Bavarian Football Works

Tottenham have enquired about Serge Gnabry’s availability, but the response from the player’s camp was that the priority is for Bayern and that they were in good talks over a contract extension. Gnabry is set to sign a new 2-year deal at Bayern.

– Sport Bild’s Tobi Altschäffl and Christian Falk as captured by X account @iMiaSanMia

🚨🧨 EXCLUSIVE | Atlético want to sign Leon #Goretzka immediately as a top replacement for Conor Gallagher.

Goretzka is a dream target for Simeone/Alemany. There were already direct talks between Atlético/Goretzka.

The Atlético project appeals to Goretzka. Choices: either a swift move to Madrid or staying to complete the season with FC Bayern. New talks took place today.

A decision from Goretzka is expected within 24 hours. @SkySportDE

Atlético Madrid have genuine interest in Leon Goretzka, he’s a target. But my understanding is that Bayern manager Vincent Kompany doesn’t want to lose any player in January. So we have to see if Atlético will convince Bayern to let Goretzka leave now, or if he will leave as a free agent in the summer. Atlético have a good relationship with Goretzka’s agents and are trying.

Bayern Munich travelled to the Netherlands for a Champions League and was able to put out a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a very tough and determined PSV Eindhoven squad that was playing with a real sense of desperation.

When Bayern Munich needed to dig deep and find a way to win, the Bavarians were able to do just that. There is a lot to cover from the match, so let’s get into it. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

As always, let’s begin with a look at the starting XI:

This was an interesting lineup for Kompany. Tom Bischof at right-back was incredibly surprising, as was Harry Kane and Michael Olise starting on the bench. Lennart Karl started for Olise, while Nicolas Jackson took Kane’s position. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović started in the central midfield…and Jamal Musiala got his first start of the season as well as the team’s No. 10. Oh, and Jonas Urbig — shockingly — got his second straight start, which was very odd.

In addition, former Bayern players Paul Wanner and Ivan Perišić started for PSV Eindhoven.

PSV Eindhoven was definitely the aggressor early on and tested Urbig early.

Bischof had a great look at a free kick, but it went just high and nicked the top of the crossbar.

Sergiño Dest also had a nice shot at Urbig, who confidently made the save.

Urbig would get tested again less than a minute later when a deflected shot floated high and started to dip toward the opposite post. That caused him to have to dive all the way across the goal for an acrobatic save. What a start for the young goalkeeper!

PSV Eindhoven played like a team that needed a win to ensure its Champions League season stayed alive.

In the 26th minute, Bischof threaded a perfect pass to Jackson, who rifled his attempt right at PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Matěj Kovář.

Karl had a rough start to the first half. In his first 23 touches, he lost possession 10 times.

Karl did, however, send a pass over to Pavlović, who whistled a hard shot that Kovář was able to save. Great look from Karl (he needed that and would build on it).

Urbig made another massive save in the 44th minute. He was all over the place in a game where they needed him to be. Urbig finished the half with six saves and at least half were spectacular.

Perišić put a shot just wide right before halftime. Yikes!

Jackson is…not great. Of course, he is ill-fitting for this attack, but he just is not a great striker.

Finally, in the 58th minute Bayern Munich would break through. Bischof intercepted a pass in his own end and quickly got the ball up to Karl, who drove, and worked a combination with Musiala, who eventually put the ball into the net after exchanging it with Karl twice. The play was some excellent work by the three youngsters.

Karl almost had a goal of his own in the 61st minute, but Kovář made the save.

In the 62nd minute, Kompany went heavy to his bench and brought in Harry Kane, Alphonso Davies, Michael Olise, and Serge Gnabry for Nicolas Jackson, Dayot Upamecano, Lennart Karl, and Jamal Musiala. Upamecano looked less-then-thrilled about his exit, but he was sitting on a yellow card.

In the 70th minute, Luis Díaz had a good look, but promptly airmailed a shot 15 yards wide of the net and about 15 yards too high as well. That was one of his few missteps as he had a very good game otherwise.

PSV Eindhoven was not going to go away easy. After a sloppy throw-in from Davies was won by the home side and a complete lack of urgency by everyone on the pitch to defend, Ismael Saibari worked a combination with Guus Til before ripping off an absolute beauty of shot into the upper corner of the far post to knot the game at 1-1.

The play by Saibari was just unreal — I had to watch it three times to truly appreciate it.

In the 84th minute, a long ball from Urbig up to Díaz sprung Bayern Munich up the field and the Colombian would make PSV Eindhoven pay for even giving him a step of space as he slid a pass to Kane, who rocketed a one-touch shot past Kovář for the game-winner.

