contract. Frankfurt have tried to extend his contract but there are ongoing discussions about the squad. Glasner wants to make the next step and get better with Frankfurt. If you don’t get better with Frankfurt, you can get better with another team and get a better squad; these are the discussions between Markus Krösche and Glasner.

Frankfurt are searching for alternatives already if it doesn’t work out with Glasner. One of them is a young coach with Dortmund’s U19 side, Mike Tullberg. He’s 37 and has a contract until 2026 with the club.

So, you see, they are thinking about the possibility of losing Glasner.

 Is Oliver Glasner the perfect replacement for Antonio Conte at Tottenham? If not, who should Spurs hire as their next manager if the Italian is sacked? Let us know your preference!

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Frankfurt

Everyone’s getting the feeling that it’s no longer realistic for Frankfurt to keep Randal Kolo Muani for one year more. The player’s already come out and said it’s the first time he can think about a summer move – to a big club in particular. So, you see, Frankfurt is losing a lot of quality and this could be the reason why Oliver Glasner is considering leaving.

Manchester United is a big thing for Muani. They don’t have the right striker for this position; look at Wout Weghorst – he’s only scored two goals for them.

They are preparing an offer for him. He knows that and if you have United in your head, it’s hard to concentrate on Frankfurt.

Arsenal

Arsenal are reportedly in pole position to sign Declan Rice this summer [Football Insider via CaughtOffside]

Bayern Munich

When you have a new manager, you have to fulfil his wishes, perhaps at least one. Thomas Tuchel is going to get a new team and has time to see what’s missing.

Tuchel learnt a lot from his time at Chelsea; there he was missing a really good striker. He’s a big fan of Harry Kane and if there had been a chance to bring him to Chelsea, he would have done so immediately.

I think this opportunity to have Kane at Bayern Munich would be the thing for Tuchel, as the squad is complete; it’s one of the best squads in terms of quality in the history of the club. But they are missing the big striker up front.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has already worked with Tuchel during his time with PSG. Tuchel knows that Choupo-Moting was a squad player before he made his move to Bayern Munich.

Tuchel will have one shot – that could be an expensive one! This could now be Harry Kane. When a new manager is coming in, of course, there’s the likelihood of players going out in addition to coming in.

[Thomas Tuchel at the Australian Open – (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)]

He wants a lot of players, so they have to get money in. Ultimately, the chance to get Kane in is bigger now that Tuchel has joined the club and I think there will be something in the summer now.

It’s worth remembering that one reason why Tuchel was fired at Chelsea was due to the many discussions he’d had with the club over not getting the players he wanted. One of them was Matthijs de Ligt – he really wanted him. Also on this list was Benjamin Pavard. Not the top target but he was also on Tuchel’s list. There are plenty of players in the Bayern squad he’d love to coach.

 Who should Thomas Tuchel sign and sell for Bayern Munich this summer? Let me know your thoughts below!

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Bayer Leverkusen

Florian Wirtz has made a decision that he’s staying because of the Euros in Germany in 2024, so there won’t be a summer move. He’s been a big target for Bayern Munich for years but they were really disappointed when he signed a new contract at Leverkusen until 2027, as it makes him a lot more expensive due to the lack of a release clause. It’s unlikely they’ll complete a transfer in the near future.

You have to wait and see how he performs but I think this story will be quiet until 2024 and then everyone needs to see.

He’s here with the national team and we’ve asked him about the rumours of Barcelona. He said that his father (who is the player’s agent) told him nothing about this interest but his decision has been made; he wants to stay at Leverkusen, continue his education, get better and become an important player with the national team. So we won’t have any news until next year.

Borussia Dortmund

It’s surprising that Dortmund want to hand Raphaël Guerreiro a new contract because analysis completed by the Bundesliga side suggested he’s not good enough defensively for the club’s system. But now, Sebastian Kehl, BVB’s sporting director, is working on a new contract because he’s performed very well of late.

They’ve decided that, as they’ve had a really good season, and they want to stay at the top – they see a chance to be a rival to Bayern Munich over the next few years – so they want to ensure there’s appropriate backup for every position. So they want to keep Guerreiro.

Now they see they can be champions in Germany, they’re earning a lot of money, and they see the need for a bigger squad. So this is Guerreiro’s chance to stay.

Chelsea

Chelsea are currently monitoring the availability of Nagelsmann and they could look to make a move for him as a replacement for Graham Potter [Football Insider via CaughtOffside]

The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – How Bayern signed Tuchel, Kane future takes a twist, Tottenham manager search boost & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Today’s top stories:

• Jurgen Klopp has made fresh Jude Bellingham decision…
• Real Madrid interest in RB Leipzig sensation ‘very concrete’!
• Arsenal and Tottenham could fight for Borussia Dortmund star…

[From left to right, Joško Gvardiol, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham… could we see some big deals completed this summer?]

Harry Kane

Tottenham are, of course, not very keen on selling their star striker but, also for Bayern, it could end up working out pretty well for them if they wait a year, Kane doesn’t sign a contract in the meantime and then they can snap him up for free in 2024.

Bayern aren’t quite sure if they can pay for Kane this summer and they have the new contract for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting for one year, they have Mathys Tel… so they are keeping a close eye on what’s happening with Tottenham. Bayern can wait and it could be the perfect time to strike in 2024.

Bayern Munich

Bayern are trying to extend Benjamin Pavard’s contract. I talked to Benjamin this week and asked him if he sees a future in Bavaria. He said many words in French but after the translation there was no clear answer in terms of wanting to stay; he said “let us fight for the championship and win some titles and after then we can see”, so you see he’s playing for time.

I know Barcelona are still at the forefront of his mind, the links there are very concrete. Inter are still following him, of course, but they’re not the No.1 choice. Chelsea could be an option. So these are the potential options for Pavard and, at the moment, I’m not so sure he’ll sign a new contract.

Should clubs be careful before looking to sign Pavard? Jonathan Johnson explores the player’s situation in his CaughtOffside column!

JONATHAN JOHNSON’S FULL COLUMN

I talked with Julian Nagelsmann about João Cancelo and he said that the defender is doing well but he isn’t a player for his system, which involves three defenders behind two wing-backs. So that’s the problem.

If Pavard is fit, it’s getting difficult for Cancelo and time is slowly running out. It’s not a perfect situation for both sides and it’s worth considering that the clause of €70m is too high for Bayern Munich. I heard they’ve already informed the player and his management that they can’t pay this amount.

If there’s no truth in the interest of Real Madrid and no one is prepared to pay this clause, Bayern would surely sit at the table with Manchester City and discuss his contract but €70m just isn’t an option for them. Plus, at the moment, he’s not a regular in the first-XI.

[Where does João Cancelo’s future lie? Should another club try and sign him this summer? Let us know who in the comments! – (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)]

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Borussia Dortmund

No talks yet between Dortmund and Jude Bellingham, so I’m not sure if it’s the right time now ahead of the international break.

I heard that because of Liverpool’s experience in the Champions League this term, Jurgen Klopp made his thoughts very clear: Bellingham is now the top, top target. He said that every other transfer should be pushed down the pecking order; names like Randal Kolo Muani aren’t as important at the moment – there’s just one name and this is Bellingham.

Klopp needs him in the midfield, though they can see the difficulty in completing such a deal because Real Madrid are moving as well. But there is some good news for Liverpool, as Madrid are also interested in Joško Gvardiol and it’s not realistic for them to pay for both as Gvardiol would be an over €100m deal, as would Bellingham.

It’s a pity that Julian Brandt is injured at the moment because he’s been playing very well for Borussia Dortmund and now the national games have arrived. Of course, Dortmund heard about interest from the Premier League – especially Arsenal and Tottenham, we heard – and that’s why they’ve been putting pressure on the player; they want to have talks with him and his father to work out a new contract.

So you see, Dortmund are getting nervous because they know, in his head, the possibility of a Premier League move is being considered. Now, they’re pushing to get him signed up on a new contract. But Arsenal and Tottenham would be interesting for Julian.

Gregor Kobel is very important for Dortmund – they will do everything to stop an exit from the club. It’s true that his agents attended the Champions League game in London. We know that they had talks with several clubs in the Premier League, not only Chelsea.

So you see, there is special interest coming from the Premier League. But at the end, there must be some crazy figures being proposed to encourage Dortmund to sell him. He’s being regularly linked in rumours to Bayern Munich but it’s too early for him – no club will be able to easily sign him.

Gladbach

Manu Koné’s club, Gladbach, know that they will lose him this summer, unless something crazy happens. There are talks now between the sporting director, Roland Virkus, and Koné’s management, discussing how much would be on the table for selling him (crazy amounts like €40-50m).

[Kouadio ‘Manu’ Koné (right) in action for Gladbach – (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)]

PSG are interested. The player is French. We heard that Chelsea knocked on the door and have an interest in him. I don’t think he’s focused purely on one league, the most important thing for the player is focusing on the next step.

Inter Milan

There are always rumours around Marcus Thuram but he’s not doing so well in Germany, that’s why Bayern Munich said no. Chelsea aren’t so interested either.

The next step is Italy and you see it’s not the absolute top club in the country with the rumours around Inter Milan. I think the agents are ringing the doorbells of other clubs as he’s struggling at Gladbach. I think we’ll see him at a very good club next season because he’s a free agent.

Kylian Mbappe

Jonathan Johnson’s COS Column: If PSG were to change manager, Zidane is the obvious candidate and that would please Mbappe, I’m sure, he’s a French footballing legend. Still, I wouldn’t expect Mbappe to be close to a move this summer, because that’s just not something PSG will countenance.

