The Bayern Insider: Munich tracking Man City “sham” scandal as Olise exit clause mooted | OneFootball

Welcome to today’s exclusive & comprehensive round-up of all things Bayern Munich from Bayern insider Christian Falk. Featuring updates on Erling Haaland, Michael Olise, Luis Diaz, and Dani Olmo.

Today’s top stories

“I prefer a bad start to a bad ending,” were the words of Jürgen Klopp after Germany’s 1-0 defeat to Greece. I was at the press conference and have been travelling with him since the team met up on Monday. I can say there is a completely different spirit now compared to what we saw at the World Cup. Klopp has given the team and the nation hope, and it’s very interesting to see the former Liverpool manager again. When he was at Red Bull, he was across a lot of things, so you didn’t always have a chance to talk to him. The last time we met was in Liverpool and he’s still a little bit “English”. When you’re sitting in the press conference and asking your questions, you notice, particularly in Amsterdam, that there were a lot of English reporters from The Times and other English papers coming just for Jürgen.

(Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

It’s so funny when they’re asking questions and you can see the relationship that was built up over years, as he was, of course, away for many years. He was joking with one reporter, telling him Scouse is better because the Liverpool-based reporter’s English is terrible! Then after the press conference, there were three English reporters sticking close to Jürgen. We’ve known Jürgen Klopp for ages but then you’re standing around and thinking, ‘Oh yeah, he did spend a long time away from Germany and he has some new buddies – and we’re a little bit out at the moment!’

At any rate, Jürgen showed with the 2-0 win against Serbia that he is on the right track in this new era for the German national team.

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Bayern’s reaction to Man City charges

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Bayern Munich have an eye on the legal proceedings taking place between Manchester City and the Premier League over the former’s breaches of the league’s financial rules. But at the moment, they’re not taking any action. They want to see what happens first, pending the result of an appeal from the Sky Blues. There are many titles and trophies City could yet be stripped of, which is why FC Bayern want to wait and see what City’s English rivals are planning to do.

On the other hand, it’s worth bearing in mind that they have a big relationship with Manchester City. There was a secret meeting with former Bayern boss Pep Guardiola in the last week; Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß were there. So they’re keeping a little quiet at the moment, as they know it’s an issue that also affects Pep. From the German perspective, it’s a very interesting situation. You look at clubs like Liverpool, who missed out on three titles due to City’s actions, two of them Premier League titles and one League Cup. Jürgen Klopp was asked fabout this topic and he’s of a similar mind to FC Bayern right now – there’s no decision yet. He was keen to stress that he couldn’t really say anything while the process is ongoing. But, you can see that everyone has an eye on this story and it’ll be interesting to see how it develops.

Could Erling Haaland become an option for Bayern?

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Bayern are keeping an eye on Erling Haaland amid the Premier League’s ongoing case against Manchester City. FC Bayern are focusing on contract talks with their own top striker, Harry Kane. The talks are going well and the club thinks the Englishman will decide after the international break. If he signs a new two-year contract (perhaps with the option of a third year) then Vincent Kompany’s side already has a very good player in this position. Don’t forget that there isn’t just the transfer fee to consider with a player like Haaland; there’s also the salary.  Bayern Munich doesn’t tend to pay salaries in the range of what the Norwegian international is earning in Manchester (about €35m [£29.8m], we heard). It’s an enormous price to take the player out of City before even considering the transfer fee. Even if he were to become available on a free transfer, you’re still paying a signing-on fee for the player. So, at the moment, Bayern are looking at the situation – and they do admire Erling Haaland (as every club in Europe does) – but they’re so happy with Harry Kane that there’s simply no space, on the one hand on the pitch, and on the other hand, on the wage bill.

Michael Olise and the possibility of a release clause

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It’s an interesting situation around Michael Olise’s potential new contract. As we know, FC Bayern want to first sort a deal with Harry Kane, and then after that they want to work on a new deal with Olise. They want to give the Frenchman some time and hold off on a decision until next summer. But time is running and there are rumours around what the winger might want and what the situation will look like if he signs. Bayern Munich has a clear plan. He’s currently on a long-term contract, but he’s only on €14m [£11.9m] (as he was signed from Crystal Palace). The top earners, like Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane, are taking a lot more money – €25m [£21.3m] in Harry’s case. Bayern could now say, if Olise puts pen to paper on a new contract, early into his current deal, he will immediately get a new, bumper salary. You see that the range between €14m-25m is really big, and over the course of three years, we’re talking about a lot of money. So, they can give Olise and his camp some time to think about this while also considering that “something else”.