Sacha Boey subbed in after the goal to make his first appearance in quite some time.

Overall, Bayern Munich did what it needed to do to win and looked good at times — even with a heavy rotation. This was a solid effort and a well-deserved win. Now, it is time to think about the weekend match-up against Hamburger SV, which should be a very winnable game.

Raheem Sterling and Chelsea FC reached an agreement to part ways, effective immediately:

So…Bayern Munich has had interest in Sterling in the past. Should the Bavarians think about a six-month contract for Sterling to be a depth piece for the rest of this season?

Atlético de Madrid might have some competition from Tottenham Hotspur in chasing Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka:

AC Milan will reportedly compete with Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona in the race to sign 30-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka in a Bosman move this year. According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato, Leon Goretzka is the subject of interest of AC Milan. The Serie A giants are scouring the market for a versatile midfielder and have set their sights on the Bayern Munich star. However, they will face stiff competition from Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur for the German international’s signature, although Igli Tare has launched the move.

Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Leon Goretzka makes sense. The Lilywhites are keen on reinforcing their midfield unit this year, as it is unclear if Joao Palhinha will complete a permanent move to the North London club. Additionally, Yves Bissouma has no future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. So, Goretzka is an option worth considering.

As for Barcelona, Goretzka has been on the Catalan club’s wishlist for a long time. The continued interest is surprising, as Hansi Flick has a stacked midfield unit. While Marc Casado and Marc Bernal face an uncertain future at Camp Nou, it is unclear if Goretzka can become a first-choice starter for Barcelona.

Apart from AC Milan, Barcelona, and Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid will also attempt to seal a Bosman deal for the 30-year-old German international. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Bayern Munich midfielder.

Goretzka clearly has options, but it does not feel like Vincent Kompany would okay a deal to let him go during this transfer window.

Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega could be leaving the club in the final hours of this transfer window:

🚨🆕 Stefan #Ortega could leave Manchester City before Deadline Day.

Concrete talks are ongoing with clubs from England, Spain and Italy. #MCFC

He was also recently a candidate at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

@SkySportDE

Former Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush has reportedly been unhappy with his playing time at Manchester City and has been looking for an exit. Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, it does not appear as if Pep Guardiola’s club is likely to let that happen:

Manchester City are set to block any potential exit for striker Omar Marmoush this month, according to Football Insider. Tottenham and Aston Villa are reportedly interested in the 26-year-old, but City are keen to keep hold of him to ensure there is strong cover for key starter Erling Haaland. Marmoush scored in the 2-0 Premier League win over Wolves on Saturday, in what was his third league start for Pep Guardiola’s side this season.

Eintracht Frankfurt might have its next coach within its crosshairs — NK Celje Albert Riera:

🚨⏳ At the moment, there is NO agreement between Eintracht Frankfurt and NK Celje regarding Albert #Riera. Negotiations are ongoing. Riera is also not en route yet.

Eintracht are working at full speed. However, as negotiations could still take time, it remains unclear whether Riera will already be on the bench on Saturday against Leverkusen. #SGE

Riera/SGE are already in agreement. @SkySportDE

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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On Monday, Italian transfer expert Rudy Galetti issued a report indicating that Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač was a target for both Manchester United and Chelsea FC.

However, those two clubs are not alone. Galetti followed up his initial report adding another interesting nugget — Tottenham Hotspur is also in the mix. Spurs coach Thomas Frank is sputtering and considered to be on shaky ground at the club, which has allowed Tottenham to rekindle an old flame:

Kovač, of course, made his bones at Eintracht Frankfurt where his teams played an exciting and thrilling style, which had a strong focus on capitalizing on quick counter-attacks. During his time at Bayern Munich, it has been speculated that Kovač was prevented from running the same kind of system or getting the kind of players he needed to play the way he wanted. In addition, Kovač almost immediately lost the locker room with #MiamiNights scandal.

After his dismissal at Bayern Munich, Kovač had a strong tenure at AS Monaco before being caught up in an internal power struggle at the executive level, which led to his exit. Kovač then had a disastrous run at Wolfsburg. At Borussia Dortmund, he has been a positive influence, instilling some toughness and discipline into the squad.

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

Bayern Munich are reportedly preparing to pay as much as €100m for the ambitious potential transfer of Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes.

The Portugal international has been a star performer for Man Utd for many years now, proving himself to be by far the most successful signing the club has made in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Earlier today, a report from BBC Sport suggested that Fernandes would consider his future at the end of this season, with the 31-year-old’s preference being to stay in Europe.