JONATHAN JOHNSON’S FULL COLUMN

Manchester United

We heard that Manchester United is going to prepare a big offer for Randal Kolo Muani – specifically, €120m. That’s a price Frankfurt wouldn’t say no to.

Last week, there was a meeting with the new agents, Moussa Sissoko and the sporting director, Markus Krösche. They are getting offers and if there is a big offer they have to consider it. At the moment, nothing has happened as the offer isn’t on the table yet. The agents are pushing because new agents can only make money if they make a new deal.

Good news for Bayern Munich if Muani does end up going to United, as it then means United are out of the Harry Kane transfer poker.

Manchester United have shown an interest in signing Kim Min-Jae this summer [Fichajes via CaughtOffside]

Micky van de Ven

The player is talented and very fast for a centre-back – 35.9km per hour; that’s really quick for such a player.

He has a contract until 2027 and no release clause but Wolfsburg would be prepared to talk if they received an offer of €30m. The player himself has said he has no problem with staying another year but has also mentioned he’s open for a switch to Spain and the Premier League. So he’s already thinking about his future.

[Should a Premier League club swoop in early for the centre-half? Let us know your thoughts below! – (Photo by Oliver Hardt/Getty Images)]

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Many clubs are scouting him at the moment, it’s a really long list; Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma, AC Milan… so you see, he’s a very attractive option.

It’s not the case that he feels he has to leave this summer but I think if he keeps up the quality of his performances this season, next summer one of these clubs will be prepared to pay what Wolfsburg are looking for.

Real Madrid

We heard that Real Madrid are keen on Joško Gvardiol – it’s very concrete. There were already talks before the World Cup and now they are applying pressure with the potential deal. I heard Gvardiol regrets not putting more pressure on his club when Chelsea knocked on the door last summer for €90m.

Now, he sees that clubs are interested again; Real Madrid look like they could be the No.1 choice but Manchester City are also an interesting option for him. Chelsea lost important time in this deal and find themselves on the second row behind these two clubs.

His release clause is €112m in 2024. Chelsea made a bid of €90m last summer, so you see the minimum would be €100m and this is the line the clubs have to jump over.

Tottenham

Before, we’ve heard about concrete interest from Tottenham in Borna Sosa. This winter, Leverkusen tried to get him. Sosa also wanted to leave in the past.

He’s got new management and they’re in talks with Tottenham; Spurs are keen. He wouldn’t be too expensive for an English club, so I think this deal could happen this summer.

Chelsea have knocked on Oliver Glasner’s door in the past but he was committed to the project at Frankfurt. Now, I heard Frankfurt have tried to arrange a new contract and discuss his future. Glasner told them that he needs time to make that decision, so you see, perhaps, he’s thinking of moving to another club – this could be Tottenham.

I don’t think he’s made a decision yet, so let’s see. Hansi Flick was also close to joining Tottenham before he took the Germany job. Tottenham clearly have their eye on Bundesliga coaches, so perhaps Glasner could be their man.

Tottenham now linked with a move for Barcelona’s Ferran Torres [Calciomercatoweb via CaughtOffside]

The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Klopp’s Bellingham intervention, Man Utd preparing €120m Bundesliga raid, Tottenham’s next manager & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Today’s top stories:

• Jude Bellingham’s father’s talks with Real Madrid… has the player made a decision?
• How hopeful are Bayern Munich of signing Harry Kane this summer?
• Two clubs have an advantage over Liverpool and Tottenham in the race for Joško Gvardiol…

Jude Bellingham

Yes, Jude Bellingham’s father is speaking to Real Madrid and yes, he has met with the Spanish outfit.

This hasn’t just taken place in London, as has been reported, but also the week before in the Spanish capital. But the important thing is that Jude himself has not yet made a decision and there’s still yet to be talks with Dortmund.

Liverpool are still in the running, though it’s important to note that if Real are serious and the Reds aren’t ready to make a good offer soon, it will become an increasingly difficult situation for the latter. Jürgen Klopp has already admitted to himself: When it comes to money, Jude doesn’t stand a chance. That all being said, Bellingham isn’t motivated solely by money.

 Who should Liverpool sign if they miss out on Jude Bellingham? Let us know in the comments below!

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Ultimately, it’s a bit of a bitter situation for Borussia Dortmund; the German outfit can’t keep up either in terms of sporting or monetary offerings with Real and Liverpool. The missed quarter-final bonus of €10.6m, if they had managed to progress past Chelsea, could still have unpleasant consequences – Dortmund could have used the money for the Bellingham poker game.

With this extra cash, it would have been easier for BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke and the club’s sports director, Sebastian Kehl, to be able to keep their superstar prodigy beyond the summer with a lavish wage increase – the club was thinking of giving Bellingham a salary of €15m a year. This prospective deal is now looking a challenge to arrange, as he currently already earns around €6m in Dortmund.

Arsenal

I’ve today (Friday) been in Leverkusen to meet Rudi Völler and Florian Wirtz, who is a target of many clubs in Europe, but has decided to stay in Leverkusen minimum til 2024 for the European Championship. When I entered the lift in Leverkusen’s Club Center, Simon Rolfes, Leverkusen’s sporting director, was already in. He told me that he saw the many rumours about Premier League interest in six players of his, several of which I wrote about in my last column. He joked that he now has a lot of work to do because of that. One player in this column was: Moussa Diaby.

Arsenal still have an interest in Diaby. The Bayer Leverkusen star’s agents are in contact with the club. However, it’s worth noting that the Gunners are also interested in Dortmund’s Julian Brandt. The club has yet to make a final decision on that front.

[Moussa Diaby in action for Bayer Leverkusen – (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)]

Fabrizio Romano’s Column: “I still believe that Arsenal want a new midfielder in the summer to help Mikel Arteta if they find the right opportunity, but Jorginho is a permanent signing and they’re convinced it was an excellent deal.”

FABRIZIO ROMANO’S FULL COLUMN

Bayern Munich

About four weeks ago, Alphonso Davies’ agent, Nick Huoseh, was a guest at FC Bayern’s base, Säbener Straße. Bayern wants to extend the Canadian’s terms as soon as possible, as his current contract runs out in 2025. He currently earns around €9m but now it’s time to talk about money, as Davies would like to move up to the next pay grade and extend his stay in Bavaria.

An extension for Lucas Hernández is as good as decided. Hasan Salihamidžić started the talks before the World Cup and now they’re working out the details. Expect the Frenchman to stay in Munich.

Rumours of Liverpool’s interest in Ryan Gravenberch keep on coming, much to the annoyance of bosses at FC Bayern. It does raise questions for the player’s agents in terms of whether they want to put pressure on the club due to their client’s lack of game time. With that in mind, Salihamidžić has made the decision to declare that Gravenberch is not for sale this summer!

Rumours of Bayern’s interest in Gonçalo Ramos are completely wide of the mark. FC Bayern are just interested in one striker, if he happens to be on the market this summer: Harry Kane.

Bayern bosses are increasingly doubtful of the prospect of Kane wanting to leave England; they feel he wants to remain in the Premier League. FC Bayern fears his love of home more than any offer from Manchester United – that’s why the club hasn’t contacted the Tottenham star’s management for months. Bayern had lodged its interest with the relevant agents in 2022 and now they’re waiting to see if Kane sends a signal back. So far that hasn’t happened. The longer this situation drags on, we can see officials at Bayern slowly losing their faith in the striker departing the U.K at the end of the season.

The situation is looking difficult for João Cancelo. Recently, his colleagues can see how frustrated he is in training and he’s isolated himself a bit. Hasan Salihamidžić then stepped in to have a conversation and provide some hope to the player that he would be increasingly involved against more defensive teams in the future. But the process takes time. If he still doesn’t play in the Champions League quarter-finals, it’s unlikely that there’ll be a future for Cancelo beyond his current loan deal.

Chelsea

Todd Boehly preparing big-money move for one Newcastle United star (The Telegraph via CaughtOffside)

Frankfurt

Eintracht Frankfurt are still looking for a centre-back. Now the club has a new name on the list: Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart. Eintracht has a good chance of pulling this deal off.

In winter, a bid of €15m from Inter Milan was not enough. Also, Atletico Madrid are interested. Eintracht’s hope is that, if Stuttgart goes down in Bundesliga 2, he could get cheaper.

Germany

It’s true. After the disappointment of the World Cup, Ilkay Gündogan considered whether he wanted to continue playing for Germany. Now he has made a decision to commit to the national team. He held talks with national coach Hansi Flick and the latter’s happy for him to continue.

[Ilkay Gündogan’s (right) current contract expires in 2023 – (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)]

His club future, on the other hand, is open. La Liga’s announcement that Barcelona will have to cut their players’ salaries makes this option difficult. Juventus are also interested but Gündogan would prefer to stay at Manchester City. So the poker game with his employer continues.

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RB Leipzig

Manchester City are not the favourites, but of course, Pep Guardiola’s men have a good chance when it comes to the race for Joško Gvardiol. That being said, one can’t ignore Chelsea either.

Both clubs have the advantage over Liverpool and Tottenham, ultimately because the side that offers €100m in the summer will have the best chance of getting Gvardiol and, as many are more than aware, City and Chelsea have the money to fund such a deal.

The important thing to note is that Gvardiol wants to leave in the summer if an opportunity in the Premier League arises. It doesn’t matter that his release clause (€112m) is only valid in 2024. Put simply, the Croatian won’t accept Leipzig stopping his potential exit should an offer of €100m come through the door. He wants to go to the Premier League, preferably this summer rather than the next, despite signing a new contract until 2027.

