The Bayern Insider: Karl transfer stance revealed as Olise and Ngumoha decisions made | OneFootball

Welcome to today’s exclusive & comprehensive round-up of all things Bayern Munich from Bayern insider Christian Falk. Featuring updates on Rio Ngumoha, Michael Olise, Lennart Karl, and Anthony Gordon.

Today’s top stories

Bayern Munich’s bold play for Rio Ngumoha

✅ It is TRUE: Bayern Munich were concretely interested in Rio Ngumoha. There were rumours that his brother, who is involved in his career around transfers, was at Säbener Straße for talks and signalled that the winger would be interested in going to Bayern Munich, and it would be no issue in sorting out contract details and the salary. FC Bayern had a very clear signal when they knocked on the door at Liverpool that there would be no time or reason for talks; there would be no negotiations. They’re so convinced about the player and his potential that they signalled he wouldn’t be sold. It won’t happen.

Anthony Gordon’s mixed messaging

The problem with the Anthony Gordon transfer was that Bayern Munich held very concrete talks. There was an agreement with the player and agent side and Bayern, and in the talks, Gordon told the bosses that he’d love to join Bayern Munich and that they’d be his club. So, Bayern thought they had the Englishman’s word. Bayern didn’t want to offer as much money as other clubs and tried to pressure Newcastle to slightly lower the asking price. The idea was €60m [£51.7m]. Max Eberl wasn’t allowed to bid more. The thought was if the player only wants Bayern and Newcastle have to sell, perhaps they would adjust the price a little. But then they heard that Anthony Gordon was talking up Barcelona as his dream club. So, that’s why FC Bayern were really disappointed, as he told them the same thing! They’re not angry that the deal didn’t happen, as it was Bayern Munich’s decision not to bid €80m [£69m] or more – that was their decision. But they did think things could have panned out differently, given they thought they had Gordon’s word.

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Bayer Leverkusen win Kennet Eichhorn transfer race

In my opinion, Leverkusen were always leading the race for Kennet Eichhorn. They were very concrete, even from the very beginning, and had no problem with his salary or the signing fee. The latter of which was a big discussion at Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund… perhaps not at Liverpool and Manchester City! Bayern said no and refused to pay €10m [£8.6m] or more for a signing fee for a 16-year-old player – they wouldn’t take the gamble. Dortmund came to the same conclusion. RB Leipzig were at the race, but this figure still represented a high amount for them. So, in the end, Leverkusen made the offer, and the player himself committed to staying in Germany to continue his early development. Perhaps the Premier League would be too big of a step this early in Eichhorn’s career, especially for a player coming from Germany’s second division with Hertha BSC.

Leverkusen did it. Bayern Munich aren’t disappointed in this case, as they were fully informed on the conditions of the deal. They’re still Bayern, so if Kennet Eichhorn develops as is hoped in the next two years – and bear in mind they won’t pay a salary nor the price tag and signing fee – and then they later pay €40m-50m for him, that’s okay.

Michael Olise and Florentino Perez’s pot of gold at Real Madrid

Not on the famous German festgeldkonto (so the Bayern Munich bank account is called in Germany in the Bundesliga). There is a lot of money on it, albeit not as much in recent years after the purchase of Harry Kane from Tottenham! Michael Olise falls into a similar bracket as the England captain. Simply, Bayern don’t feel they need to add money to the festgeldkonto by selling Olise. We spoke to Herbert Hainer, the president of Bayern Munich, and he told us it’s nice Real Madrid appreciate the right winger, but Florentino Perez can keep his money – he doesn’t need to make an offer. There’s no chance when it comes to Michael Olise. Forget about it. It’s just time he’d be losing. It’s worth noting that Hainer really enjoyed the lunch he held with Perez before the Champions League clash in Madrid, but there won’t be a deal for the Frenchman this summer.

Bayern closing in on Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari

The breaking news for FC Bayern: earlier this week we reported on the Nathaniel Brown talks. He’s here with us with the German national team. Frankfurt and Bayern Munich have an agreement. They want to pay about €60m for the player, which is a lot of money. Now there are talks as to how this money will be paid; will it be €50m at once, then €10m in add-ons? It’s not up for debate as to whether he’ll end up at Bayern – he will sign for Bayern Munich. The clear target for the club is that he signs before Germany’s first group stage match at the World Cup, as FC Bayern are worried that the fullback is playing so well he could get a lot more expensive. David Raum, who plays in this position (at left-back) with the German national team and is the captain at RB Leipzig, is out of the first-XI because of Brown’s positive performances. That means a lot.

