The Bayern Insider: Munich to complete shock Vinicius Jr transfer? Liverpool to go big on Diomande? | OneFootball

Welcome to today’s exclusive & comprehensive round-up of all things Bayern Munich from Bayern insider Christian Falk. Featuring updates on Yan Diomande, John Stones, Vinicius Jr. and Max Eberl.

Today’s top stories

Bayern are now in the next round of the Champions League thanks to their 2-0 win over Royal Union Saint-Gilloise! If they can hold on to second place following their final league phase game against PSV, they’ll have a big advantage in the knockout phase, playing the second leg of the Round of 16 at home. They’ve already earned over €50m [£43.5m].

Harry Kane would have liked to have grabbed a third goal against Union SG with one of his penalties – we didn’t even know it was possible for him to miss one! He did, of course, miss one previously in a friendly match against Tottenham. It was really hard for him. After the match, he told us that for every goal he scores, there is a Bavarian wirtshaus, a restaurant near his home, that is always sending him schnitzels. He said he can’t eat as many as they’re sending to him, because of his many goals, which is why the whole family has to eat schnitzel at the Kane house! It’s a good thing it’s Harry Kane’s favourite German dish!

Why Max Eberl’s job safety is no longer a big topic

(Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

I would say that Max Eberl’s job is currently safe. I have to bring up Michael Olise because when Eberl pushed to sign the Frenchman back in the summer of 2024, the supervisory board said, “We don’t know him, so it’s your risk if you bring him in”. Now, he’s one of the best players in the world – surely in the Bundesliga! So it’s not like Eberl has been terrible at making transfer decisions.

Now, his contract is set to run until the summer of 2027. I heard from the supervisory board that a decision will be made in the last two meetings of the year. The critical one, as far as Eberl’s future is concerned, will take place in August and November. So, by November latest, I think the Bayern chief will get a new contract, as everyone is saying he’s made his job safe.

Of course, we have to remember: we are talking about Bayern Munich. Things can change so quickly at a club of this size! For instance, just look at Dayot Upamecano’s contract situation; everyone is still waiting on a final decision. He’s had the best offer he’s going to get from Bayern Munich, and everyone around the deal is getting a little nervous.

What’s going on with Dayot Upamecano’s contract?

This is the big question on Bayern bosses’ minds at the moment: is there something that they don’t know? Before Christmas, they had the final talks, and everyone was fine going into the new year after so much in the way of negotiations. But they don’t have any idea what’s happening now.

This is the last offer Bayern will give Upamecano; he’s going to get a lot of money and the release clause he wanted. So, the club is thinking, “What more do you want? We’re not going to increase the offer. Why are you waiting?” That’s why, as I say, they’re getting a little nervous.

I talked with Dayot Upamecano himself, and I think he’s quite confident about this deal getting done. So, perhaps the agents aren’t quite so confident at the moment. I’m not quite sure!

Chelsea are at the poker table for Kim Min-jae

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

✅ It is TRUE: Kim Min-jae’s agents are informed that Chelsea are interested. Chelsea have a shortlist with a few defenders on it – and Min-jae is on this list. Bayern Munich have said that if Kim is happy with the current situation, where he’s not always starting for the club, that’s okay for them. If not, and he asks for a move to get more playing time, FC Bayern are then open for talks. If they want to have talks, they then need money to sign other defenders. They don’t currently have the money to do this. So, Chelsea are a good club for negotiations, if they need a transfer fee for Kim Min-jae. Don’t forget, Bayern originally paid €50m to Napoli for the South Korean defender – so they’d like to get some money back for him.

Could Everton sign Sacha Boey?

✅ It is TRUE: Everton, Marseille and Lyon hold interest in Sacha Boey. There is interest, especially from France! But Boey doesn’t want to move! So everyone is a little irritated. But the fact of the matter is he’s currently earning a lot of money at Bayern. They also paid a big transfer fee for him. I don’t know why, but he’s feeling confident in Munich.

I know that Vincent Kompany wasn’t so happy with the fullback in the weeks before Christmas. The Belgian head coach has some clear, strict rules – everyone on the bench has to be prepared for the possibility of getting onto the pitch. When he wanted to make a substitution in one game with Boey, the Frenchman wasn’t ready, and Kompany was really angry about this. That’s part of the reason why he’s not getting many minutes. But the player had also had some health issues (gastroenteritis).

Bayern to miss out on Jérémy Jacquet

Bayern Munich have a Marc Guehi problem. There were many talks before, and I heard that Guehi was also interested in a move to Munich. But if a club like Manchester City knocks at your door, and you’re an English national player, and your club is open to selling you in January instead of letting you go for free in the summer (against Oliver Glasner’s wishes, of course), then you can see how this becomes a problem.

