Bavarian Football Works

🚨⚪️ Official offer from Tottenham to RB Leipzig for Xavi #Simons – 100% confirmed, with both clubs in direct contact today.

Tottenham are pushing. Xavi Simons is in London.

An agreement between Leipzig and Tottenham is seen as a matter of time. RB demand €70m including add-ons. No decision for now – it’s up to Xavi and any potential Chelsea movement.

🚨💣 BREAKING | Tottenham are now preparing to hijack the imminent deal for #Xavi Simons to Chelsea.

Xavi has been excused from team duties due to contract talks and is no longer in Leipzig, as RB confirm. #CFC #COYS

Xavi and Chelsea still have a full agreement in place – and Chelsea remain very much in the race, now alongside Tottenham. Leipzig are waiting for official offers.

@philipphinze24 @SkySportDE

Bayern Munich is currently scrambling to get players to fill in for different positions in the team to help get them by while other players work on their recovery. The midfield is one of those short in players, and Bayern went and loaned out one of them. He then went on to become the Man of the Match against big Manchester City.

João Palhinha had himself a day with Tottenham Hotspur, producing this display (Sofa Score via @iMiaSanMia):

His goal came from pouncing on a loose ball in the box. This stemmed from Man City goalkeeper James Trafford’s pass out of the back intended for Nico González getting intercepted by Pape Matar Sarr; Trafford ended up parrying it to Palhinha in an attempt to divert the ball from Richarlison. Brennan Johnson got Tottenham’s other goal, eleven minutes prior.

This puts Spurs joint second in the Premier League so far after two matches, alongside Arsenal.

Bayern Munich defensive midfielder João Palhinha has joined Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in a loan move that feels more like the prelude to an exit. But it will be up to Spurs to decide the Portuguese international has offered enough to trigger a buy clause.

So what is Tottenham getting? An old friend — Spurs legend, now Bayern striker Harry Kane — offered his two cents.

”He’s tough, he tackles hard, he’s good on the ball, he knows the Premier League well from his time at Fulham and he’s a guy that will give everything for you,” Kane said for @SpursOfficial (as captured by @iMiaSanMia) after the recent preseason friendly between the two clubs, which Bayern won 4-0. “I know he’s going to a good place and he’ll hopefully get some more game time and show what he can do.”

Palhinha did not have a good time getting on the field in his one season in Bavaria, partly due to injury and partly due to fit. But if all goes well, he will join former Bayern teammate Mathys Tel in the loan-to-transfer pipeline from Säbener Straße to Hotspur Way.

Rumors emerged on Saturday that Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool FC were all poised to make a move for Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane after this season.

Well, there could be one more club in the mix — FC Barcelona:

Tottenham could strongly ponder a move to bring Harry Kane back next year when a clause in his Bayern Munich deal activates, with Barcelona also keen. As per Fichajes, Barcelona are also in the mix if the release clause in Kane’s contract comes true. The Catalans have a formidable striker in Robert Lewandowski, who, much like the Bayern Munich mainstay, has continued to show immense form in front of goal.

However, the ageing Polish star may need to be replaced at some stage, and this is where Barcelona might consider making the move for Kane. Whether they can conjure up a deal for the talismanic English striker remains to be seen, but teams like Tottenham will be on alert if they sniff an opportunity to bring their former player back.

The presence of Lewandowski would seemingly block this kind of move, but the Polish Hitman’s future could be up in the air in Catalonia as well. The striker’s contracts ends after this season, which could make him a candidate for an exit.

As it stands, the early noise sure makes it seem like Kane could be looking to leave Bavaria after this season.

Benjamin Šeško is officially a player for Manchester United:

Bayern Munich was a fan of Šeško. The move to Manchester United takes one more option for a successor to Harry Kane off the table for 2026/27.

Bayern Munich is off to a great start in the preseason, but the roster might not be settled just yet. Max Eberl and company could still have some work to do during this transfer window when it comes to incoming and outgoing transfers. Let’s talk about it all!

This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:

Bayern Munich should have fans feeling good about where things stand so far.

Al Nassr wants Kingsley Coman, but is this the right time to sell.

Lennart Karl is going to ink a new deal.

Where do things stand with Bayern Munich, VfB Stuttgart, and Nick Woltemade? Let’s catch up on the topic of the summer.

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If you like our podcasts and want more, or just want to listen our episodes ad-free, then support us on Patreon! Every single dollar will be used to help boost the coverage of the team we all love. Mia San Mia.