That “something else”, of course, is the prospect of an exit clause. While there was a release clause in Michael Olise’s old contract at Crystal Palace, FC Bayern have been very keen to emphasise that there isn’t one present in his current deal in Munich. So, Olise’s could imagine that, if they agree a new contract, there will be a release clause included. Generally speaking, this is a no-go for Bayern Munich. Harry Kane had one that expired and Jamal Musiala had one. The big question will be just how high the fee will be. At the moment, the feeling at Bayern Munich is that it has to be worth at least €200m [£170.6m]. Interestingly, Transfermarkt (a site in Germany) say that Michael Olise is worth €170m [£145m]. Perhaps it’s the case that this €200m could be the starting point in the first year and then it goes down in the years that follow. Both sides have ideas on this subject, and this isn’t a bad thing – as it means both have a reason to talk!

Will Bayern secure left winger cover for Luis Diaz?

Bayern Munich heard the recent comments from Luis Diaz about the potential need for left-winger reinforcements. It wasn’t really a complaint; it was more just acknowledging the fact that he’s tired and things aren’t quite working out for him at the moment on the pitch. Diaz thought that Arijon Ibrahimović, a young player at the club, would stay in the squad and provide some cover, but Bayern ended up sending the player out on loan to FC Augsburg. Now, at the moment, there’s no direct replacement available. There is the idea that Alphonso Davies can play this position, but at the moment, the feeling is that it’s not enough. This is why Bayern has an eye on the market.

That said, we know that Bayern Munich isn’t the kind of club to make a transfer in the winter unless it’s absolutely necessary. Even then, this only happens if there’s the perfect player available on the market and the price isn’t too high. So, you can see it’s a little complicated. At the end of the day, if Bayern are to do anything with the squad, I think it will be to reinforce the left wing position. They have their eyes open to opportunities, but they need to find a player who fits the team.

Tim Binder could be an option this season

(Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)

We talked about Tim Binder at the start of the season because he was doing very well in pre-season. He’s been tipped to become the “new Lennart Karl” on the right wing, but he can also play on the left. I talked with a few people around Bayern Munich who agreed that the teenager has plenty of potential and could be the next cab off the rank like Karl. His game is not completely identical to Luis Diaz’s on the left flank; he’s not a player who’s always scoring himself but the 19-year-old is always registering good assists, which is valuable when you’ve got a striker like Harry Kane available. Binder is open-minded and hungry, so I think he could be the next one to come through the ranks at FC Bayern. He perhaps carries even more promise than Ibrahimović does. So, Bayern Munich are counting on him, which makes it even more of a pity that Binder was injured at the start of the season.

Is Jordan Pickford on Bayern’s shortlist?

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Jordan Pickford is being looked at by Bayern Munich as a potential backup option to Jonas Urbig next season. There was a meeting this week talking about goalkeepers who could become the next Bayern No.2. Pickford was not highly rated on the list. It’s worth bearing in mind, when we talk about the position, that it’s not always easy to convince a No.1 goalkeeper to give the place away and become a No.2 at another club. Of course, on the other hand, being a No.2 at a club like Bayern Munich is a big thing. Urbig has played about 30 competitive matches for FC Bayern already, and he is the current No.2. So, many names were actually discussed in this meeting – but they were German names! Fulham’s Bernd Leno, as we’ve already reported on CF Bayern Insider, is an option.

However, there are also other ‘keepers like Finn Dahmen (FC Augsburg) and Oliver Baumann (who was the No.1 with Germany for a short time during the qualifying rounds for the World Cup). The 36-year-old wants to get the record for the most Bundesliga appearances, currently held by Charly Körbel (602 matches). He has to play a little bit more to get this record (currently on 527), but then he’ll have to stay at Hoffenheim, where he is the No.1. Then there is also Marvin Schwäbe (FC Köln), who is also on the list. So, Bayern are discussing a lot of players. I don’t know if Pickford would be No.2 at Bayern anyway, even if he were a serious target.

Dani Olmo linked with January move to Bayern Munich

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❌ It is NOT TRUE: Bayern Munich are keeping an eye on Dani Olmo as a potential January window transfer. I talked with someone inside the club and they said the Spain international was not a serious option for Bayern Munich. You never know, of course, what might happen if Michael Olise doesn’t end up signing a new contract in the summer and is sold. At that point, Olmo’s name could be considered. Max Eberl, Bayern’s head of sport, knows the player well from his time at RB Leipzig. So, I wouldn’t say that Dani Olmo will absolutely not be on a list in the summer in the event FC Bayern have to find an Olise successor. However, Bayern Munich aren’t really focusing on such a list because they want to push hard to get Michael Olise on a new contract. Other names, like Florian Wirtz or Olmo would surely be on this list, but the best player in the position in Europe is Michael Olise. That’s why they want to keep the Frenchman.