Newcastle

Robin Koch has a problem. The German national team coach, Hansi Flick, did not take him to the World Cup. He knows that he can build his international profile by joining a club that plays in Europe.

Newcastle are interested, and if the club secures some European football next term that would hugely encourage Koch to consider a transfer to Eddie Howe’s outfit.

Being a part of the national side is incredibly important to him. Of course, it’s worth pointing out that playing in the Bundesliga, too, would grant him more attention in Germany. Therefore, a summer transfer shouldn’t be considered unlikely.

West Ham

West Ham willing to submit loan-to-buy bid for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire (TeamTalk via CaughtOffside)

The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Truth about Jude Bellingham talks, Liverpool’s Gravenberch interest, Cancelo’s difficult situation & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Today’s top stories:

• Dortmund transfer call could enable Liverpool’s Jude Bellingham hopes…
• Reported Liverpool target dreams of move to Chelsea or Real Madrid!
• Manchester United inch closer to ideal Erik ten Hag transfer

Arsenal

One of Julian Brandt’s closest friends is Kai Havertz. They both played for Leverkusen, so when Havertz left for the Premier League, Brandt felt like he too needed to make the next step, so he later switched to Dortmund. Ultimately, it’s not the same given he’s been dreaming for years of making it in the Premier League.

There has always been contact with Arsenal and we’ve heard that the club is interested again. His contract expires in 2024, so there has to be a decision, especially now that he’s found more consistency this term in comparison to recent years at Dortmund.

[? Is Julian Brandt the ideal alternative after failed Mykhailo Mudryk move? Let us know below in the comments! – (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)]

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Now, it could be the time to make the next step and follow Havertz to England. He hasn’t got one club in his head at the moment, but Arsenal are of course more interested than ever before. We also heard that Tottenham have knocked at the club’s door, so Dortmund will be forced to bring a very good offer to keep him in the Bundesliga, otherwise it could be time for a Premier League switch.

Borussia Dortmund

There are plenty of names on Liverpool’s shortlist for the midfield. I think, at the moment, it’s still good news that Daichi Kamada has been involved in negotiations with Dortmund, which means the club is preparing for the possibility of Jude Bellingham leaving in the summer. Of course, he’s also a possible replacement for Mahmoud Dahoud who will leave Dortmund this summer.

Kamada would be an option for the first-XI. Obviously, he’s not an identical option to Bellingham but the club has its eye on the player as a potential replacement.

It’s getting closer between Dortmund and Ramy Bensebaini. A few columns ago, we talked about Nico Shultz who is yet to receive a new offer. I think this could happen for the summer.

Chelsea

Manu Koné is a player every league has an eye on (his contract is still until 2025). Everybody knows there that there is a big chance for other clubs to get him, so that’s why they’ve come up with this price-tag. £26.6m sounds like a crazy amount in England with the pound valuation and in Germany you say it’s €30m, which sounds normal for such a player.

PSG also has an eye on him. We’ve asked him about his future and he told us that it would be interesting to play with Kylian Mbappé (but they can always play together in the national team). He’s been always dreaming of two clubs: one is Real Madrid and the other is Chelsea!

Kone brought up Chelsea because he was a big fan of Didier Drogba, which explains his fascination with the London-based club. There’s nothing concrete at the moment but you see that he’s potentially going to leave in the summer. He’s already talking openly about new clubs and you see he’s interested in England, and there are many clubs that would be on the table. With Chelsea, he’s put another one himself in.

? Would Kouadio ‘Manu’ Koné be a great summer signing for Chelsea? Let me know your thoughts below!

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Frankfurt

Omar Marmoush is really close to being a done deal for Frankfurt. He’s going to be a free agent, Frankfurt are searching at the moment and will get him. It’s a good next step.

There are plenty of rumours attached to Frankfurt at this point in time. Houssem Aouar could be the replacement for Daichi Kamada (he’s also a free agent). So, you see the falling dominos in action; perhaps Bellingham goes to Liverpool, Kamada to Dortmund and then Aouar to Frankfurt.

Frankfurt have two targets: Marmoush – I think this is very close. They’re in talks with Aouar and we heard about a medical test taking place. On Twitter, he wrote that everyone knows about his future but he doesn’t agree with that so far.

Liverpool

Is Mohamed Salah a genuine target for PSG? Get the inside track on the story below with Jonathan Johnson’s EXCLUSIVE briefing!

JONATHAN JOHNSON’S FULL COLUMN

? Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing the Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot [Fichajes via CaughtOffside]

Mainz

Jae-sung Lee’s not a young player anymore at the age of 30, so he’s going for the next big contract. He’s doing very well at the moment and also played at the World Cup. He’s already registered five of Mainz’s seven goals after the winter break.

He’s dreaming of the Premier League and Manchester United would be particularly interesting for him. His big idol was Park Ji-sung, who played at United. If he has the choice, he would hope that United would knock for him but, at the moment, he’s probably more of a mid-table signing. Of course, if he can keep up the quality of his performances, perhaps he could go a step higher in the market.

Manchester City

Manchester City want Hadjuk Split’s 16-year-old centre-back, Luka Vuskovic. City will, however, face competition for player’s signature from PSG. It’s worth noting that Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and AC Milan are also interested. Bundesliga clubs are also involved in scouting Vuskovic but the price tag of €12-16m is too high for German outfits when it comes to investing in a prospect.

? Man City poach key Newcastle employee who used to work for Liverpool 14 months ago [Shields Gazette via CaughtOffside]

Manchester United

Jeremie Frimpong is getting closer and closer to a United move. Frimpong was also a topic in Winter – United really wanted him then. You know, he’s a Dutch player and his connection to Erik ten Hag is very close. There should have been talks.

So, you see now that Ten Hag is performing well with his team and has good arguments for Frimpong and for United in terms of fulfilling his wish. I think he’s one of Ten Hag’s main targets for the summer.

Naby Keïta

I met Sadio Mané the other week and asked him directly about Naby Keïta. He told me the Bundesliga is making itself so small and it’s such a great league. He’s very sure that, in the next few years, we’re going to see plenty of Premier League stars in the German top-flight.

I know, because he has the same management and is a friend of Keïta, so they’re still in contact. I asked Mané if he knew more and he told me ‘I will tell you when there is news’. I think he knows something.

I think Leipzig are ahead at the moment. Dortmund are not so concrete at the moment but they do have him on their shortlist in the ongoing search for a potential Jude Bellingham replacement. Leipzig yes, Dortmund… so-so.

The rumours from Barcelona are still here; I know that his management was in Spain recently. He’s going to be a free agent and you know what Barcelona do with free agents. So, I think these other clubs are, at the moment, ahead.

RB Leipzig

Since Sunday, it’s a done deal for Nicolas Seiwald to move to RB Leipzig, he’s signed a contract until 2028. I heard that there were very concrete talks between Arsenal and the player’s management. At the end, Seiwald decided for Leipzig. He’s the 20th player moving from Salzburg to Leipzig and always saw the value in making the next step and continuing the education at Leipzig.

[Nicolas Seiwald (far right) in action for RB Salzburg – (Photo by KRUGFOTO/APA/AFP via Getty Images)]

I think the Arsenal rumours and concrete talks are interesting because now we know what kind of player the Gunners are searching for in the summer.

For those who don’t know, Seiwald is referred to as the ‘Alpine Toni Kroos’.

? What positions do Arsenal need to strengthen in the summer to keep competitive? Let us know!

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West Ham

West Ham knocked for Odilon Kossounou in the winter but it was only for a loan deal, so Leverkusen said no. Now, in the summer, it could get more contract.

Nottingham Forest were also asking for the player in the January window because they couldn’t get Jonathan Tah. Leicester are looking for many Bundesliga players at the moment but the links there are more tenuous.

The most concrete link was West Ham and will be West Ham, so perhaps they can find a solution for the summer. But no loan deal – they’ll have to buy him.

What does the future hold for Declan Rice? Fabrizio Romano has the latest in his EXCLUSIVE daily briefing!

FABRIZIO ROMANO’S FULL COLUMN

The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Liverpool target dreams of Chelsea, Arsenal identify Mudryk alternative, Naby Keita future & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Today’s top stories:

• Will Liverpool’s struggles put off Jude Bellingham from joining?
• The latest on the Youssoufa Moukoko possible age fraud story…
• Have Liverpool already been in contact with their potential next sporting director?

Jude Bellingham

The good news for Liverpool is that there is no news at the moment; no one has made an offer.

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I heard that Jude Bellingham is keeping a very close eye on what Liverpool are doing at the moment. I’ve been told nobody should think he’s a player that wouldn’t go to Liverpool because of the difficult situation they’re in. It’s the other way around – he’s actually the kind of guy who would love to go to a club where he can change their fortunes.

At Liverpool, he sees that the club is in need of him and that he can build something there, so that’s why the side remains an interesting option for him.

[Jude Bellingham continues to be linked with Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid – (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)]

As you see in the Premier League, they’re not massively far away from the Champions League places but it’s important to note that Champions League qualification isn’t a deal-breaker for Bellingham. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt Liverpool’s chances!

Jurgen Klopp’s already mentioned in his interviews that something has to change and it’s clear, when you see the positions in need of reinforcement, Liverpool need someone like Jude Bellingham.

Everyone’s talking about Liverpool’s defence; okay, they’re not brilliant at the moment but that’s connected with the role Bellingham would potentially play in front of the backline. He’s one player who could offer a multitude of solutions and would have an instant impact at Liverpool.