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Tottenham Hotspur has a deep and talented roster, but that might not stop it from trying to pry Jack Grealish away from Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has no use for the player, but Grealish has not exactly been beating the drum to leave either:

Tottenham are considering signing Manchester City’s Jack Grealish. Grealish did not fit into Pep Guardiola’s plans last season and made the starting XI in just seven Premier League matches. After Maddison was ruled out for the season and Morgan Gibbs-White was not brought in, the club are looking for a new No.10. Meanwhile, Ian Darke believes as reported by TottenhamHotspurNews, Spurs could now step up their pursuit of Grealish.

Frank’s tactics requires a player who can control the ball, create chances and set the tempo and Grealish is a master of that. The 29-year-old’s experience and proven ability in the Premier League could reinvent Spurs’ attack.

Newcastle United could be poised to make a move for Paris Saint Germain attacker Randal Kolo Muani:

🚨⚫️⚪️ BREAKING | Newcastle United have opened negotiations with Randal Kolo Muani!

The 26 y/o is now high on Newcastle’s shortlist after their move for Benjamin Sesko fell through. While #NUFC are exploring other options, Kolo Muani is a concrete target. Contract with Paris Saint-Germain valid until 2028.

Bayern Munich hosted Tottenham Hotspur in the ever-important Telekom Cup, which the Bavarians were able to smash the visitors 4-0 in a match that saw Bayern’s young players make a big impact in substitute roles.

Let’s talk about all of that and more on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show. This is what we have on tap:

A look at the starting XI and our thoughts on why this lineup might not be too far off from what Vincent Kompany uses to begin the season.

Leon Goretzka could have potentially sealed up a starting role, but he missed on three good goal-scoring chances.

It’s hard to figure out why there is a debate at left-back between who to start between Josip Stanišić over Raphaël Guerreiro.

A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.

Bayern Munich looked…dangerous.

Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match.

Support Bavarian Podcast Works on Patreon!

If you like our podcasts and want more, or just want to listen our episodes ad-free, then support us on Patreon! Every single dollar will be used to help boost the coverage of the team we all love. Mia San Mia.

DONATE NOW!

Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.

With Benjamin Šeško now at Manchester United, RB Leipzig could take a look at former Bayern Munich transfer target Ricardo Pepi to help fill the void:

PSV forward Ricardo Pepi is a candidate to replace Sesko at RB Leipzig, Footmercato has revealed. The USMNT international is wanted by a host of clubs, having previously been the subject of a €30m bid from Premier League side Fulham. Leipzig will have to bid much higher if they wish to sign Pepi, who scored 18 goals in 29 Eredivisie games last season. He is viewed as an “important player” by PSV, who have already lost Malik Tillman, Johan Bakayoko and Noa Lang since the transfer window opened last month.

Early Saturday, Newcastle United looked like it might be getting closer to a deal with AC Milan for Malick Thiaw:

🚨⚪️⚫️ Newcastle have improved their proposal to AC Milan for Malick Thiaw as personal terms are agreed.

Negotiations underway club to club, as Milan manager Allegri wants to keep Thiaw; but improved bid has now been submitted.

As Saturday would develop, Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg reported that AC Milan and Newcastle United had reached a deal for Thiaw:

🚨⤵️ Malick #Thiaw joins Newcastle after the agreement was reached, as exclusively revealed today. AC Milan are to receive €42m in total (38+4). He will arrive on Sunday, with his medical scheduled for Monday. #NUFC @berger_pj

Let’s catch up on the comings and goings of the last few days. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:

Bavarian Football Works is still migrating...trust us, we are waiting to fire away.

Tarek Buchmann’s rumored move to 1. FC Nürnberg is now official -let’s talk about the details and what it means for his future.

Thomas Müller is still rocking his Bayern Munich kit and training with the team, but don’t get your hopes up.

The Bayern Munich big wigs had a secret meeting and Bild has the details. You might not like what you hear!

Did Bayern Munich make the right decision in keeping Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka? What about Kim Min-jae? Who might still go? We might know.

Support Bavarian Podcast Works on Patreon!

If you like our podcasts and want more, or just want to listen our episodes ad-free, then support us on Patreon! Every single dollar will be used to help boost the coverage of the team we all love. Mia San Mia.

DONATE NOW!

Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.

Tottenham have plotted a course for a sensational return for Harry Kane after details of the release clause in his Bayern Munich were revealed.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed what sources have said about the 32-year-old’s future and a possible return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

O’Rourke explained that Tottenham’s first refusal on any deal for the Bayern Munich star has put them in a strong position as they consider a potential reunion.

