BAYERN MUNICH
Manuel Neuer’s career may not end in 2025. He wants to get back to the level he was prior to the year he lost to injury. He hasn’t even ruled out playing in the 2026 World Cup. What makes the extension interesting is the future of Thomas Müller who also wants to extend his contract until 2025. But if FC Bayern offers a lesser salary, he can also imagine a transfer away from the club. I last reported about the interest from Manchester United last winter but the Bundesliga clubs also have an eye on Müller, as do the clubs from Italy. Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus Turin are said to be closely monitoring Müller’s situation.
Waldemar Anton could become a player for the German national team. But FC Bayern is not interested at the moment. It’s different with Ronald Araujo. The bosses of Bayern have held preliminary discussions. The interest was great. However, after these conversations, they have almost no hope left. The player apparently wants to stay in Spain. An extension with FC Barcelona is currently being prepared. Bayern are therefore looking for more defenders in Spain.
Florian Wirtz is currently the hottest stock on the German market. At FC Bayern they were very annoyed that he had extended his contract until 2027. FC Bayern really wants the player, but the new contract makes him very expensive. Leverkusen doesn’t want to sell him for less than €100m-€120m. This is also difficult for FC Bayern. A good player would have to be sold for this. If FC Bayern does not agree on a new contract with Leroy Sané, that would open a door for Wirtz in Munich. The player would like to take the next step in the Bundesliga. This means for the Premier League clubs that he is probably not ready for them yet. Bayern would like to bring him in later so that he would be cheaper then. But if another club becomes interested in Wirtz, Bayern would have to act.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is really hot at Dortmund and played a prominent role in their 4-2 win over Gladbach with a goal and assist. Possibly the next BVB superstar came from Manchester City in 2022 for just €90,000 in training compensation. If he continues to play well, his current market value of €18m will explode within the next few years – it could be Dortmund’s biggest deal of all time. The club hopes that he will achieve a larger transfer fee than former BVB players Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham.
GERMANY
Julian Nagelsmann will have a difficult time until March because he won’t be able to work with the team for that long. What is striking is that the same accusations come from the team as they once did at FC Bayern. The players find that Nagelsmann overloads them with too much information. The trainer speaks too quickly in the sessions. He doesn’t explain enough to the professionals in a personal conversation. The fact that Kai Havertz was told to play at left-back came as a surprise to many players and was not explained enough in the sessions.
The head coach also has a few construction sites that he urgently needs to close. He took Joshua Kimmich’s place in the first-XI. Of course, the Bayern professional doesn’t like that and could cause trouble. However, Kimmich also currently lacks standing in the club. It cannot be ruled out that FC Bayern and Kimmich part ways. His contract only runs until 2025. Like Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel has also questioned the player. Both coaches do not see Kimmich as a “holding Six”. FC Barcelona is very interested in Kimmich. If he comes onto the market next summer, some clubs in the Premier League will also look at him. Pep Guardiola is considered a big fan of Kimmich after having initially discovered and promoted him in Munich. The City coach appreciates Kimmich’s versatility as he can play in many positions. But Jürgen Klopp also knows Kimmich’s strengths, which would suit Liverpool FC well. The poker for Kimmich could soon be open.
LIVERPOOL
Leipzig has an advantage over Liverpool when it comes to Assan Ouedraogo. The player’s father was already in negotiations in Leipzig. FC Bayern also met with him, but now know that Leipzig are favorites. The player would like to stay at Schalke, as the move comes too early for him. But if he has to change, it would be better in Germany first. It seems like Liverpool will have to be patient.
MANCHESTER UNITED
It was hard for Jeremie Frimpong that Manchester United didn’t get concrete for his services in the end. Coach Erik ten Hag had high hopes of a transfer that failed to come to fruition. Interest could become more concrete again next summer. The name was also discussed again and again at FC Bayern. However, under former sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, the player wasn’t rated highly enough. That has changed under the new leadership. The name Frimpong could become current. The problem: the player has a new contract until 2028. That could make him too expensive. If Leverkusen plays in the Champions League next year and Xabi Alonso remains coach, he will keep the player.
Neither management nor the club have heard anything about United’s reported interest in Timo Werner. Werner also had bad experiences at Chelsea FC in England. The player is considered very sensitive. He is currently having problems at Leipzig, but first wants to regain his self-confidence. He doesn’t feel ready to move to England at the moment. Newcastle were actually already interested, but that won’t happen this winter either.
NEWCASTLE
As per BILD, AC Milan, Newcastle and Atletico Madrid maintain an interest in Serhou Guirassy. However, none of the clubs in question have officially approached Stuttgart as of yet.
According to my information, Manchester United are also interested in Guirassy. Guirassy is very flattered by the Red Devils’ interest. He doesn’t categorically rule out a change in the winter. He is allowed to leave VfB Stuttgart in the winter because of a release clause of €17.5m. With 15 goals, he is, at the moment, the second-best striker in the Bundesliga after Harry Kane (18).
STUTTGART
It’s true: Hiroki Ito has a release clause of €30m. His club included it in the contract because the player would have liked to move to Ajax Amsterdam last summer. Instead, there was more salary for Ito and the clause. Ito definitely doesn’t want to leave VfB in the winter. He is now concentrating primarily on his rehab in Japan and then on the Asian Cup. He feels comfortable in Stuttgart, which is why he is now finishing the season there. There will be further discussions about his future in the summer.