He’s the captain at Dortmund and if he goes to another club he might be one of many leading talents – at Liverpool he would be a leader from the first moment.

Arsenal

Jonathan Johnson’s column: I know for a fact that, with some of the Premier League clubs who’ve been looking at Balogun, there have been questions asked about the level he’s playing at in Ligue 1, which I think is part and parcel of how the Premier League views itself.

I don’t believe he’s playing at an inferior level, so his numbers shouldn’t be discarded. He’s been very impressive, and I think a number of clubs in, say, the Bundesliga will be very interested in him. You look at players like Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea, and they’re in that kind of mould, so I think there’ll be a lot of interest in him this summer. Arsenal, being the parent club, will have a significant say over his future, but I think he’s one to watch.

JONATHAN JOHNSON’S FULL COLUMN

Bayern Munich

I talked to Bayern Munich again about Guglielmo Vicario. Normally I have my ‘True’ or ‘Not True’ indicators for stories online. I asked someone from Bayern Munich whether there was any truth in the rumours and normally I get, perhaps, one cross back – this time there were five crosses! So I don’t know what Empoli’s president is talking about.

Hakim Zyech was already rumoured as a Bayern target before he joined Chelsea. His agent tried really hard to bring him to Bayern Munich and always tried to sing his praises in the year of Hasan Salihamidži?. There were talks but Bayern, in the end, didn’t want to buy him. The agent then gave Bayern Munich a new timeslot and said they had to decide in the next 48 hours, otherwise, he was going to Chelsea.

I know there’s no interest at the moment. There are usually these same kinds of games when pushing a player on the market but Bayern Munich isn’t involved in the poker.

Borussia Dortmund

Mahmoud Dahoud has a very difficult situation at Dortmund with the club unwilling to extend his contract. This is because he earns a lot of money at Dortmund; he had a five-year contract where he could earn €9-10m per year, last year he had a one-year contract worth €7m-a-year. It’s a lot of money for a player who isn’t in the starting-XI, so that’s why he didn’t get a new contract.

So, I don’t believe in all the rumours; Napoli are one of the best teams in Europe at the moment, Leicester City could be in the right range (but we’ve heard nothing concrete on that at the moment) in terms of the quality they have available but I’m not sure if they’ll pay the money he’s looking for.

It’s been an interesting week for Yousouffa Moukoko. Chelsea and Newcastle United were interested in the player, though there were rumours around the latter not wanting him due to the allegations in terms of his age.

Now, a German court decided that the media is allowed to report about that. Before, there were just rumours but now journalists are allowed to ask the question ‘is he four years older?’ So this is very interesting for England because the rumours had been there.

[Youssoufa Moukoko has 12 goal contributions in 26 appearances for Borussia Dortmund this term – (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)]

In my point of view, I saw the document which says he’s four years older. It’s not been proven that it’s a true and authentic document but now we can discuss ‘is he four years older? That could be the case.’

I say that, at his current age, it’s not that important because he’s still young. If you give him a four or five-year contract he’s still the right age. Of course, it’s a question of education; how much better could he get if he’s 18 or 22, or at least 26/27 at the end of his contract? I think English clubs are keeping a closer eye on Moukoko and, in particular, this big question.

Dortmund are behind their player and, of course, were aware of the rumours. In Dortmund, however, they have to consider the fact that they could have the next great striker for the German national side (he was at the World Cup already and celebrated his 18th birthday there). We don’t have any good strikers at the moment, so it’s something to take into account.

There were always rumours about Bayern who had talks with the agent but were told ‘no’. I think it’s good for Moukoko that he’s got a new contract now and we’ll see how his development goes.

Chelsea

It doesn’t seem like Callum Hudson-Odoi has a big future in the Bundesliga. In the winter window, Chelsea had the option to bring him back to the club – that was the wish of Thomas Tuchel when he was the manager – but the side didn’t use it, so that says a lot about his education there.

Also, Leverkusen’s bosses are also quite disappointed with the quality of his performances. Last weekend, he had another chance in the starting-XI against Mainz and again didn’t make the most of it. I think, all in all, he’s only managed one shot on target at Leverkusen.

We’re quite surprised in Germany about the situation given how highly-rated he was by Bayern Munich. Hasan Salihamidži? internally called him a €100m man. They wanted him very much. The good news is they ended up with Jamal Musiala instead, which was a great story for them but not so much for Leverkusen.

At the moment, if he doesn’t improve the quality of his performances, it looks like he’ll be heading back to London. If you can’t play at Leverkusen, though, it’s getting hard at Chelsea.

? Tottenham interested in signing on-loan Chelsea star Romelu Lukaku this summer (Fichajes, via CaughtOffside)

Elye Wahi

Dortmund are out of the race for Elye Wahi, so the chances for the Premier League clubs are a little bit bigger. Dortmund always has a good argument up their sleeve of offering playing time and being good for development, so this argument is waved away. The English clubs can get in with money.

I think we need to keep a close eye on the player, as he seems a very interesting option. Perhaps he’s too interesting already now for Bundesliga clubs interested in buying him.

[Elye Wahi in action for Montpellier – (Photo by Pascal GUYOT / AFP)]

? Should Tottenham replace Harry Kane with Elye Wahi if the Englishman leaves the club this summer? Let me know your thoughts below!

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Frankfurt

In Frankfurt, the feeling is that Daichi Kamada will leave in the summer but the fans are desperate to keep him.

In Germany, we have a Nobel Prize winner, Benjamin List, who won it for Chemistry. He’s a very big fan of Eintracht Frankfurt and Kamada, and he’s trying to convince him to stay. He’s already promised to give his Nobel medal to Kamada if he stays at Frankfurt! So, every German tries to keep him.

Dortmund could certainly throw a spanner in the works having identified Kamada as a potential replacement for Jude Bellingham. BVB are currently leading the race, with sporting director Sebastian Kehl holding a meeting with the player’s agents, Roberto Tukada and Thomas Kroth. The contract on the table is five years long and offers a salary worth €6m-a-year.

Fredi Bobic

Fredi Bobic was the big favourite to replace former team manager Oliver Bierhoff at the DFB. However, since the ex-sporting director was released from his role at Hertha BSC, it’s gone a little quiet around Bobic and new names have come to the fore.

We’ve got the Euros in Germany in 2024, so we’ve got a temporary solution with Rudi Völler who’s the director of the German national team until the tournament. So we have time with the position we’re searching for. We need someone who can keep the rumours around the team quiet and that’s why Völler – everyone loves him in Germany – is the best man for the job.

But you also need someone for the future. They don’t want to decide now or today, but they are working on the process. It’s interesting for England because of the names on the list, who are world champions from 2014, one of them being Sami Khedira (who’s doing a job at Stuttgart) – I think he’s the favourite at the moment.

There’s another person you know very well in England: Per Mertesacker. He’s a man who could do that job, he has the experience from Arsenal.

The third one is Benedict Höwedes; he was completing an education as team manager at the DFB. I talked to him a few days ago when I met him and he’s concentrating on his family, so I think he’s out of the race.

50+1?

The investment company 777 Partners is about to join Fredi Bobic’s former club Hertha BSC. The Americans want a 75% stake in Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. KGaA. They will receive a first tranche of €50m from 777 for the deal. It will still be difficult, however, for the investor to have a say in how the business is run.

I got a call a few weeks ago from an English agent who has a group that would like to invest in a Bundesliga club. I told him ‘I think you can, but you can’t have a decisive say [in light of the 50+1 rule – clubs and, by extension, the fans hold the majority voting rights]’. Who would invest in a club where you can’t have a decisive say?

In England that’s a big difference. It can be great if you look at how Manchester City are doing but then you also see what could happen at Manchester United.

I think Uli Hoeneß, who’s still on the board at Bayern Munich, would say that it would be great if the Bundesliga was able to invite more investors and were to change this rule so we have more competition for Bayern Munich. But, in the end, he can say this very easily because Bayern have its rules that it’s not allowed to do this for themselves.

I talked to Uli Hoeneß after a show we were both working on and asked him ‘could you imagine 20 years before, United was a big role model for Bayern Munich, that you will be lightyears away from them?’

He said ‘no, I never thought that’.

You see what happens with investors – it could be totally transformative. But then, as Chelsea have proven, money isn’t necessarily everything. Bayern Munich have the experience of football players on the board and you see how important it is. So you don’t often need so much money.

Liverpool

Markus Krösche is very important for Frankfurt. He’s the next man after Fredi Bobic left the club and no one’s really feeling the exit as things stand; everyone was talking about ‘Bobic, Bobic, Bobic’ but Krösche is doing a great job in the sporting director role.

It’s a long-term project normally but if Liverpool were interested – it would be hard to say no. I heard in the club that Krösche himself hasn’t informed any of the bosses or anyone else that there’s something concrete. It could be that he’s on the list at Liverpool because he’s a man everyone in European football will be looking at, as he comes from the Red Bull school.

He previously worked at Leipzig and left because of internal problems. It’s always the case that things can get difficult when you have your vision and somebody has a different one.

[Could Markus Krösche (top left) be Julian Ward’s replacement? – (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)]

I’m sure he’s interesting for Liverpool. I don’t think he’s doing everything to leave Frankfurt because it’s also an interesting project for him. But if Liverpool’s interest becomes concrete, I’m sure they’ll talk. But it’s not so concrete at the moment.

I do think from the profile that it would be a good fit. Jürgen Klopp would get a German guy; he’s young; played football (that’s not common); I think he understands football very well, so he could be a good sounding board for Klopp. Perhaps you’ll get the next German but it’s not concrete.