“Obviously if a player like Harry Kane is willing to come back to the Premier League, there will be clubs very much interested,” he told Football Insider. “The big question is which English club will be looking to bring him back to the Premier League? Obviously, he’s the second-highest goalscorer in the Premier League behind Alan Shearer, so that might be in his mind to come back and break that record. He’s got a release clause which decreases the closer it gets to the end of his Bayern Munich contract. So he could be available from January for around £56million, which would be a bargain for Kane. The only negative is his age, he’s 32 now and will be 33 next season, will any of the elite clubs be willing to go out and sign him?

“If Harry Kane does become available next summer, clubs will be interested. Tottenham have first refusal on the deal, so could bring Kane back. It’s part of the contract, Daniel Levy admitted it after Harry made the move to Bayern Munich. Basically, they can match any other club’s bid for Harry Kane, so if they’re willing to being him back they can do a deal and it would be a popular one among their fans. Any move is a way away, there will be more talk about this from January onwards into next summer, but for now his focus is on Bayern Munich.”

After watching his team get trounced 4-0 at the hands of Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank came away thoroughly impressed with the Bavarians.

In fact, Frank thinks Bayern Munich is one of a handful of teams capable of winning the Champions League this season.

“We were obviously playing a very good team. Bayern in my opinion are one of the teams that probably are favourites to win the Champions League. They hit a good level, we didn’t hit a good level, that’s a bad combination but we will definitely learn from this one,” Frank told Tottenham Hotspur’s club website (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).

Bayern Munich was, indeed, impressive in the Telekom Cup victory over Tottenham. There is a long road to hoe before anyone can start thinking about winning Europe’s biggest tournament, though. As of now, Bayern Munich’s odds (per FanDuel) to win the UCL are + 1000.

Looking for thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich rousing 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Telekom Cup? Awesome, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show! We’ve got a look at the starting XI and our thoughts on why this lineup might not be too far off from what Vincent Kompany uses to begin the season, a rundown of the scoring and substitutions, and some final thoughts and takeaways on the match. You can get the show on Patreon, Acast, Spotify, any leading podcast distributor, or below:

Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.

Bayern Munich faced Tottenham Hotspur in the pre-season Telekom Cup and walked out with a convincing 4-0 win. Here are a few observations from the game.

The scoreline does not tell the whole story…

A 4-0 win is convincing enough, but not when the game had a lot more going. The finishing troubles continue to haunt Bayern this season too, as players like Harry Kane and Leon Goretzka failed to score even from very simple and uncomplicated situations. Michael Olise, too, missed a clear tap-in in an instance and this was pretty much the theme of the first half. The attacking chances were phenomenal, the team interacted incredibly well and pressed incredibly well, and yet the result was not what it could have been.

In what was very atypical of Harry Kane, he missed a penalty. Let that sink in. Kane, a seasoned striker, slipped, got a double touch and missed a penalty. He had multiple misses throughout his time on the pitch. Additionally, he was positioned very bizarrely for a striker, often found dropping much deeper than the wingers, in almost a position between left wing and attacking midfield. Following last season’s finishing woes, it seems like Kane did not receive the memo on staying closer to the net.

Yes, Tottenham were extremely poor at their job; they crumbled with the press and had barely anything going on. They did not even remotely deny or sabotage Bayern’s chances – but Bayern was more than capable of doing it for themselves.

However, in the second half Kompany turned it over to the youth… which is a topic for later.

It was always you.

In the current circumstance where Bayern has virtually no depth in wings and is reliant on Serge Gnabry or Kingsley Coman, Luis Díaz is the single most important purchase the club could have made this season. Díaz had nothing short of a magical game – he was aggressive, smart, and gelled with the team extremely well.

His passing was quick, accurate and effective and his dribbling certainly catches the eye. Thankfully, he is not just another all-skills-no-output winger, but someone with the game intelligence and the timing sense needed to thrive at Bayern. His presence has single-handedly bolstered the attack, especially in the final third.

Is it too late now to say sorry?

There are people at Bayern to whom I owe long-due apologies and Leon Goretzka and Vincent Kompany are among them.

Goretzka first.

He had an amazing game. He was decisive, smart and handled the opponents with ease. Granted, he missed several major and easy chances. However, the improvement from an error-prone and easily overrun Goretzka to this new version of him, who seems a lot more composed, is more than enough for now.

