The Bayern Insider: Real Madrid alarm as Bayern eye 19-year-old Liverpool transfer target Yan 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, Lennart Karl, Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry.

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It was all part of the plan, of course, to be performing so well in Germany and Europe, despite going into the season with a somewhat thinner squad. But nobody ever knows for sure if the plan will work as expected. There was a high risk with a small squad. But the opinion inside the club was that Bayern already had the best transfers inside the squad, bearing in mind that the likes of Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Itō would return later in the season. Itō is already back and scored in the 5-0 warm-up win over RB Salzburg, which I attended. Davies would have also been fit had he not picked up a cold. Musiala will return in January. So, you see, the plan is working out!

It was a very interesting game to watch. Vincent Kompany tried out two different teams in either half. There was a chance for the youth players at FC Bayern! Lennart Karl came on the pitch in the second half, scoring two goals and supplying an assist. So he was the man of the match. However, there were a few other Lennart Karls on the pitch; I was very impressed with the first half of Santos Daiber (18). He’s a midfielder, a little like Joshua Kimmich; perhaps here we have another big talent.

In the second half, there was Felipe Chávez (18), and it was really nice to see how the teenager played alongside Lennart Karl. Chávez, an offensive midfield player, provided the assist for one Karl’s goals, and Karl returned the favour for Chávez’s goal! So, very impressive. It’s good to see such good players in the squad, and if you give them the chance, you can grant them the kind of developmental opportunities that players like Lennart Karl are already taking advantage of.

Have Bayern changed their minds on the January transfer window?

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✅ It is TRUE: Bayern won’t be engaged in any major transfer business in January. We were right – no transfers made by Bayern Munich as of yet, and that’s expected to remain the case for the rest of the window. The only exception is Daniel Peretz; he was on loan for the first half of the season at Hamburg SV, but he’s now made a loan switch to Championship club Southampton for the remainder of the season. He wasn’t in the squad at Bayern Munich.

Bayern are also still trying to sell Sacha Boey. Head of sport Max Eberl put a bit of pressure on the fullback after the match against Salzburg; he said the club has enough right-backs, so Boey has the chance to leave. The 25-year-old is also ill and couldn’t play against Salzburg. So it’s a bit of a challenge at the moment to sell him. I heard the Crystal Palace move is, at the moment, cold. They’ve yet to make a concrete offer, so this move isn’t going to work at the present time. It’s a pity for Bayern Munich.

Yan Diomande to FC Bayern?

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Bayern Munich made one big deal last summer, which was Luis Diaz – and it’s working very well! A decision had been made to get an older, more complete player, and they bought him for a lot of money from Liverpool at €70m (£60.7m). The idea now is to get some competition on the left side with a younger player, which is why Yan Diomande (19) is one idea the club has on the shortlist. They also have Said El Mala of FC Köln. That’s the view – they want to do something in this position.

Diomande has a long-term contract at RB Leipzig, until 2030. So, he’s not really cheap. This is why you have to take the interest of Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester City very, very seriously. Of course, we talk about these clubs, and they’re the same outfits that have Said El Mala on the list. They all have the same idea. Bayern Munich can do something in this position, but they don’t have to. That’s a very comfortable position for FC Bayern.

Bayern’s interest in Christos Tzolis

He’s not one of the hot players at the moment. Bayern have a shortlist on the left wing position, but he’s not particularly high on this list at the moment. It’s a question of options; if the other targets are in serious competition to be signed by Premier League clubs, Bayern Munich don’t want to spend so much money this summer. This is why the list is long, and players like Christos Tzolis are on the list. But he’s just not highly rated at the moment.

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Reasons to be cheerful with Dayot Upamecano

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✅ It is TRUE: Dayot Upamecano’s future looks close to being resolved. We reported on Upamecano’s contract situation on Wednesday. We think that things will progress very quickly, perhaps we’ll have an official decision by next week. I spoke one-on-one with the centre-back after the match in Salzburg, and he said that things were looking good. There are just a few things they need to talk about. Bayern Munich’s view is that they have everything on the table, so there will be further talks, but the main issues are clear now. Upamecano’s agents need to give the green light. I think this will happen very soon. Then a new contract for the 27-year-old helps Bayern very much when it comes to squad planning, because at the moment they have Jonathan Tah, Upamecano for the future, and a comfortable situation with Kim Min-jae where he can stay or leave (and then the club will have money for a new centre-half).

Jamal Musiala’s recovery

In my view, Jamal Musiala will be back on the pitch for Bayern this January. When he was speaking to the press (and during his visit to the fan club), he admitted he’d have preferred to be back playing in December, but the club doctors encouraged the midfielder to take time with his recovery. It was a very serious injury, and ultimately, it’s not like Bayern have to play a Champions League final in January! If it’s important, he could play already. Musiala is in the squad and is doing nearly everything he can do in training. I think it’s just a question of a few days, perhaps weeks, but we’ll see the 22-year-old back on the pitch this month.