Fernandes is now also being linked with Bayern Munich by Fichajes, who state that the Bundesliga giants could launch a big-money move for the former Sporting Lisbon man.

Marcus Rashford is on record saying he wants to stay at Barcelona, so he will be happy to hear the club reportedly want the same. Barça have a €30m clause to make the move permanent when his loan deal expires this summer, and according to The Athletic, there is interest in keeping him around. “Oh yeah, for sure,” Rashford told ESPN in October when asked if he wanted to remain at the Camp Nou. “I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game.”

Tottenham are planning to hold talks with Micky van de Ven over the offer of a new contract amid links with a potential move to Real Madrid.

That is according to former Tottenham and Man United senior scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected at his previous clubs, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the 24-year-old is seen as a crucial player for Spurs.

“There’s been a lot of talk about Van de Ven,” he told Football Insider.

“Real Madrid are definitely one to keep an eye on, they want new defenders and won’t be shy of looking in the Premier League if there is somebody they want.

“He has been spoken about in connection with them before, so maybe that’s something that could come up again at the end of the season.

“Tottenham don’t want that to happen, of course, they want to get him on a new contract.

“For me, he’s a little bit hot and cold in that he’ll be amazing one week and then you don’t see much of him the next, but there’s no doubt he’s an important player.

“From Spurs point of view, they don’t want to be losing any of their key players any time soon.

“So they’ll be sitting down with Van de Ven and attempting to extend his deal and maybe put off any interest there is in him, from Real Madrid or somebody else.”

Hamburger SV managed to make some real coups in the 2025 summer transfer window. Sure, Youssouf Poulsen has been a disappointment. But the loan for Fabio Vieira has been fairly good, while the permanent signing of Sambi Lokonga from Arsenal FC or under 1 million has turned out to be an absolute master stroke.

Still, the one transfer everybody is talking about is Luka Vušković. Already, he was seen as too big a star for the recently promoted Bundesliga club to sign due to his outstanding potential demonstrated in the Jupiler Pro League. Allegedly, they were even only in the running for the signing of the Croatian because his brother Mario Vušković is also at the club. Still, they got the loan signing over the line and were prepared to slowly and surely bed the 18-year-old in to the starting lineup.

Yet Vušković has played every single minute barring the first match day in the league. He has been Hamburg’s best defender. He has scored a scorpion kick. He has won the award for the Bundesliga’s most impressive player so far. By every metric, he has been outstanding.

But his club situation is still uncertain. Therefore, Bild’s report, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, that the youngster has been offered to the Bundesliga’s top dogs, Bayern Munich may not be that much of a surprise:

Tottenham Hotspur would be insane to consider selling him, so any offer would have clearly been made by Vušković‘s agent. But a transfer of any kind would hard to materialize, considering the youngster still has a contract that spans until 2030. Still, Bayern have been on the lookout for a center back on the back of Dayot Upamecano’s uncertain contract situation and a tendency to sell Kim Min-jae. Moreover, Vušković has all the physical and technical requirements of a Vincent Kompany defender. Signing the youngster seems impossible at the moment, which is why he is rightly no current priority. But if things at Tottenham do not go well, do not be surprised if Bayern were to lurk in the vicinity and pounce on any possibilities.

Welcome back to Bavarian Loan Works for the first edition of 2026. As the Bundesliga season starts up again we look at the three Bundesligists left, track some movement, and catch up on the leagues that have still played through the winter break. There are also a few leagues that did not come back as soon as the German Bundesliga. See who has played and when each loanee still on break will return to play.

FC Bayern Munich

There are nine players from on loan from the first team.

Germany – Bundesliga

There are three players on loan to the German Bundesliga: Alexander Nübel, Arijon Ibrahimovic, and Armando Sieb.

Alexander Nübel – VfB Stuttgart

Nübel started for Stuttgart in their return to Bundesliga play at Bayer Leverkusen. The road team got off to a hot start and gave Nübel four first half goals. That led to a 4-0 win at halftime. On the day he saved all three shots that came from normal play. The only shot he could not keep out of the back of the net was a penalty by Grimaldo. Stuttgart started off 2026 off with a great 4-1 win.

Stuttgart will return home to face Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday and Union Berlin on Sunday — both in league play.

Arijon Ibrahimović – 1. FC Heidenheim

Ibrahimović started for Heidenheim in their home match against FC Köln. He had three shots — two on goal and one off target — and created one chance for his teammates to shoot. His team was up two different times, including a 2-1 lead at halftime, but Köln leveled shortly after halftime. He was subbed off in the 60th minute with the match level at 2-2. Neither team would score and the match ended in a draw.