The Athletic wrote he’s on the list and I think Liverpool wouldn’t be doing a good job if he wasn’t on the list.

? Real Madrid may try to sign both Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland this summer (Stan Collymore, via CaughtOffside)

? Should Liverpool replace Julian Ward with Markus Krösche? Let me know what you think in the comments!

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Manchester United

Fabrizio Romano’s column: I’m not aware of any contact between Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino. Chelsea were in contact with Pochettino last year when they sacked Thomas Tuchel, but i’m not aware of any fresh contact right now.

Pochettino wants to return to management and is open to all the options.

Pochettino has been unemployed since being sacked by PSG.

FABRIZIO ROMANO’S FULL COLUMN

RB Leipzig

There’s a big question for RB Leipzig over their ability to get Jonathan David given the player won’t come cheap from Lille. They need a player like him, of course, and the interesting thing to note is that both Max Eberl and Marco Rose also wanted him before for Gladbach when they worked together.

They want him but they have to see if they have the money. I heard that the player is ready for the next step but then you have to pay up – I know Lille are looking for about €40-45m, so this could be a lot of money for Leipzig. But they need a player in his position.

Timo Werner is having a better time than he was at Chelsea but he’s not the same goal-getter he was in his first stint at Leipzig.

? RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose on Joško Gvardiol (via CaughtOffside): “Josko Gvardiol will be a RB Leipzig player next season. He is happy here.”

Victor Osimhen

I can say for sure that Victor Osimhen was never on Bayern Munich’s list. It’s not just whether or not he fits within the structure, he’s too expensive; if Bayern can’t pay him, no other Bundesliga club can, which is very hard for Wolfsburg.

Most people don’t know that he played a very good U17 World Cup for his country, scoring 10 goals. Arsenal, Inter Milan and Fiorentina were interested but then he went to Wolfsburg, which was a big surprise, securing him in January 2017 for €3.5m but he didn’t perform well.

They sent him on loan to Charleroi, who then bought him for €3.5m. The rest of the story is that he went to Lille for €22m, then Napoli for €75m, and now Wolfsburg would no doubt love to have him back but he’s now in the hundreds of millions of euros.

They didn’t have the foresight at the time and now the Bundesliga is making big eyes and would love to have him back but now he’s lost forever.

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The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Bellingham latest, German court decision on Moukoko, Marcus Krösche to Liverpool? & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Today’s top stories:

• Barcelona could steal a Manchester City midfielder – the player would consider a move!
• How Bayern Munich could keep hold of Benjamin Pavard…
• Harry Kane transfer latest…

Neymar

I was reading an article from Le Parisien and they were writing about a secret meeting over Neymar, which involved Todd Boehly and Chelsea and a potential deal to bring him to London.

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[Neymar faces PSG’s fans after a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich – (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)]

I have to disappoint Chelsea fans – I’ve been told there’s nothing in this, it’s not true. It’s too expensive. It’s a nice idea but it’s not going to happen. PSG would like to find a solution but, at the moment, there’s no available suitor who can pay a salary of nearly €37m a year.

? Would Neymar be the perfect signing for Chelsea? Let me know what you think!

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Arsenal

Fabrizio Roman’s CaughtOffside Column: Despite reports, Arsenal are currently not in talks to sign James Maddison at this stage. Newcastle have had Maddison on their list since last summer.

Nothing will be decided on Maddison’s future before May/June.

Arsenal have sent their scouts to watch Brazilian youngster Vitor Roque. However, it’s the same for five top European clubs.

Get all the latest updates from Fabrizio Romano in his latest FREE column!

FABRIZIO ROMANO’S FREE COLUMN

Barcelona

At Frankfurt, the officials aren’t aware of any pre-agreement between Evan Ndicka and Barcelona, so I’m not sure if the rumours are accurate. They’re still hoping to keep hold of the player.

Of course, he doesn’t have to tell the club about this situation but normally they should be better informed on that point. So I won’t say it’s confirmed for one side either way – there’s still a chance for every side. Barcelona have been very quiet on this transfer and I’m not sure if they even need Ndicka.

Let’s see how the situation develops but I’m not really counting on it.

Barcelona is actually an option for ?lkay Gündo?an. Xavi has always been his role model and he learned a lot of tricks and playing styles from the former midfielder on YouTube. His agent and uncle, Ilhan Gündo?an, is currently assessing the market and opportunities at Barcelona. However, Andreas Christensen is also one of his clients.

Manchester City remains a priority for Ilkay and he can imagine staying, especially now that Pep Guardiola has signed a new contract. But: Barcelona is Ilkay’s No.2 option, which sets the scene for a bit of poker between City and Barca. City will have the advantage if the club wants to keep Ilkay and makes it financially worth his while.

Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich are very happy about Malik Tillman’s development at Rangers. They’re keeping an eye on his education in Glasgow but not for the purposes of keeping hold of the player. There is an option-to-buy of €7m included in the loan deal that took him to Scotland and they’re prepared to sell him.

There’s no sign yet from Rangers that they have the money or are prepared to sign him. However, if they want Tillman, they can get him.

Benjamin Pavard played very well against PSG, which is a good sign as far as Julian Nagelsmann’s system (playing with two offensive wingbacks and three centre-halves) is concerned. The club, Nagelsmann and Hasan Salihamidži? told him when they brought João Cancelo in that they weren’t looking to push him out of the side; he could be a big part of the new system.

Bayern are aware that Pavard has Barcelona on his mind (which was why it was easy for him to reject a switch to Inter Milan in January).

It’s a shame he got a red card (from two yellow card offences) in the Champions League and will now miss the next match. But it’s on Bayern to convince Pavard that his future lies in Munich. From the player’s side there was no need to discuss a new contract but Bayern would be prepared to.

If he sees that Bayern are still counting on him and they’re still a big team in the Champions League (whilst Barcelona are in the Europa League) – that’s their best chance of convincing him. Barcelona is still, at the moment, the one club Pavard wants to join, either this summer if they have the money or as a free agent a year later.

But if he continues to do well in Nagelsmann’s system, perhaps it can persuade him to stay and encourage fresh talks to take place. On top of that, I heard that Bayern Munich still have a good relationship with his agent, so there’s still hope.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Before, there was a clear shared idea held between Frankfurt and Randal Kolo Muani’s agency that he’d be best-suited to stay one year more until 2024.

But now this situation has changed. He’s got a new agent having switched from MDC to Moussa Sissoko (who’s quite famous in Germany for having arranged the transfer of Ousmane Dembélé). Everyone knows what will happen, I’m not sure that Muani will strike to force a move but they’re really pushing for a transfer and Frankfurt is aware of it.

They’re no longer saying he’s not for sale but the question remains as to whether English clubs will be put off by the asking price. They’ll have to pay a lot of money – Frankfurt are hoping for a record fee and have set a benchmark of €100m. If you go back to Barcelona’s move for Dembele, they ended up paying a huge amount of money for him, so it’s worth keeping in mind.

[Randal Kolo Muani has 28 goal contributions in 29 games (across all competitions) for Frankfurt this term – (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)]

So, the market for Muani is open and many clubs are certainly interested in the striker. Bayern Munich are still out of the race – they profiled him and decided he didn’t fit their possession-based system – but he could be better suited for sides like Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

I’m not sure if Liverpool have the money for Muani, United are doing a lot of strange things with strikers at the moment and Chelsea keep reinforcing their midfield. When you see what Bayern Munich are doing on the market, they’re always plugging specific gaps in their squad. Chelsea aren’t doing that and they need a striker; perhaps Muani is the solution.

? Which Premier League club should try to sign Randal Kolo Muani this summer? Who needs him the most? Let me know below!

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Liverpool

? Liverpool and Manchester United are keeping tabs on Mason Mount after contract talks with Chelsea stalled [ESPN via CaughtOffside]

Manchester United

? Real Madrid plotting move to sign Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot [AS via CaughtOffside]

Tottenham

Bayer Leverkusen were very happy to agree a contract extension with Piero Hincapié. They’ve secured an agreement to keep him at the club until 2027, which is very important for them whilst Moussa Diaby is on Arsenal’s shortlist, not to mention Jeremie Frimpong who Manchester United are keeping tabs on.

Edmond Tapsoba, Odilon Kossounou and Jonathan Tah are also trying to get into the Premier League and there is interest, we’re hearing, from the agents. So they could lose a lot of players in the summer, which is why they’ve looked at their squad and decided on who their three key players are.

Hincapié is one of them, Florian Wirtz is one of them – the Premier League is keeping an eye on him but Leverkusen convinced the player to sign a new contract by reminding him of the upcoming Euros in Germany – and the third one is Patrik Schick. Schick isn’t doing so well at the moment but they still value him greatly.

These are the three players who should remain in the near future but the others they could lose. Of course, it’s Leverkusen and not Bayern Munich, so if an interested Premier League club is prepared to spend the money, they’ll have to talk. For now, though, they’re hoping to keep Tottenham at bay with this new contract for Hincapié.

Victor Osimhen

We have to go back down the years to when Pep Guardiola was the manager of Bayern Munich to get an idea of the club’s stance on Victor Osimhen. Pep famously said ‘Thiago or nothing’ and Bayern Munich had to bring Thiago Alcântara in then – in the sense of Bayern’s pursuit of strikers, the same feeling could be applied to Harry Kane.