The situation with Saibari is similar. They’re not so far away in the negotiations with PSV. There’s an agreement with the player. I heard the deal is the idea of Vincent Kompany – he likes the player. Bayern Munich thought he would be a little cheaper, but it’s always the same when Bayern come to the table. The price just rises. Not to mention the fact that the Eredivisie club saw how much Bayern were prepared to pay Newcastle for Anthony Gordon. So, in the end, Bayern Munich, I heard, have a line they won’t cross (€50m). How they’ll handle this with add-ons isn’t, at the moment, clear to me. Perhaps it’s not clear in the negotiations either. Regardless, if the deal happens, it will be a record transfer in PSV’s history. I don’t think they will be so hardline as to say €60m or nothing. In the end, I think the deal will happen, but you never know, perhaps if another club is coming around, as we’ve already seen with Barcelona!

Tomás Araújo still on Bayern Munich’s radar

✅ It is TRUE: It’s no secret that Tomás Araújo has been on the list at Bayern Munich for years. Of course, he’s on the list with several other players, like Manchester City’s Joško Gvardiol. But the point is that Max Eberl has to sell players before looking to bring in a centre-back. If Saibari and Brown come on board – and I think they will work – there’s no plan for another deal. No deal, no transfer, not even a backup for Harry Kane. However, if Bayern sell one or another defender from the backline, Eberl will have money to invest in a new defender. Perhaps it will be Araújo, it could be Gvardiol, and there are other names on the list.

Luka Vušković’s future at Tottenham

Luka Vušković is really highly rated on Bayern Munich’s shortlist. In the past, there were talks with the defender’s management in terms of the possibility of signing him. But at the moment, Bayern are not in the driver’s seat. They can’t offer a concrete deal, as they don’t have enough money for another defender and they already have enough defenders themselves. Unless they sell someone, it’s getting difficult.

Min-jae Kim to join Luciano Spalletti at Juventus?

✅ It is TRUE: Luciano Spalletti would like to be reunited with Min-jae Kim at Juventus. The interest is confirmed. It’s not like there are really hot negotiations at the moment, but this could really happen. This would be ideal for Bayern Munich, as it would ensure they get the most amount of money – certainly more than they’d potentially receive for Hiroki Ito. So, if they could sell Kim, they’d likely have a good amount of money to put toward a really good new player, like, for example, Vušković.

Givairo Read is still in the mix for Bayern Munich

✅ It is TRUE: Givairo Read is still very much in Bayern’s thinking. He’s still on the list, but bear in mind that Nathaniel Brown’s arrival would complicate matters. The Frankfurt star will cost a lot of money, and he can also play at right-back and in central defence. At that point, there’s no money left for another player on the wings.

Konrad Laimer approaching the finish line for a new contract

✅ It is TRUE: Konrad Laimer is close to signing a contract extension at Bayern Munich. It’s clear that we’re heading in the direction of the Austrian getting a new deal. There were talks, so I think things look really good. When we’re talking about Laimer, I have to tell you about a story at the World Cup. The German national team is staying at the Graylyn Estate in North Carolina, and Laimer said his Bayern Munich colleagues are living in Hogwarts! He’s a little bit right, I have to say! It certainly has a touch of Harry Potter about it. Hopefully, it will lend them some magic at the World Cup!

Alphonso Davies and Saudi Arabia interest

The Saudi interest in Alphonso Davies is still there, but it’s not like they’re putting a lot of oil money on the table before Bayern Munich. Bayern are still waiting for this moment. The difference now, of course, is that they would seriously consider an offer. Vincent Kompany was really keen on handing Davies a new contract with a lot of money. The idea was that, playing with a high line, the Canada international would be able to cover behind the defence, using his speed to kill off danger. However, his repeated injury issues mean that Bayern have been able to test this system and see that it works without the left-back. Bayern Munich have also come to the understanding that they need a new player for the position because of the injuries. So, it wouldn’t hurt them too much to sell Davies. Also partly because his salary (at €20m) is a lot of money for Bayern Munich. If they could take this out of the budget, it would make the club a lot happier.

Barcelona are big fans of Lennart Karl

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Barcelona want to sign Lennart Karl. It could very well be that there is interest and admiration of the German’s quality and potential. But Bayern Munich will not sell Karl. It’s such a pity that he’s injured at the moment. It was such a big surprise that he had a big chance to start in Germany’s first XI. Remember, one year ago, he wasn’t even in the squad at Bayern Munich; he was just a talent on the campus. So, it would have been lovely to see him at the World Cup. Now he’s injured and back at Säbener Straße for his medical checks and so on. But these medical checks are to get him fit again for Bayern Munich – not Barcelona.