Could Bayern pursue Mr Versatile: Marcos Llorente?

❌It is NOT TRUE: Marcos Llorente is high up on Bayern’s shortlist for a new right-back. He only recently stepped down from the national team at 31. The Spaniard still has a contract with Atletico Madrid, so he’s not cheap. Bayern Munich would prefer an option who’s younger; someone they could sell on and make money from in a few years if they wanted to leave. If you’re paying a price for Llorente, you have to accept you’re not getting the same money back. Normally, this isn’t the idea at Bayern. Marcos Llorente is ultimately a good buy if you need a player of his profile immediately, not for the long term. This is why Bayern Munich still have Konrad Laimer in this position and many backup options, including Josip Stanišić and Sacha Boey (the latter of whom they want to sell). It’s not hot at the moment for Marcos Llorente.

The Premier League advances on Givairo Read

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✅ It is TRUE: Givairo Read is still highly rated at Bayern Munich. There was no option to get him this summer. It’s not because he was too expensive or because they’re not convinced about him – they just couldn’t manage to sell Sacha Boey. Bayern still has the Frenchman’s salary on their wage bill. Max Eberl was just allowed to spend a budget capped at €70m [£59.6m]. All in all, he had to sell and beg, and in the end there was no money left for Read. For the future, they still like this player, and if they can move Boey on to another club, then there would be an idea to get this right-back and he would be highly rated for the position. Time, of course, is running, and there are a few Premier League clubs around that like Read as well. If one of them makes an offer, Bayern Munich would struggle to pay much more than their ideal price tag.

Real Madrid keeping an eye on Finn Jeltsch

❌It is NOT TRUE: Real Madrid are hot on the heels of VfB Stuttgart centre-back Finn Jeltsch. It is true that Los Blancos are aware of the 20-year-old. He’s still very highly rated at Bayern Munich; they like the player. At the moment, there’s no need for centre-back reinforcements in Munich, as Hiroki Ito and Min-jae Kim are still hanging around. But if they could sell one of these players, then Jeltsch would be a good option for Bayern Munich. He knows this. There were no concrete talks but Bayern made a sign that they were interested. Real Madrid could be a very big step for the player but I can confirm that there were no talks there either.

However, if you’ve been watching the Real Madrid bench, you may have noticed a familiar face from the Bundesliga in Sami Khedira. He’s one of José Mourinho’s assistants. Before, he was, of course, with VfB Stuttgart as a player before later taking a job as an advisor. Khedira knows Jeltsch and his potential very well. So, when there are rumours around Madrid suggesting that they’re interested in the defender, you can imagine how easy it would be for Khedira to initiate first contact. We’ll keep an eye on the situation but, for the time being, Bayern doesn’t have to be afraid of losing the player to Real Madrid. They have one hand on the centre-half and would be the first to make a move.

He’s a jewel of German football!

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge abstains from Max Eberl vote

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From the outside, I’m sure it would have been a bit surprising to learn that Karl-Heinz Rummenigge abstained from the vote to extend Max Eberl’s contract. For us, it was just as surprising that he gave an interview and revealed everything officially. We already know from the club’s official announcement on the subject that there was unanimous agreement Eberl would be handed an extension. However, this is a heuristic thing. In the end, Rummenigge is one of nine members. He was not there – he was the only one who didn’t attend the assembly in person (he was there digitally). Eight member held up their hands to approve a new contract, and while he didn’t express opposition, he also didn’t approve it. As the 71-year-old made clear in his interview, he just wasn’t convinced about Max Eberl and had been thinking of saying no, but, in the end, opted not to. In the morning, Herbert Hainer, who’s the president at Bayern Munich, held a call because he’d heard about the fact Rummenigge was not convinced on the subject.

In the interview, he suggested that some aspects of the relationship didn’t work so well, particularly as far as player sales are concerned. Bayern wanted more money; ideally, €70m from players like Alexander Nübel, Bryan Zaragoza, João Palhinha, and Sacha Boey. In the end, Bayern picked up €20m [£17m] for these players. I’m not sure this is the exact amount – I think it ended up being higher. But Rummenigge said all this in an official capacity. It’s really a strange situation, and you can see that the Bayern chief wanted to send a signal. In the end, Eberl wasn’t handed a three-year deal (just two years), which isn’t the norm for Bayern Munich. So, perhaps this ended up being a point everyone could agree on.