The future of FC Bayern

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Bara Ndiaye’s (18) situation is a bit of a complicated one at Bayern Munich. He’s not allowed to play in official matches, just friendlies. This is a bit of a pity with the deal. He’s not even allowed to play in the second team or the U19s. So, the question is what should the club do with this player? He could be an option to become the next Leon Goretzka. Perhaps they need to do a loan deal to ensure he’s getting minutes. Otherwise, at the moment, the plan is for Ndiaye to provide competition during team training. Then, they have to see how it works out. It’s a shame he can’t play official matches. They have this talent they’ve secured via a partnership with an African club, Gambino’s Stars.

Vincent Kompany believes in Wisdom Mike (17), which is why he’s already had a lot of minutes this season for a youth player. However, in the 5-0 win over Salzburg, he didn’t play so well in his 45-minute cameo. He’s not, at the moment, expected to provide serious competition on the left wing for Luis Diaz. He has to fight. Mike is a talent, but he has to make the next step. It probably doesn’t help that comparisons are being made to Lennart Karl (17) who has really taken his chance in the Bayern Munich first-team, but perhaps that’s a bit unfair. Ultimately, that’s just the reality of life in professional football.

Lennart Karl invites controversy over Real Madrid comments

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It is a small worry for Bayern after Lennart Karl talked up Real Madrid earlier in the week. The club has a big tradition that it has committed to for many a year. I think it’s a great tradition. After Christmas, the players are sent to the fan club, where they can answer questions in a more informal setting – so you can be a little more open. It was Lennart Karl’s first time at the fan club, being such a young player. A young fan asked Karl if it would be a dream to play for Real Madrid or another club, and Karl said, “Yes, of course, that’s a big dream.”

I don’t think we should take this statement too seriously. Don’t forget that the young forward played in front of the scouts at Real Madrid at the Bernabeu when he was just 10 years old. Who wouldn’t be impressed as well? But he has Bayern Munich in his heart, and he knows about the chance he has. He was training very hard with his own coach during the winter break in Germany. He’s 17. Of course, many fans were a little insulted, but he’s allowed to say how he feels.

In the end, he apologised to the bosses at Bayern Munich. There were talks, and he now knows it’s not so clever to say something like this. But this is all part of the process for a young player. He has to learn, and that’s fine for everyone.

He’s a professional in the squad for Vincent Kompany; a proper player like the others, not just an up-and-coming talent. Don’t forget that he’s already set to get a new contract when he turns 18 on February 22 – it will extend automatically to 2029. Plus, we’re aware that there are ongoing talks with his agent, Michael Ballack, to extend to 2031 with a high salary. Ultimately, he’s very confident at Bayern Munich, and he’s going to extend his stay anyway. The only question that remains is for how long and for how big a salary. Bayern are counting on Karl for the future, and there are no current ideas about a transfer to Real Madrid or another club.

Harry Kane’s Bayern contract

✅ It is TRUE: Bayern Munich are increasingly confident that Harry Kane will sign a contract extension. There were no new talks during the winter break. Although I do have to say that Kane was also at the fan club and said he was feeling very confident at Bayern Munich. There are no ideas about making a change. I talked with him after the Salzburg match and asked if there was any fresh news about his contract talks. He said no and reiterated what he said at the fan club. He’s very happy at Bayern Munich. We know that the club wants to extend the contract, but there’s no hurry. Kane still has his contract clause until the end of Janaury but he doesn’t want to take it. So, Bayern want to wait until the clause runs out before the next talks. Kane would be happy to wait until even after the World Cup. No changes!

Remember, I heard when Bayern Munich first made their offer, whilst he was still playing for Tottenham, there was Saudi Arabia calling, and he would have earned well over a €100m had he accepted this deal. Harry Kane flatly refused it and insisted he wanted to go to Bayern Munich to win titles. He’s won several at FC Bayern now, and there’s still hope that the striker can win the Champions League with Vincent Kompany’s side. It’s in the DNA of Bayern Munich, and he’s now living it. Whenever you talk with Harry about silverware, he’s always mentioning his desire to win more and more with the club. That’s very much a Bayern thing!

Serge Gnabry set for contract extension

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✅ It is TRUE: Serge Gnabry is very likely to sign a contract extension at Bayern. At the end of December, we talked about Gnabry being set to sign a new contract until 2028. My international colleague Fabrizio Romano confirmed this is the case. He said the deal is really close (also 2028). So, I think if Fabrizio and I are of a similar mind, there’s a high chance that this scenario will play out. It’s deserved for Gnabry, who has improved significantly under Vincent Kompany despite having a dip in performances the prior two years. This season is his season. I think it’s good for both sides to have also agreed to reduce his salary and sign a short-term contract. No risk for both sides! If he’s still doing well, he has a chance to go to a club later as a free agent.