The Bayern Insider: Messi lands on Munich’s summer shortlist as Chelsea given transfer warning shot | OneFootball

Welcome to today’s exclusive & comprehensive round-up of all things Bayern Munich from Bayern insider Christian Falk. Featuring updates on Elliot Anderson, Rayane Messi, Michael Olise and Lennart Karl.

Today’s top stories

Despite taking a commanding lead home with them to Munich, FC Bayern insisted on taking the return leg against Atalanta very seriously. This is the way of Vincent Kompany; his side has so much hunger. Kompany is always saying, “Don’t stop!” and they indeed don’t stop – they keep on scoring, they keep on running. I hope they don’t get tired at the end of the season, but they showed everything they had. This is the special thing about this team. They don’t settle for a 1-0 or a 2-0; they just keep pushing for a goal, and this is what makes them so dangerous.

Even last weekend against Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern had two players sent off (and yes, one was to Luis Diaz!), and the visitors still secured a draw whilst playing to win the match! So, this is Bayern Munich this season, which is exactly why everyone across Europe is keeping a close eye on them.

Are Bayern in two minds about Max Eberl?

✅ It is TRUE: At the moment, Max Eberl doesn’t know if he has a future at the club. His contract runs until 2027, and there are two different ways of looking at his situation. When you watch games and see the club from the outside, you can’t help but think that Bayern are doing so well. They’re top of the Bundesliga table, in the semi-final of the DFB Pokal, and look like a serious contender in the Champions League knockout rounds.

And yes, they have Vincent Kompany at the helm, and no one knew for certain that things would work out this well under the Belgian head coach – and the appointment was the decision of Max Eberl. Jonathan Tah, coming from Bayer Leverkusen, is now the chief of the Bayern defence – also a Max Eberl decision. Don’t forget, Michael Olise was also his transfer, and he was very cheap at the time for €50m [£43.1m]. He also brought in Luis Diaz at a time when Liverpool felt that perhaps the player was too old; Bayern were happy to sign him for €70m [£60.3m]. That may not seem like a lot of money for the Premier League, but I can tell you right now that it’s a lot in the Bundesliga!

So, you think, “Well, everything seems fine!” But the view of the Bayern bosses is a little bit different. They wonder if he was, perhaps, a little bit lucky with some decisions. There is no trust with the hierarchy, as Eberl doesn’t tell them everything when he makes decisions. And everyone knows Bayern Munich is the club of Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – they want to be involved with the decisions. They’re part of the supervisory board. In the end, Max Eberl has to go to them and ask them to approve a potential transfer. More often than not, they say no! There’s not so much trust between the two sides. Some deals were also not as cheap as the Bayern bosses would have liked. Eberl makes quick decisions, and sometimes, quick decisions are more expensive.

These are the two points they’re discussing inside the club, but in the end, if FC Bayern ends up winning the treble, I think it starts getting quite hard to make a serious case against Max Eberl. If you ask me about potential successors, there are already alternatives within the club. The CEO, Jan-Christian Dreesen, and sporting director, Christoph Freund, are working very well together. Perhaps the bosses think that these two guys can do the job well enough on their own. So, these are the options!

Want more CF Bayern Insider coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

Good news for the Premier League and Castello Lukeba

✅ It is TRUE: Bayern are monitoring Castello Lukeba. Max Eberl knows the player and likes the player. He has worked before at RB Leipzig. But, at the moment, it’s not true that FC Bayern will buy Lukeba in the summer. Things can change if Kim Min-jae is sold. Then they can invest the transfer fee, which is why Lukeba is still on the list. Luka Vušković would also be on this list if Bayern needed a defender, but at the moment, they don’t need one.

As you see, often RB Leipzig players end up in the Premier League. We’ve seen a lot of them – especially at Liverpool! Just look at Dominik Szoboszlai’s performances this season. This is one of the clubs that always focuses on such players. A while ago, Bayern bought Dayot Upamecano from Leipzig, and it was a good decision. But they can’t always do a deal like this, and we know Lukeba is an expensive player. So, perhaps there’s a deal in the Premier League to be found for the 23-year-old centre-half.

Manchester United interested in Alphonso Davies

✅ It is TRUE: Manchester United are interested in Alphonso Davies. They were at the table when questions were being asked as to whether he would sign a new contract at Bayern Munich. They’re still monitoring this player, but he’s, of course, since signed a new contract at the Allianz Arena, so it will be difficult to get him at the moment. But there are also discussions going on at the club as to whether they need a new backup player, given all the injuries Davies keeps picking up. Before, they thought they didn’t need a player on the left-hand side because Hiroki Itō can play there as well.

However, if there were an offer on the table (and don’t forget it cost Bayern a lot of money to extend Davies), there would be a discussion. But I can say right now that there has yet to be a concrete offer from Manchester United. If there’s an offer, perhaps Bayern will consider it, as the injuries keep coming.

Palhinha could leave Tottenham

✅ It is TRUE: Palhinha could depart Tottenham in the summer. There is a discussion ongoing at Bayern Munich because they wanted to sell the player to Spurs (as he’s currently on loan). They’d hoped the Premier League club would end up triggering the release clause (about €30m [£25.8m]). It could be that Tottenham won’t look to sign him at the moment, whilst the future of the club remains very open. From Bayern’s perspective, they’re talking about selling him to another Premier League club if he does come back to Munich. He’s played well in England, and other clubs are watching him and seeing that he’s not the problem at Tottenham. So, Bayern are optimistic that Palhinha won’t return to Germany in the summer and he’ll still be playing in the Premier League next season. But nobody knows if it will still be at Tottenham!

Are Bayern Munich interested in Elliot Anderson?

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Bayern Munich are interested in Elliot Anderson. He’s too expensive! It’s said that he’ll cost €80m [£68.9m], which is just too much money for Bayern Munich, and they don’t need a player in this position. It’s true that Leon Goretzka will leave the club this summer, but they’re not looking for a successor. They have Tom Bischoff, Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and now they’re bringing back Noël Aséko. He’s a talent at the club who was on loan at Hannover. The 20-year-old had a release clause, and Hannover knew that Bayern wanted him back, so they triggered the release clause for €1m. But FC Bayern also have a clause that they can buy him back for €2.5m – so they bought him back!

There’s also another talent to think about in Santos Daiber, and he can play in this position. So, there are many options. Don’t forget that Bayern Munich want to sign Givairo Read. There are talks with Rotterdam. Perhaps they can sign him to play at right-back, which will allow Konrad Laimer to return to the midfield. Many options for Bayern, so they don’t need a new midfielder per se.

Nathan De Cat attracting Premier League interest

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Bayern Munich are planning to sign Nathan De Cat in the summer. So, I have some good news for the Premier League! Bayern Munich won’t go for Nathan De Cat any more. The Premier League can go for him. FC Bayern find the player interesting, that’s very much true. However, there just isn’t a free space in the midfield for any more midfielders of his playing style.

Chelsea and Aleksandar Pavlović

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Chelsea have made contact with Aleksandar Pavlović. It’s interesting that so many English clubs are keen on Pavlović, but it’s not true that there has been any contact. I can tell you there was some contact in the winter, but not from Chelsea – it was from Manchester City! They knocked on the door and asked if there was an opportunity to bring the German to the Premier League, but there was a clear “no” from the club.

When we speak about Leon Goretzka, I can tell you that AC Milan are very concrete with him. They are making him an offer. This is interesting for both Tottenham and Arsenal, who like the player. And also for Atletico Madrid, who were very concrete in the January transfer window. Goretzka decided to stay at Bayern because he wants to win the Champions League again with the Bavarian giants. I heard he’s also interested in Serie A, so this could be a good chance for Milan.

Real Madrid ready mammoth bid for Michael Olise

✅ It is TRUE: Real Madrid are interested in Michael Olise. This comes directly from the club president, Florentino Perez. The season isn’t a typical one for Real Madrid, so I think he wants to give a present to the supporters to make up for it! And wouldn’t this be some present for the summer transfer window! It’s not looking good on the right wing for Madrid; Rodrygo is injured, and Olise, meanwhile, is having a fantastic season in Munich.

And yes, according to the rumours, Real Madrid are thinking of a €160m-165m [£137.9m-142.2m] offer. If this actually came about, FC Bayern would have to discuss it; they’d have to talk to Michael about it. However, at the end, Bayern Munich are not a seller’s club. They’re a buyer’s club. They have a contract with Michael Olise, and he currently has no release clause! So, there’s no immediate plan to sell him. But, of course, such crazy numbers would be a big deal. So it would, perhaps, not be so easy to say no.

Lennart Karl earns international call-up

I don’t think there’s more pressure on Bayern as far as contract talks with Lennart Karl are concerned. He’s already got a contract, which was extended by a year (until 2029) after he hit his 18th birthday. Karl is also earning about €2m a year, which doesn’t sound like a lot for a player like him right now, but don’t forget he’s only 18. He’s a young talent, and it is actually a lot of money. So, they have time. And also, Lennart Karl’s entourage is fully aware that time is in their favour. It’s not a big problem for them if the forward ends up going to the World Cup and playing there. In that case, he’s only becoming more expensive, and then it’s better to hold updated contract talks after the competition. Bayern, of course, would like to give him an even longer contract, so no problem there. Lennart Karl has made it clear that his future is at Bayern Munich, even if Real Madrid remains a big dream. He’s already confirmed as much, but he knows that he can develop in Munich. Talks over a new contract will follow.

Messi coming to town?

✅ It is TRUE: Rayane Messi is a very exciting player – and not just because of his surname! He’s owned by RC Strasbourg (on loan in Saudi Arabia), and there’s also a connection to Chelsea. It’s all part of one club structure. And, as we’ve heard, the Blues are also interested in the teenager and so hold the advantage here. So, if he were to return to Europe, it would probably be to Chelsea rather than Bayern Munich. However, FC Bayern have had Messi on their list since he played in the French third division. If it’s an option, it doesn’t need to be so expensive. If Chelsea decide not to bring him to them, it could free Bayern up to make an offer.

Said El Mala to sign for Brighton

✅ It is TRUE: Said El Mala has said yes to signing for Brighton. The idea is that the Seagulls could offer €40m [£34.4m] to FC Köln. There was also a bid in the winter of around €30m, but that wasn’t enough for Cologne, as they needed him for the rest of the season. But in the summer, there’s a clearer pathway. Brighton made their offer, which is very attractive for the family! El Mala changed his agent, letting his mother take over. He also has a brother, Malek El Mala. Both brothers wanted to play in the same club – and they can do this at Brighton, as the south coast club also made an offer for Malek. This is the dream! Both can play in England, which is why Brighton are in the lead. I think this transfer will happen.