Kompany, man. While he has received his share of deserved criticism, he seems to have turned a new leaf. The system, mostly unchanged, now looks full of players who are willing to, and are capable of handing an above-average performance every week. The signings have certainly done the Belgian a huge favour – Jonathan Tah was fantastic and Tom Bischoff too had an amazing game. However, what has really changed is his attitude towards youngsters. Choosing to sub in nearly every second team player he had on hand for the second half was not just bold, but also a decision that proved to be the best later on.

I also owe an apology to Sacha Boey – for he was not bad at all in his second half stint.

The kids aren’t alright…

They’re phenomenal.

Witnessing a phenomenal performance from a second team player is amazing enough on its own. However, against a team like Spurs, and when every youngster puts in a terrific performance, it is truly out of a dream.

From the terrific goals from Jonah Kusi-Asare and Lennart Karl, to the assists from Paul Wanner and Santos, and the performances from midfield and defense (Cassiano Kiala!), everything about these youngsters was incredible. It hardly felt like they were inexperienced kids – they did make a few errors as they tried to navigate their way through, but managed to put up a good fight, with their foot on the gas the whole time.

One can only pray that Kompany decides to let them play more often. If they can completely shut down Europa champions Tottenham Hotspur, they can be at least half-decent against Bundesliga teams.

Only know you love her when you let her go…

But not really.

It was disheartening to watch João Palhinha and Mathys Tel play like shadows of their former selves. Palhinha had a particularly bad game, and was responsible for conceding the penalty. He was constantly overrun by attackers and simply could not handle the situation. Tel, though he is an incredibly promising player, had a forgettable game too. While we cannot immediately jump to conclusions from one preseason friendly, it certainly makes it a lot easier to accept Tel being sold.

What do you think about the game? Let us know in the comments!

Looking for thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich rousing 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Telekom Cup? Awesome, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show! We’ve got a look at the starting XI and our thoughts on why this lineup might not be too far off from what Vincent Kompany uses to begin the season, a rundown of the scoring and substitutions, and some final thoughts and takeaways on the match. You can get the show on Patreon, Acast, Spotify, any leading podcast distributor, or below:

Support Bavarian Podcast Works on Patreon!

If you like our podcasts and want more, or just want to listen our episodes ad-free, then support us on Patreon! Every single dollar will be used to help boost the coverage of the team we all love. Mia San Mia.

DONATE NOW!

Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.

João Palhinha has had a tough period at Bayern Munich. Playing second fiddle to a midfielder that basically the entire fanbase wanted out of the club for a good few years and a coach seemingly too stubborn to give him a chance to shine were the two stumbling blocks at Bayern, so the 30-year-old Portuguese will ply his trade for the season at Tottenham Hotspur. Coach Thomas Frank is excited to play with him, just not in the way you just thought of right now.

”It was always his abilities, and if you look at the squad, I don’t think we have his ability or package as a clear number six with his profile”, Frank told Football London (via Hotspur HQ). Spurs’ other midfielders were either too young or not consistent enough, so the Danish tactician hoped that the former Fulham man would give them a boost especially in Europe.

Manchester United found no way through Tottenham’s midfield of Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Pape Matar Sarr during last season’s Europa League final, so it was thought that defensive stability in the middle was needed before anything.

This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:

Tottenham Hotspur has made it official — Bayern Munich midfielder João Palhinha is headed to London for a season-long loan:

We are delighted to announce the signing of João Palhinha on loan from FC Bayern, subject to international clearance and work permit.

The 30-year-old Portugal international joins the Club on loan until the end of the 2025/26 season with an option to make the move permanent next summer.

Tottenham Hotspur also released the announcement on its social media channels:

Bayern Munich also acknowledged the move:

Palhinha’s tenure in Bavaria lasted just over a year and really never made any sense since the club had no plan for how to use him. That said, Palhinha did not exactly go out and win a job, ether. Hopefully, this move back to England will rejuvenate the defensive midfielder’s career.

Check out what we have in store for the latest edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:

Bayern Munich got off to a good start for the 2025/26 season, so let’s unpack how we’re feeling about there things stand and how they look.

Did the debut of Luis Díaz excite you?

Are you bought into Tom Bischof and do you think there are enough minutes to go around in the midfield.

Paul Wanner could get his chance…is he ready?

Joao Palhinha’s move works for everyone involved.

It is time to stop messing about, Bayern Munich needs to go get Nick Woltemade and stop its standoff with VfB Stuttgart.

Our “too early” transfer report card on Bayern’s moves.

Catching up on all of Bayern Munich’s moves so far for the first team and on campus.

You can get the podcast on Patreon, Acast, Spotify, any leading podcast distributor, or below: