The Bayern Insider: Guehi & Olise strategy could destroy Premier League plans | OneFootball

Welcome to today’s exclusive & comprehensive round-up of all things Bayern Munich from Bayern insider Christian Falk. Featuring updates on Bruno Fernandes, Vincent Kompany, Nico Schlotterbeck and Marc Guehi.

Today’s top stories

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The “quarterback” role Harry Kane played during Bayern’s 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga was one he was excited to talk to us about after the match. It was one of the best performances of his career!

Shame on us – we didn’t give him the best mark in our player ratings over at BILD the next day! Here in Germany we’ve got a different marking system, “1” to signify the best possible performance all the way down to “6” for the worst possible performance. We gave Kane just a “2”. We thought about this afterwards, and the next day we published a story to say, “Sorry, Harry! We’ll give you a new mark: Number one!” I think this was the right decision, as he was brilliant!

He keeps on scoring and scoring, and added to his tally again in the Champions League win against Club Brugge. He’s now level with Kylian Mbappe with five goals in the competition, which shows just how fantastic he is at the moment.!

Lennart Karl’s goal was great as well, by the way! You can see we have a big talent there at just 17 years of age. He has a lot of self-confidence, I can tell you that!

It’s interesting, of course, speaking about Karl and Harry in the same conversation. Vincent Kompany tried to calm the hype down when asked about the teenager in the press. Of course, it’s difficult when he’s already been called up to the German national team! Kompany said, “No, no – let’s keep him calm, let’s keep him quiet.” He pointed to the example set by the ever-hard-working Harry Kane. At 32 years old he’s still the first in and the last out at the training ground. Karl should look at Kane and follow that example; if he can manage that, Lennart Karl will be a big player.

That’s the way Kane delivers impact at Bayern – he’s such an industrious and brilliant player.

Bayern Munich beat Manchester City to the punch

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✅ It is TRUE: Manchester City were considering Vincent Kompany as a potential Pep Guardiola successor. We heard from the club – because we asked them why they would make the deal happen so quickly – that there was already an idea about giving Kompany a new contract. The talks were in place for 2026, and Kompany was in no rush; the Belgian was very confident about his future in Munich. However, things escalated when the Bayern bosses heard Man City were keeping tabs on their former player and captain.

Bayern are aware of the fact Pep Guardiola would like to leave in 2027 and of the convenient reality of Vincent Kompany’s contract coming to a close then. So, Bayern Munich said, “We have to do it now. We have to do it before City comes knocking on the door, as it’s Kompany’s former club. You don’t know how the 39-year-old will react! Also, it sounds quite attractive to be offered the role of Pep Guardiola’s successor! Regardless, Kompany agreed to extend his stay at the Allianz Arena.

Truth be told, his decision didn’t take longer than 24 hours. So the new contract came to fruition within a single week. Things were kept under wraps. It was very important for Vincent Kompany, as he didn’t want to disturb the team’s rhythm.

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Michael Olise may not make Premier League return

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✅ It is TRUE: Liverpool and Manchester City have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Michael Olise. We already heard that the French international doesn’t have a release clause in his contract (as was the case at Crystal Palace before). But, of course, no one could be 100% sure on the matter. Now, head of sport, Max Eberl, has officially confirmed that there is no release clause, and this was a clear sign to the Premier League to say, “You’ve got no chance of getting this player.” They now want to give him a new contract, and I can tell you that Olise is really, really into the team.

Michael Olise isn’t a man who’s talking a lot, but what I can say is that he’s always talking to his teammates on WhatsApp when he’s at home on the couch. Players have told us he’s constantly dropping WhatsApp bombs and saying, “Hey, how are you? Are you feeling well? You trained great today!” So, he’s quiet when it comes to the media, but he’s a big WhatsApp leader in the group.

Bayern put Vlahović plans on hold

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✅ It is TRUE: Dušan Vlahović is no longer part of the club’s transfer plans, for the moment. There was interest in the Serbian, but I think the club’s thought process at the moment is revolving around Harry Kane’s brilliant form and performances. Having two big strikers at the club isn’t always so easy, as Vlahović will undoubtedtly want frequent game time as well, and he’d want a big salary, even as a free agent.

The other thing we heard is that many Premier League clubs are behind them, Tottenham is leading the race. Manchester United and Chelsea are also interested. So, you know, if such clubs are already at the table, it then becomes a question of moneu (potentially a lot of money).

If Bayern Munich could get Vlahović as a free agent and say, “Hey, perhaps you don’t earn as much,” there would have been a chance. But with these clubs at the table, FC Bayern are not prepared to open talks at the moment.

Bayern face PSG competition for Said El Mala

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✅ It is TRUE: Reported Bayern target Said El Mala is catching the eye of PSG and Inter Milan. Bayern have him on the list. They’re not so afraid of these two clubs.

However, we heard in Munich, and this could be interesting for the Premier League, that Manchester City also have him on their list. When City are at the table, Bayern Munich are always aware that things could get a little risky, as the two clubs are playing a similar style and Pep Guardiola is an attractive coach for a young player.

So, Bayern told FC Köln, “If there are any calls from Man City, please give us a signal to also make an offer.” It’s not a matching right, to be absolutely clear, as that’s always in written form.

Bruno Fernandes is pushing for Man Utd contract

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❌ It is NOT TRUE: Bayern Munich have added Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes to their shortlist. He’s not on there. I think FC Bayern are being used in a little poker game, as the Portuguese international wants a new contract.

I asked one of the decision-makers at Bayern and they gave me a really big and clear “not true” on these rumours. Yes, he’s an interesting player, of course, but he’s not a young star anymore. Fernandes also has a big salary and it’s been clear for a while now that the Bundesliga champions want to reduce the wage bill.

So, there’s no chance for Bruno Fernandes at Bayern Munich at the moment.

Are Bayern ahead of Liverpool for Nico Schlotterbeck?

I can’t say it’s true, in this case, that Bayern Munich are ahead of Liverpool in the race for Nico Schlotterbeck. That’s because Bayern aren’t putting a lot of pressure on this deal at the present time. There are still talks between Borussia Dortmund and Schlotterbeck over the possibility of a new contract.

That said, Bayern do have the Germany international on their list, of course, and now they have to wait and see how things go with two other names – Dayot Upamecano and Marc Guehi. So, Schlotterbeck is on the list, but he’s not the number one target on the list.

Jonathan Tah is Bayern’s only German defender since Philipp Lahm, so they are searching for such players. However, if the other two solutions work out as planned, they won’t need Nico Schlotterbeck.

Is Marc Guehi going to move to the Bundesliga?

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✅ It is TRUE: Bayern Munich hold the advantage over Premier League clubs for the signing of Marc Guehi. There are two reasons for this. There are reports in Germany that one of Guehi’s agents, Gordon Stipic, was already in Munich for talks, as claimed on Sky Sports. So this could be the case.

One thing for certain: sporting director Christoph Freund, the right hand man of Max Eberl, is from Austria and he has a strong connection to Oliver Glasner. We know that that there are talks between these two friends, both of whom previously worked for Red Bull. Freund is putting pressure for Guehi to come to Bayern Munich. The England international would be a perfect solution. He’s the captain of Crystal Palace, a potential free agent, and his salary isn’t looking as high as the other superstars in the Premier League.

So there’s a good chance for Bayern, and they have a good role lying in wait for him. With that in mind, FC Bayern are working hard on this deal. That’s why they’re ahead – they have a clear plan.

Will Real Madrid steal Dayot Upamecano?

✅ It is TRUE: Bayern Munich have a big hope that Dayot Upamecano will sign a new contract. However, I heard that there is still yet to be a major breakthrough in contract talks. There’s still a big question mark hanging over the signing fee. Alphonso Davies got a lot of money here, nearly €20m [£17.4m]. Upamecano also wants a sizeable signing fee.

If Marc Guehi were to come to Munich, yes, the club would also have to pay a signing fee, as he’s a free agent. So, this is a big ongoing discussion inside the halls of power at Säbener Straße. Upamecano is already a high salary earner for a defender in Germany. I don’t know how much defenders are on at English clubs, but with €60m (including add-ons), he’s already well-paid. So it’s hard to add a potentially significant signing fee on top.

Bayern are still, regardless, in productive talks. Dayot Upamecano could imagine staying at the club, but in the end it’s a question of money.

By the way, yes, it is also true that Upamecano has leapfrogged Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate on Real Madrid’s wishlist. They have a big eye on him. His management team, led by Moussa Sissoko, are putting pressure on Bayern in the talks. Upamecano would be a good deal for Real Madrid. They’re always looking at free agent defenders, as they don’t want to have to spend money on them.

So Konate and Upamecano are leading the race in this case. Don’t forget that both David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger were both also free agents when they first arrived in Madrid. So, these are the kind of targets Real Madrid love. If they get one of them, they’ll be happy. But if they can both? They’ll be even happier, as both Alaba and Rüdiger are set to depart (perhaps to Saudi Arabia). So, they need defenders.

Is Kim Min-jae destined for Serie A return?

✅ It is TRUE: Juventus could try and sign Kim Min-jae in January. Bayern, of course, doesn’t want to sell in the winter. Perhaps, if they could bring Marc Guehi to the side in January, this could be an opportunity.

However, in this case, I have to tell you that Juventus aren’t the only interested club from Italy. AC Milan and Inter Milan are both more concrete at the moment for the signing of Kim. They’re really concretely interested.

So, you see, his prior performances at Napoli in Serie A are still remembered in Italy, and there is so much interest in the South Korea international’s services. Those two main clubs will try to sign him in the summer, but if there is a chance in the winter, I think that will also be an option on the table.