It is the same problem with Jérémy Jacquet, as Bayern don’t have the money at the moment. They’d have to sell Kim Min-jae first. Chelsea and Manchester City are knocking on the Rennes defender’s door. If they offer €50m and Bayern say, “No, this is too much, because we have to sell first,” then they will also lose the poker match for this player!

Premier League competition for Givairo Read

(Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

✅ It is TRUE: Bayern Munich are confident they can push out Premier League competition for Givairo Read. They’re confident they can push other offers away because they’ve already held many talks with the player-side and were the first to the table. It’s money they can afford to pay – it’s not an overly expensive potential deal. The only problem for Bayern is that they can’t bring Read in during the winter – they’ll have to wait for the summer transfer window. But Givairo Read is otherwise really open to a Bayern transfer. So, unless there’s another offer that makes the player crazy, Bayern are really optimistic that the fullback will be playing in Munich next summer.

Could John Stones switch to Munich

❌ It is NOT TRUE: John Stones is the number one option for Bayern to sign at centre-back this summer. Bayern, of course, have to keep an eye on every player who’ll be on the market this summer. Stones is an interesting option, as he’s currently set to become a free agent after the 2025/26 season. Bayern Munich already knows he’s turning 32 in the summer, so they can think about this one.

However, if Bayern do end up losing Dayot Upamecano, and they don’t know what’s happening with Kim Min-jae, and they may not have the money to act, it’s a good option. Stones is already more than familiar with Pep Guardiola’s managerial style. Some experts, however, claim his feet are too slow for Vincent Kompany’s football.

That said, perhaps it’s like the case with Eric Dier, where if you can get a player of this calibre – and you don’t have many alternative options – you have to at least discuss it!

Are Barcelona in the race to sign Leon Goretzka

(Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Barcelona are interested in bringing Leon Goretzka to La Liga. Sometimes, it’s easy – one plus one equals two; but in this case, it equals three! Yes, Hansi Flick knows the player from his Bayern days. They won the Champions League together. Goretzka’s going to be a free agent, so it would be possible to bring him to Barcelona. And we know that money still remains a big problem at Barcelona!

There were rumours going around that Leon Goretzka had already called Flick to ask his old boss to bring him to Barcelona. However, nothing is true. The German international isn’t a good fit for the club’s playing style. They’ve got a lot of offensive players in this position.

Tottenham are still on the table. And then there are many Italian clubs, like Juventus and AC Milan, who are interested. So, I think he will end up at a good club. Goretzka will leave Bayern Munich in the summer, as the bosses gave a signal that they won’t extend his contract. But it won’t be Barcelona.

Could Bayern sign the next Pedri?

❌ It is NOT TRUE:  Bayern want to sign Red Star Belgrade starlet Vasilije Kostov. The Serbian (17), who has earned comparisons to Pedri, is not currently on Bayern’s list. The club doesn’t know if they want to do anything in this position. There are many names on the list as it stands, including Kennet Eichhorn, which is really interesting for FC Bayern; he’s 16, German, and he’s not expensive. So, if the club does want to bring in a player in this position, it will be this kind of solution favoured.

And, of course, we can’t forget they already have Tom Bischof, who can play there. They want to bring Givairo Read in, which will then allow Konrad Laimer (who isn’t a right-back) to return to central positions. And then you have Joshua Kimmich. And then you have Aleksandar Pavlović. So, many, many players – and then even more in offensive midfield. So, I don’t see a place for Kostov as things currently stand.

Is Vinicius Jr an unlikely transfer?

(Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Bayern want to sign Vinicius Jr. I love this rumour, but it’s absolutely not true! Real Madrid have reportedly made the Brazilian an offer, and he hasn’t signed it. But the simple truth is that if Real can’t pay his demands, then neither can Bayern! I heard that the agents are making a market for him, which is why we’ve since seen reports saying Liverpool and City are also interested. I’m not so sure of this. I know they can pay him, and they always need players like Vinicius in this position, but in the end, we have to see if everything is true.

He’s not an easy player to work with – perhaps a little complicated, as Xabi Alonso has now discovered! He always has the option of going to Saudi Arabia, of course, that wouldn’t be a problem. But to Bayern Munich? No.

The latest on Yan Diomande

Yan Diomande is very highly rated at Bayern Munich, and they would like to have this player. FC Bayern want to sign a rival for Luis Diaz on the left. They want a young player – he fits the bill as a 19-year-old talent. However, they need someone who would be okay with not having regular minutes on the left flanks, as Lucho is currently the out-and-out starter for that position. They need someone who will be there for the long term.

Oliver Mintzlaff, a managing director at Red Bull, has been very clear about how much money they’d be looking to get for Diomande. He said, “We won’t sell him for €80m, we won’t sell him for €90m” – which means they’ll just try to sell him for over €100m [£87m]. There are rumours that Liverpool are thinking about such a deal and that there will be an offer in the next month of this range. What I can say for sure is that €100m is too expensive for FC Bayern for a player who would not yet be in the starting-XI.