Heidenheim will be on the road twice this week. First against Sieb’s Mainz on Tuesday and then a trip to Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Armindo Sieb – 1. FSV Mainz 05

Sieb started 2026 on the bench as Mainz travelled to face Union Berlin. He came into the match in the 78th minute with Mainz up 2-1. He was unable to have an influence on the match in the 12 minutes he played with zero shots and no chances created. Unfortunately he saw Union get a late equalizer and the match ended 2-2.

Mainz will host Ibrahimovic and Heidenheim on Tuesday and then will be away to Köln on Saturday.

England – Premier League

There are two players on loan to the English Premier League: João Palhinha and Jonah Kusi-Asare,

João Palhinha – Tottenham

Although Spurs are still struggling, Palhinha is starting to get more time with Tottenham since December. He started both matches this week and played the full 90 minutes. On Wednesday, Spurs were at Bournemouth in league play. Bavarian Loan Works alum Mathys Tel scored first for Spurs but his goal was cancelled out by two Bournemouth goals before halftime. Palhinha scored a nice overhead kick in the 78th minute to level the match at 2-2. He had one other blocked shot on the day, but did not create any chances for his teammates. Unfortunately, Bournemouth scored a late winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Spurs fell 3-2.

Spurs hosted Aston Villa on Saturday in FA Cup play. Palhinha started again and played the full 90 minutes. He did not have a shot attempt until the 71st minute, at which time they were already down 2-1. He also had two chances created, but neither ended in a goal. Spurs could not find a goal to keep their FA Cup run alive and they flew out with a 2-1 home loss.

Spurs will host cross-town rivals, West Ham, on Saturday.

Jonah Kusi-Asare – Fulham

Kusi-Asare has played just 11 minutes over the last month until Saturday’s FA Cup match. Fulham hosted Championship side Middlesborough and Kusi-Asare started up top. He had one shot attempt which was on goal, but saved in the 14th minute. He did not create any chances for his teammates to shoot. He was subbed off in the 56th minute with his team down 1-0. Fulham equalized within five minutes and went on to find two more to advance with a 3-1 win.

Fulham travel to face Leeds United on Saturday.

England — Championship

Daniel Peretz is the only player on loan to England’s Championship.

Daniel Peretz – Southampton

Peretz forced a move out of the Bundesliga, something that he was vocal about since the beginning of the season when he was named second. He made his debut for Southampton on Saturday in an FA Cup fixture against Doncaster Rovers of the third division. His team went up 3-0 in the first half and Peretz recorded two saves to keep a clean sheet in the first half. Doncaster scored two goals to bring the score within one. He needed two saves in the 90th minute from a corner to secure the 3-2 win for his new team.

Southampton will host Hull City on Saturday.

Spain – La Liga

Bryan Zaragoza is the only player on loan to Spain’s La Liga.

Bryan Zaragoza – Celta Vigo

Zaragoza has played just twice since the last edition in December. His last appearance was last weekend, when he started at home against Valencia. He had one shot — on goal, from a tight angle — and created a chance for his teammates to shoot. He also completed 92% passes, misplaying just one pass. He was subbed off in the 67th minute with his team up 2-0. Celta Vigo went onto win 4-1.

Celta Vigo will travel to face Sevilla on Monday and then host Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

Switzerland – Super League

Lovro Zvonarek is the only player on loan from the first team to the Swiss Super League.

Lovro Zvonarek – Grasshopper

Grasshopper returns to play after the winter break on Sunday with a home match against Thun.

Germany – 2. Bundesliga

There are two players from the first team on loan to the 2. Bundesliga: Maurice Krattenmacher and Tarek Buchman.

Maurice Krattenmacher – Hertha BSC

Krattenmacher and Hertha will return to play on Saturday against Schalke 04.

Tarek Buchman – 1. FC Nürnberg

Nürnberg will return from break on Saturday with a home match against Elversberg. Buchman is not listed on the injury report as of now. Hopefully he can make his return from injury this weekend.

FC Bayern Munich II

There are seven players on loan from the second team.

Germany – 2. Bundesliga

There are two players on loan from the second team in the 2. Bundesliga: Noel Aseko and Paul Scholl.

Noel Aseko – Hannover 96

Hannover will be on the road against Kaiserslautern on Sunday.

Paul Scholl – Karlsruher SC

KSC will be on the road against Preussen Münster on Saturday.

Germany – 3. Liga

Max Schmitt is the only player on loan in the 3. Liga.

Max Schmitt – SSV Ulm 1846

Ulm will host Wehen Wiesbaden on Saturday in their return to play.

Germany – Regionalliga

There are two players on loan in the Regionalliga Südwest: Benedikt Wimmer and David Emmanuel.

The Regionalliga Southwest will return to play on the weekend of February 21.

Benedikt Wimmer – SV Sandhausen

David Emmanuel – Hessen Kassel

Switzerland – Super League

Johnathan Asp Jensen is the only player from the second league on loan to the Swiss Super League.

Johnathan Asp Jensen – Grasshopper

Grasshopper returns to play after the winter break on Sunday with a home match against Thun.

Austria – Bundesliga

Maximilian Hennig is the only player on loan to the Austrian Bundesliga.

Maximillian Hennig – TSV Hartberg

Hartberg will return to play on February 7.

Austria – 2. Liga

Mudaser Sedat is the only person on loan to Austria’s second league.

Mudaser Sedat – Amstetten

Amstetten will return to play on February 22.

FC Bayern Munich Frauen

There are currently no players on loan from the Frauen team.

🚨⚪️ Tottenham Hotspur have a clear internal plan at the moment to only decide on João #Palhinha’s future after the end of the season.

THFC have an option to buy in summer, set at €25m guaranteed. With potential add-ons through bonuses, the option can rise to up to €30m.

Under manager Thomas Frank, Tottenham have yet to find a clear sporting identity. Palhinha, valued for his defensive qualities, may not be a perfect fit for the dynamic, high-intensity system that Frank prefers. The Dane has doubts about whether Palhinha can play a key role in the team in the long term. The midfield partnership with Rodrigo Bentancur, in particular, is considered too defensive internally. Despite inconsistent form, Bentancur continues to enjoy the manager’s confidence, which further complicates Palhinha’s position.

Adding to the challenge is the intense competition in Spurs’ midfield. Young talents like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall are pushing for more playing time, and Pape Matar Sarr could also play a role after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. Tottenham plans to nurture the development of these young players and is also considering signing another midfielder in January.

Another factor influencing Palhinha’s future is Spurs’ financial considerations. Although the transfer fee of around €30 million seems relatively moderate for an experienced Premier League player, Palhinha’s salary would place him among the highest earners in the squad. Tottenham are keen to control the club’s wage structure, which complicates the decision to make a permanent signing.

Bayern Munich have made an ‘informal enquiry’ for Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic after his impressive displays out on loan, according to reports.

The 18-year-old centre-back has been in good form while out on loan at Hamburger SV this season with Vuskovic scoring two goals in 15 appearances in all competitions.

Caught Offside claim that the Croatian youngster ‘has caught the eye with a series of composed and authoritative performances in Germany, prompting enquiries from the Bundesliga’s elite.’

The report adds: ‘Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig are believed to have gone a step further, making informal approaches to Tottenham Hotspur to explore the defender’s availability.

Real Madrid and top Premier League clubs have been scouting AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit, who also has plenty more interest from other top clubs around Europe, according to Fabrizio Romano. Even so, he adds that a move isn’t likely to happen until the summer. AZ would not accept the €50 million that has been reported as the 19-year-old’s valuation, as the Eredevisie club has already turned down offers that would eventually reach €60m.

Speaking on Amazon Prime DE, Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck spoke about his ambition to win the Bundesliga. With no sign of a contract extension with BVB, do the centreback’s comments point to a move to Bayern Munich?

“My goal is to win a championship in Germany,” explained Schlotterbeck.

The German international went on to discuss missed opportunities during his time in the famous Yellow Black (Author’s Note: Please note we updated spelling from the original text) jerseys at Dortmund:

“We were close. The Champions League is very difficult to win; we were close there, too. I was also close in the DFB Cup. As a professional footballer, I’ve only won the U21 European Championship. I want to finally hold something in my hands.”

According to a recent report from Defensa Central, the club has flatly rejected a proposed swap deal from Juventus that involved Güler and their own rising star Kenan Yildiz. The reason behind this is the fact that Guler has become a key part of Xabi Alonso’s plans. Far from being a rotation option, the Turkish international has grown into one of the coach’s most trusted players and is now starting the majority of matches this season.

Juventus are among the clubs monitoring Guler closely, especially since they are going through a tricky period with regard to the contract renewal issues with Kenan Yildiz. Aware that Yildiz is highly rated at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Italian giants reportedly floated the idea of a player swap as a potential solution, an idea that, even if discussed informally, never truly stood a chance.

It is known that Guler is considered non-negotiable. The club see him as a cornerstone for both the present and the future, not a bargaining chip, regardless of the profile or potential of the player offered in return.