[Harry Kane or nothing for Bayern? – (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)]

Bayern’s plan, as things stand, is that Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting gets a new contract. There are a lot of rumours flying about, which I’ve discussed with Bayern Munich officials and I can say there’s no truth in the links with Osimhen. So don’t believe in the rumours about Lautaro Martínez, Dušan Vlahovi?, Marcus Rashford or Muani.

If there’s a chance to get Kane – Bayern will try. If there’s no chance, perhaps there won’t be a new striker at Bayern this summer, provided that Choupo-Moting signs a new contract because they’ve got back-up in Mathys Tel who has really impressed the club with his performances in training.

Bayern don’t have a lot of money available at the moment that they can freely spend in the market. Osimhen is too expensive and the club haven’t knocked at his door.

? Will Harry Kane win any silverware if he stays at Tottenham? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Neymar latest, Osimhen to Bayern? Randal Kolo Muani’s future & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Today’s top stories:

• Jude Bellingham was keeping an eye on Chelsea as Newcastle expressed interest…
• Hansi Flick to replace Graham Potter at Chelsea?
• Why Bayern Munich are keeping a close eye on Manchester City…

Borussia Dortmund

Nobody who reads our column should be surprised because that’s what we’ve been saying all this time! The Premier League remains the first target for Jude Bellingham. I’ve always said Liverpool would be his preferred target but, of course, everyone knows that they’re not doing too well at the moment.

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It’s also a hope for Dortmund still that, if Liverpool aren’t playing in Europe, there’s the possibility of extending Bellingham’s stay by a year. Dortmund has a good chance of winning the Bundesliga, it’s very close. So there could be a chance that Bellingham waits for Liverpool.

[Jude Bellingham in action for Borussia Dortmund – (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)]

He seems very clear in his plans. I heard that, before Enzo Fernández’s move to London, Bellingham was looking at what was going on at Chelsea. Chelsea were interested but Bellingham saw there wasn’t a clear plan at the club, so there wasn’t a massive amount of interest in going there.

Newcastle were interested, that’s for sure, but they’re not in the range of clubs Bellingham’s seriously considering joining in the summer, despite their good form this term. If he’s going to leave Dortmund, it will be for a top club, so he’s still keeping an eye on circumstances at Liverpool.

Atlético Madrid

Marcus Thuram is on a lot of lists because he’s an interesting player and a cheap option for the summer. He’s a good fit for Atlético Madrid’s system but the agents are still testing the market for him, so no decision has been made in any particular direction. He’s also still connected to Premier League clubs.

Bayer Leverkusen

When a player changes agents, he’s always going to think about changing his club – that’s certainly the case with Jonathan Tah. I’ve heard that there aren’t any offers for him on the table yet.

But I’ve also heard that his new management is checking the Premier League market. They think the player would be a good fit there. There were rumours with Chelsea who have a dossier on him – plus talks with Manchester United but nothing came of those – and there were talks with old agents. So, you see he is an interesting option for the Premier League and the new management will try and get him to a Premier League club.

Bayern Munich

Yann Sommer has a contract until 2025, he’s 34. Manuel Neuer will be 37 in March and still has a contract until 2024. So, you see, there could be a big change coming in the goalkeeping department.

Julian Nagelsmann had a problem with Toni Tapalovi? who had been Hansi Flick’s assistant. It was a downgrade to then just become the goalkeeper coach under Nagelsmann, so the relationship was very difficult.

[Manuel Neuer in conversation with ex-Bayern Munich goalkeeper coach Toni Tapolovi? – (CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)]

It’s worth noting that Tapalovi? joined Bayern with Neuer 11 years ago – they’re big friends; Tapalovi? was Neuer’s best man at his wedding. It’s a friendship, they’re very close but this became a problem, as Tapalovi? couldn’t stay neutral in the situation. This was certainly the case when Alexander Nübel was still at the club.

Julian Nagelsmann had the chance to change things around, thanks in no small part to Manuel Neuer’s injury, by bringing in a goalkeeper coach, Michael Rechner, who he already knows from Hoffenheim. He can be neutral, which is key ahead of Neuer’s eventual return from injury to compete with Yann Sommer for a starting spot.

Nobody knows how or when Neuer’s coming back, so, at the moment, Sommer has a good chance of holding on to the No.1 spot. We’ll have to see how Neuer will handle this; perhaps he’ll lose the fight and then there’ll be a new goalkeeper on the market, which will be very interesting.

? Should Bayern look to get rid of Neuer at the earliest opportunity? Which Premier League club should try to sign him, if so? Let me know below!

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Bayern Munich are doing everything to get a new contract for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, so they can be relaxed with regard to the ongoing speculation around Harry Kane.

They know, if it will be a question of money, that it will be difficult for them after their exploits in the market, including the signing of Yann Sommer.

They also know that Tottenham aren’t keen on the idea of losing Kane to another Premier League club – I heard there’s going to be a decision made on this within the club, so that could offer Bayern a big chance. Harry Kane isn’t currently earning in line with his quality, Tottenham aren’t providing a massive wage packet as things currently stand, so Bayern see a chance and they know that the player isn’t looking to make a decision in the near future.

Time is working out in Bayern’s favour at the moment. That’s why it’s a good idea to try and secure an agreement with Choupo-Moting and then they can wait to see if Kane’s contract continues to run out. Bayern have to keep hoping that Tottenham won’t sell to a club like United.

Everyone knows that Harry Kane is just leaving to win titles. I’m not sure if Manchester United can guarantee that at the moment but Bayern Munich can.

I heard from the club that they’re not interested in Daichi Kamada. We can also rule out a move for Álex Grimaldo – nothing true in that.

Chelsea

I heard that Hansi Flick is an idea as a potential replacement for Graham Potter. I know about the rumours that surfaced after he was spotted at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s clash with Fulham but he was actually there because of Kai Havertz.

Chelsea were knocking at Flick’s door back when Marina Granovskaia held a role with the club. Hansi Flick also told me that there were concrete talks with Tottenham at this time but then he decided on taking up the position of Bundestrainer (Germany head coach).

But now, not Todd Boehly himself, a middleman knocked on the door of Hansi Flick. I asked Flick about this and he said ‘no comment’. It would be easier for him to say it wasn’t true but he didn’t, so you see there is something there but it’s not an option for Hansi Flick because he wants to remain in charge of Germany for the Euros taking place on home soil in 2024.

? Should Chelsea sack Graham Potter if they fail to secure Champions League qualification this season? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Everton

Dennis Geiger could become Sean Dyche’s first signing for Everton. There is serious interest there, he’s 24 and is set to become a free agent in the summer. Also, Frankfurt and Benfica are interested, so I think there will be competition between Frankfurt and Everton.

[Sean Dyche secured an impressive first win for Everton against league leaders Arsenal – (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)]

Frankfurt has to act on the position and they need someone but Everton has a bit more money. I think Geiger’s future could be up to these two clubs.

Frankfurt

I heard that Premier League clubs knocked on the door for Ansgar Knauff, there are a few clubs keen on him. But it seems that there will be a decision between Dortmund and Frankfurt at the moment. Dortmund can get him back from his loan spell if they want to but then they’re getting Julian Ryerson from Union Berlin who has a similar profile to Knauff.

So, there’s a good chance that Frankfurt will have an opportunity to buy him but they don’t want to spend more than €10m. If Dortmund gets a better offer from an interested Premier League club that appeals to Knauff, that could be an option for the player. At the moment, I believe he’s thinking about staying in Frankfurt but, as I often say, it’s a question of money, and Premier League clubs are interested in him.

Liverpool

I think qualification for Champions League football isn’t the only interesting point for Jude Bellingham as far as Liverpool’s interest in the player is concerned – if they don’t qualify, it wouldn’t be a no-go for the player.

Of course, the bigger question we’re always talking about is whether Liverpool have the money to buy him in the first place if they don’t secure top four football at the end of the season.

Perhaps they’ll have a new owner who will provide the necessary finances to sign Bellingham, perhaps they’ll still qualify for the Champions League and can buy him.

I think it’s a good sign from Spain that they now understand Jude Bellingham’s preference for a move lies within the Premier League. It’s a good sign for Liverpool fans too that it’s not the case he doesn’t want to wait for the club – he’s not nervous about the decision.

I think it’s more likely that Naby Keïta will leave Liverpool [rather than sign a new contract]. He’s with the same agency [ROOF] as Sadio Mané and the agency has already said, as was the case with Mané, that he won’t sign a new contract. He’s a free agent in the summer and it’s worth remembering that RB Leipzig knocked on the door for the midfielder in January but Klopp said no.

I think there’s a good chance of Leipzig signing the player. Keïta is playing at Liverpool but could get a good place in the Leipzig team.

It seems like a bit of a business model for Leipzig to sell their players to English clubs in big deals before later bringing them back cheaply. We’ve seen this with Timo Werner who left for Chelsea in a €53m deal – they got him back two years later €20m. They sold Keïta to Liverpool for €60m and now they can get him as a free agent. It would be a good deal for Leipzig and Keïta can see there being playing opportunities for him back in Germany.

Randal Kolo Muani is with a new agency, which is spreading rumours of interest in their client. I can say that Bayern Munich haven’t made an offer or expressed interest in the player – I think I can say the same for Liverpool. I think the agents have tried to create a market for the player but I wouldn’t bet on the rumours around the player.

He’s a very interesting player and things could get even more interesting in the summer but I wouldn’t take these rumours seriously.

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Manchester City

João Cancelo has been a target of Bayern’s for over four years. They took the chance on him and have already told Cancelo that it won’t be possible to pay the €70m in the summer for him – they don’t have the money. They want to keep their cards open with him.

But there’s still hope they can get him cheaper. If something were to happen to Manchester City in the near future – keeping in mind the current investigation into alleged financial irregularities – perhaps it might encourage the club to sell players and then Bayern could get Cancelo for a smaller fee. The Bundesliga is keeping an eye on this, as Cancelo is enjoying his time in Munich and I think he would like to stay. This could make the poker in the summer a little easier for Bayern, that’s the hope.

Fabrizio Romano to CaughtOffside: Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell is one of the players who has been appreciated by Manchester City for years. For sure he’s one of the LB to consider, but I’m told not the only one. They will have a shortlist of players in that position and will decide how to proceed together with Pep in May/June.

FABRIZIO ROMANO’S FULL COLUMN

Manchester United

Could Manchester United move to sign Tammy Abraham? Click here to find out more!

? Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are tracking Ansu Fati’s situation at Barcelona amid speculation that the 20-year-old star could leave the Catalan club (SPORT via CaughtOffside)

Ralph Hasenhüttl

Hoffenheim have a new coach in Pellegrino Matarazzo. In my opinion, I think Ralph Hasenhüttl wanted a better club.

Real Madrid

No, the rumours that Joško Gvardiol has offered himself to Real Madrid are not true. He’s very relaxed at the moment and the plan is that he should stay put until 2024. But, you know, his future can still be a topic up for discussion this summer.

[? Do Liverpool need to sign Gvardiol, or a different centre-half, this summer? – (Photo by Frederic Scheidemann/Getty Images)]

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I think it’s getting interesting in terms of what Liverpool and Chelsea are doing. Gvardiol has made no secret of the fact that his favourite club as a child was Liverpool and that he was always dreaming of moving there. When we see what is happening at Liverpool at the moment, it’s clear they need players in this position.

He’s keeping an eye on the Premier League, of course. If Real Madrid come in, it’s also interesting for him but he hasn’t offered himself to the club. We have to also see if Real Madrid’s interest is serious. I’m not sure on that point as they’ve already got good players in this position, so I would keep on Premier League clubs at the moment.

The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Dortmund could keep Bellingham? Gvardiol to Madrid? Neuer v Nagelsmann, & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Today’s top stories:

• Enzo Fernández could decide Jude Bellingham’s transfer fate
• Why João Cancelo had Pep Guardiola ‘afraid’
• The part Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman played in Newcastle’s bonkers scouting system in January

Bayern Munich

João Cancelo’s hopes of a move to Bayern Munich were concrete for the first time on Sunday with the club receiving a signal regarding the potential opportunity to get him.

But such things don’t happen from one moment to another. Indeed, Hasan Salihamidži? has been trying to get the player for the last four years; he’s been keeping an eye on the defender ever since his time with Juventus, and of course at City.

When he wasn’t playing any more for the latter – that became the ideal point to get him. I heard that Pep Guardiola was a little bit afraid of Cancelo making trouble in City, so that was why he was ready to talk about the prospect of giving him away.

[Cancelo in action for Bayern Munich during the DFB Pokal tie with Mainz – (Photo by THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP /AFP via Getty Images)]

It’s quite telling that Bayern haven’t paid a single euro for the loan – it’s completely free until the summer (barring salary), so it’s a huge coup for the club. Also, they now have the chance to buy him in the summer. A win-win situation for both sides.

There is the option-to-buy of £61.5m to consider. It’s a lot of money for such a player, but if you know Bayern have to think about selling Benjamin Pavard in the summer, they’ll get money to invest directly back into the position, so it wouldn’t be as expensive.

It’s true – there was an offer from Inter Milan for Pavard, which Bayern confirmed for me. Bayern immediately said there was no chance of giving the player away as they need him to meet their big targets for the current campaign.

It wasn’t a hard one to take for Pavard anyway as Inter isn’t his No.1 choice; he still has eyes for Barcelona and there’s a big connection still. Nobody knows if they have the money to buy him in the summer, of course, but this remains his top target for a move.

Bayern also showed Benjamin that he remains an important part of the club’s plans despite Cancelo’s arrival. Already in the cup on Wednesday, they played a system with three at the back to accommodate Pavard in his favoured position as a centre-back and Cancelo on the right. This is a very attractive option for both players, so that’s why there was no option to sell Pavard in the winter.

? Have Pep Guardiola and Manchester City made a big mistake in letting go one of world football’s best fullbacks on loan? Share your thoughts below!

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Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund hoped to sell Thorgan Hazard to then reinvest into future transfers. It’s only a loan but they are saving funds on his salary of €3m (they’re only paying half now), of course, so that’s money they can put away.

The hope at Dortmund remains that they can sell him in the summer. Perhaps he can perform very well at PSV and then he’ll be on the market again.

They would love to sell Nico Schulz but there was no interest. He’s earning €6m, which is a lot of money for a Bundesliga club, and they had paid €25m in transfer fees, so they’d like to get rid of him. They’d be very thankful if anyone was knocking for him in the summer window.

Dortmund have decided to keep hold of Raphaël Guerreiro until his contract expires, as there weren’t any interesting offers in January. They know they’re not going to give him an extension and that he will move on in the summer. It’s expected that an offer will come from Spain but there’s nothing concrete on that front at the moment.

Chelsea

Fabrizio Romano to CaughtOffside: Chelsea sent the contracts for Hakim Ziyech signed, but not in time to be registered. They say it’s because of technology problems; but PSG are literally furious. It was a loan deal. I have no idea if PSG will go again for Ziyech in the summer… it will depend on lot of factors, it’s impossible to know their summer strategy now.

? How Hakim Zyech could still leave Chelsea after the January transfer window closed (90min via CaughtOffside)

Catch the full column below for more FREE updates on Arsenal, Newcastle and Everton’s transfer targets!

Fabrizio Romano’s FREE Column

Liverpool

We’ve mentioned already that in March there should be talks around Jude Bellingham. All sides were keeping a close eye on the deal for Enzo Fernández; certainly, Dortmund now feel they have a suitable benchmark for Bellingham thanks to the Chelsea transfer.

[Mega deals like the £106.8 Chelsea forked out for Fernández historically have a mixed success rate – (Photo by CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images)]

Now they’re saying he won’t be cheaper. So Liverpool now know what they have to bring to the table – it shouldn’t be less than the transfer fee for Fernández.

? Will Enzo Fernández be a SUCCESS at Chelsea? Or another big-money FLOP? Let me know in the comments!

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Manchester United

Ryan Gravenberch wasn’t the No.1 option for Manchester United in the winter window. Gravenberch was already told he wouldn’t be sold at the time so it was just Marcel Sabitzer who would be given permission to leave.

For Sabitzer, it was an interesting few rounds of poker. First, there was nothing and then there were three Premier League clubs interested in him. Chelsea were confirmed to me as an interested party. Also, interestingly, Newcastle knocked on the door but had no chance against Chelsea and United. United were leading from the beginning and they made it happen.

I’ve heard that reports of an option-to-buy for Sabitzer are inaccurate. Bayern Munich are keeping their cards close to the chest on this one. They are very optimistic that if he performs well at United they can get a good deal for him. He will most likely be sold in the summer. Konrad Laimer will come in as a free agent in the summer – it’s not signed and official yet but it will come.

It’s a good option, ultimately, for Bayern to try and increase Sabitzer’s transfer value with this move to the Premier League.

? Manchester United rejected an offer for one of their defenders in January (BILD via CaughtOffside)

Newcastle

Newcastle had Moussa Diaby on their list again.

I heard Newcastle said that he’s a good option for the club, so they passed their shortlist on to the Sheikh, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has his own scout in Germany. He had to check if Diaby was a possibility they could explore.

Ultimately, they saw that it wouldn’t be an option for the winter, so they went for Anthony Gordon. In summer, however, Diaby could be easier to sign.

Fabrizio Romano to CaughtOffside: Newcastle were never really open to let Allan Saint-Maximin leave so it wasn’t close with AC Milan. I’m aware his agent has spoken about Milan’s interest, but it wasn’t advanced.

Catch Fabrizio Romano’s full column below for all the details on Allan Saint-Maximin’s future and MORE!

Fabrizio Romano’s FREE Column

Stuttgart

There is no truth in reports of talks between Inter Milan and Stuttgart for Kostas Mavropanos.

Leverkusen and Frankfurt were interested in Stuttgart’s Borna Sosa. But the transfer fee of €12m, which Stuttgart expected, was too high for the two clubs.

I heard there was concrete interest too from Leeds. There were talks with the player but at the end he decided not to go to Leeds. Of course, talks can be reignited in the summer.

Union Berlin

On December 21, Isco’s contract was terminated. At this moment, Union tried to get him. Then it was really concrete; the managing director, Oliver Ruhnert, had an agreement on terms already.

We heard on Monday at 12:30 pm, they sent the contracts to the agents in German (and an English version). Everything seemed fine, it looked like Isco was coming. Then on Tuesday, there was a medical check and one problem came up – we heard from Union that they already told the agents he wouldn’t be automatically registered for the Europa League, as they wanted to analyse his fitness levels given his lack of playing time in the last few weeks.

[Isco in action for Sevilla – (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images)]

At the medical check on Tuesday, Isco was informed himself. He was quite surprised that it wasn’t an automatic process. That was the first disappointment for him.

Everyone in Berlin initially thought the contract would go through without a problem arising. There was an agreement in place for him to stay until 2024. He could earn €1m until the summer, plus he was getting a signing fee of €1.5m. A release clause in the summer was also agreed. But then there was a demand from the agents that really surprised Union – they wanted a second signing fee for the second season (again of €1.5m) and Union said ‘we can’t pay that’. These two things made the transfer collapse.

Both West Ham and Everton are interested in Sheraldo Becker. We’ve just had it confirmed that Union received a concrete offer on Monday, though it’s not immediately clear which of the two submitted it.

Union, however, now have a chance to potentially secure Champions League football next year and they’re still in the cup, so that’s why they were reluctant to sell Sheraldo.

But in the summer they know they could lose him. He’s got a contract that runs until 2025. I could imagine seeing him switch to the Premier League in the summer.

? Should a Premier League club look to snap up Isco as a free agent? Let me know who below!

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Wolfsburg

With Jérôme Roussillon joining Union Berlin, Wolfsburg’s manager, Niko Kova?, refused to allow Paulo Otávio to go. Everybody knows that he has to sign a new contract or they’ll have to sell him in the summer.

He’s a player on the radar of the Premier League, so Wolfsburg could lose him.

The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Liverpool told Bellingham transfer requirement, Cancelo & Guardiola latest, Newcastle’s crazy scouting system, and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Today’s top stories:

• Bayern Munich sticking to Harry Kane plan
• Borussia Dortmund reckon they have a player with more potential than Jadon Sancho
• Liverpool given answer on Ryan Gravenberch loan interest

Bayern Munich

Bayern always knew that Tottenham would be the most difficult part of potential negotiations over the future of Harry Kane. It’s always been about whether or not he’s going to sign a new contract with Spurs – if he doesn’t, they’ll be there. They’re aware, of course, that English players are generally reluctant to leave the UK, and that he wants to make history with records in the Premier League.

[Does Harry Kane need to leave Tottenham to win trophies and cement his legacy as a world-class striker? Let me know in the comments! – (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)]

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They remain optimistic, nonetheless, if he doesn’t extend his stay in London. Bayern bosses heard about a decision at Tottenham where they don’t want to sell him to another English club. It’s looking like he will sign but if he doesn’t then there are only so many big clubs that could attract him.

You know if you go to Bayern Munich, you’ve got a guarantee of winning silverware. So Harry has to decide whether he wants to be a Tottenham legend and one of the biggest strikers in history to have never won a trophy or if he will be a player who wins cups and perhaps the Champions League in Germany.

If you heard Antonio Conte in recent weeks, focusing on the prospect of winning competitions in future, it gives you good insight into Harry Kane’s mind.

I heard rumours of interest in Dušan Vlahovi? but there’s no truth in that – they’re not interested. But they are keen on adding a centre-half to their ranks in future.

It’s looking good for Bayern Munich when it comes to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s contract extension. Now, they are in talks over money, and his agent, Roger Wittmann, is trying to get a good deal for his client. He’d like two years but Bayern are, at the moment, only prepared to offer him one. He will get more money; at the moment he’s earning €3.5m with add-ons, so Bayern know they have to increase his salary.

If any other club is looking at Choupo-Moting and is willing to offer him a longer contract – we heard about rumours from Manchester United in the past – then Bayern may have to give serious consideration to the prospect of a longer deal.

It will be Bayern Munich but if there’s a Premier League club willing to offer a more lucrative and lengthier contract, that could throw a spanner into the works.

Ji-soo Kim is not a target. It would be interesting to have such a player and have a connection to the Asian market but he’s just not on the list.

Malo Gusto was a person of interest for Bayern – they scouted him. However, they saw that it would be difficult to agree anything with Lyon. The player would cost €30-40m, which is too expensive for Bayern.

Chelsea, who are also interested, then have the chance to capitalise but, of course, they are experiencing similar issues in an attempt to acquire the player in the winter window. So they have to decide whether or not to commit to paying a crazy amount of money. I think, in the end, we’ll see him there but probably not until the summer.

Barcelona

Barcelona knocked on RB Leipzig’s door recently for Konrad Laimer and received a swift rebuttal. Laimer’s already off the market – Bayern Munich will win the race – so an official announcement will come very soon.

Bayer Leverkusen

Both sides, Bayer Leverkusen and Rayo Vallecano, are clear on the prospect of signing Fran García. He has a release clause of €10m, which Leverkusen are prepared to pay.

However, the deal is firmly off the table as Real Madrid are now prepared to use their buyback option of €5m. He’ll remain on loan until the summer with Vallecano and then he’s a Madrid player, much to the disappointment of Leverkusen’s key executives.

Leverkusen are looking at Eldor Shomurodov as a potential backup option to Sardar Azmoun.

Borussia Dortmund

Yes, Borussia Dortmund’s interest in Iván Fresneda is real. The big discussion is whether they’ll bring him in now or in the summer. At the moment it’s looking likely to be a summer move. The player wants to come to Dortmund.

Fabrizio Romano in an exclusive update for CaughtOffside: “Arsenal, expected to decide the next step for Ivan Fresneda as Cedric Soares closes in on a loan move to Fulham. The Cedric deal is on the verge of completion – he’ll join on loan until the end of the season, no buy option, and full salary covered by Fulham.”

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I was asked last week about any big young talents who will become interesting options on the market in future. I think Jamie Bynoe-Gittens could be the next big thing in Germany, and England, of course, as he’s English.

He scored at the weekend. He’s now back from injury and performing to a high standard. I heard that the scouting system is very special in Dortmund; they’re keeping a close eye on the youngster and believe that his potential could be bigger than Jadon Sancho’s.

[Jamie Bynoe-Gittens celebrates after scoring for Dortmund – (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)]

He and Sancho are great friends and remain in contact. The Manchester United star continues to offer advice along with his current teammate Jude Bellingham.

You can really see how Dortmund works internally, constantly developing talent and making considerable profits from sales.

I’ve heard that Julian Duranville from Anderlecht (16) is a done deal. Dortmund seems to be clear with the player and are expecting to get him for under €10m. Now Bynoe-Gittens is being developed but the club already has an eye on the next big talent.

Dortmund still have a bit of hope that Jude Bellingham could stay – they want to make him a new offer where he would become the top earner at the club with €15m. They’re planning talks in March now.

His family is thinking about the future and they’re well aware that the next step has to come in the summer because it can’t be much better for Bellingham in the Bundesliga.

His mother, Denise, is living with him in Dortmund and keeps an eye on everything. I don’t think she sees the future lying in Dortmund.

Still no offers for the club. Real Madrid are knocking repeatedly at Bellingham’s door and everyone in Europe knows March is the ideal time to make their feelings known. Real Madrid are prepared but Dortmund have to make a clear move to try and retain the player because of the fans.

If he were to sign a new deal, they could factor in Marco Reus’ potential exit or drop in salary to give him a financial boost. But everybody in Dortmund knows, and from what I heard, they are open to exit talks with two years remaining on his current deal.

Chelsea

Fabrizio Romano in an exclusive update for CaughtOffside: “I also want to clarify that Kai Havertz will not be leaving Chelsea in January. There is a lot of talk about interest from Bayern Munich, but nothing is happening now, this is something that will be discussed in the summer.”

Frankfurt

There’s a special clause included in Kolo Muani’s contract that could have a big say in how quickly a deal is completed for the player. Basically, if the player is sold, his agent gets 10% of the transfer fee. So there’s an incentive on the agent’s end.

It seems Frankfurt expect Daichi Kamada to leave the club as they’re trying to bring in Ellyes Skhiri (27) from FC Köln as a free agent in the summer.

Liverpool

I’ve heard from the club that they have no intention of letting Ryan Gravenberch leave in the winter window on a loan or permanent transfer.

[Ryan Gravenberch (left) in Bayern training – (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)]

They’ve had no signal from Liverpool until now. For sure, there were no negotiations, offer or any form of knocking on Bayern’s door.

? Will Liverpool fail to secure Champions League football if they don’t sign a midfielder in January? Let me know your thoughts below!

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Manchester United

No chance of a January transfer for Dani Olmo. We heard that talks with Olmo for a new contract are far along, so it seems he will extend his stay with RB Leipzig.

The good news for interested clubs like Manchester United is that Olmo has a clear wish to move to the Spanish top-flight, so he’s going to get two different release clauses in his contract – they haven’t been signed yet but we think they’ll be added. One that allows clubs to sign him for €70-75m but another where, if Barcelona or Real Madrid are knocking on his door, he can leave for €60m.

I think, if United are still interested, they’ve got a chance there.

? Manchester United are not looking to the market with Jadon Sancho. The aim is to protect the player and have him ready for the second-half of the season (Fabrizio Romano via CaughtOffside).

Thomas Tuchel

So, there was a lot of speculation about Thomas Tuchel potentially signing something in Qatar after he was seen flying with Qatar Airways. Everyone can relax on that front – he was just flying over Qatar to Australia to watch the Australian Open.

Tottenham

Fabrizio Romano in an exclusive update for CaughtOffside: “Tottenham are closing in on Pedro Porro, with all parties feeling confident it could be done in 24-48 hours. There’ll be a new round of talks today to try to get this deal sealed, with payment terms being the final point of discussion.”

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Troyes

At the moment, a proposed deal between Troyes and Stuttgart for Alexis Tibidi is off. Stuttgart agreed a loan deal with Rheindorf Altach but Tibidi tried everything to get away (because he wanted the move), including not going to training, but this wasn’t successful as Stuttgart had no clause in his contract to get him back immediately.

Altach wanted about €600,000 for the player to be sent back to be sold to Troyes. Stuttgart said no to that proposal, so, the deal’s not on for now.

The post Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Harry Kane to Bayern latest, Dortmund’s plan to stop Bellingham exit, Dani Olmo update, and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.