The Bayern Insider: Anthony Gordon talks escalate amid Nick Woltemade to Munich rumours | OneFootball

Welcome to today’s exclusive & comprehensive round-up of all things Bayern Munich from Bayern insider Christian Falk. Featuring updates on Nick Woltemade, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, and Said El Mala.

Today’s top stories

I can say that PSG’s 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash was the best match I’ve ever covered in my 25 years as a reporter. Even the Ligue 1 outfit’s manager, Luis Enrique, was saying that it’s the best match he’s ever coached in. So, perhaps there’s some truth in it! It was fantastic from the first minute you entered the stadium. The Paris ultras were very loud! Even before the game, they played a symphony from Star Wars, and it was really, really crazy in the lead-up! If you’ve seen pictures of the stands, you’ll know there was a kind of Napoleonic mentality at play – the PSG fans were gearing up for war! Just a crazy atmosphere and the match was absolutely amazing.

All in all, I believe Michael Olise, Harry Kane and Luis Diaz have contributed to 100 goals! Kane could very well end up winning the Ballon d’Or if Bayern go on to win the Champions League. Olise is likewise in the conversation. Diaz? Perhaps. But he’s at a bit of a disadvantage when coming up against his two teammates. But he would deserve it! In BILD, the Colombian was given the best possible rating (1). He was the only player to be awarded this score.

I think PSG made a bit of a mistake during the clash when the game went 5-2 to the hosts. I was at the banquet after the match where the players and Bayern bosses are. Everyone mentioned one scene which really aggravated them, which was when Enrique turned to the fans to celebrate the score (then sitting at 5-2) with both hands in the air. After that, everyone resolved to come together and say, No! They’re not going to do this to us. They’re already dancing like they’re through to the final in Budapest. This pushed Bayern Munich to go for another goal, for two goals. I think if the whistle had blown a few moments later, they would have made it 5-5. In the end, the momentum was with Bayern. And, ultimately, a 5-5 is probably the result both teams deserved. At the very least, a 4-5 defeat is possible to be overturned by Bayern in Munich.

Anthony Gordon’s agent visits Munich

✅ It is TRUE: There was a meeting with Anthony Gordon’s agents. Gordon has an English agent and a German agent; the German one, Gordon Stipic-Wipfler (of Unique Sports Group), met with Max Eberl, Bayern’s head of sport, for the first round of talks. He’s working in Germany for the agency. Stipic-Wipfler, it’s worth noting, has a close connection to Eberl. They also held talks over the possible signing of Marc Guehi before Manchester City completed the deal. So, you see, they are trying everything to sign the Englishman. At the moment, it seems there are no problems between Anthony Gordon and Bayern Munich when it comes to trying to find a solution. There are some numbers in the air, but these haven’t been concretely negotiated.

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That said, there could be a problem with the transfer fee Newcastle are looking for – especially if the Premier League club commits to a price tag of £80m [€92.6m]. At that point, it’s getting really, really difficult. The supervisory board at Bayern Munich would say they were thinking in the region of £60m [€69.4m]. I think this wouldn’t be a problem. But £80m would be too much. £60m with add-ons, or even a deal that would see a fee paid in increments over time, would perhaps be doable. But if Newcastle want the full fee up front, then things are getting complicated.

Is Marcus Rashford an alternative to Gordon?

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Bayern could turn their attention to Marcus Rashford if a deal for Anthony Gordon falls through. FC Bayern have a list of options – it’s not just Gordon. He is the player they would like to have. However, Rashford is not on this list.

Bayern Munich’s interest in Givairo Read

Bayern signing Givairo Read this summer depends on what’s happening in the market. Anthony Gordon is the No.1 target on the list above all else! So, they’re working out first if they can actually sign the England international. He costs a potentially hefty price, so you can see why Bayern Munich have a list of potential players they could sell this summer. There’s Kim Min-jae, they hope to get an offer from Tottenham for João Palhinha, there’s Bryan Zaragoza (perhaps he’ll come back to the club from his loan, like Palhinha), you have Arijon Ibrahimović, Alexander Nübel, Daniel Peretz (playing in the Championship with Southampton)… so, many players they could sell. All in all, the transfer value of this collection of players is roughly €88m [£75.9m]. So, if this works, they can do a bit more this summer – like Givairo Read! But first, they want to spend the money on Anthony Gordon.

Bayern’s Konrad Laimer conundrum

There’s another key figure who’s relevant in this case, and that’s Konrad Laimer. There were negotiations, but he wants too much money from Bayern Munich. The Austrian is demanding €12m-15m in salary, which is simply too much for FC Bayern. They won’t pay it. They have to draw a line in the sand, as they’ve already given a lot to Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich. If no middle ground is found in these negotiations, they’ll end up having to sell Konrad Laimer. Then you’ll need a new right-back like Read from Feyenoord.

Laimer was initially brought in as a midfielder. Bayern are going to lose Leon Goretzka this summer, with his contract set to run out. At the moment, I heard that it’s AC Milan who are concretely interested. A move to Serie A is more likely than the Premier League, at any rate. He’s played a lot of games instead of Laimer in midfield. If you bring in a right-back like Read, you can free up the 28-year-old to return to the middle of the pitch. Josip Stanišić can go in at centre-back.

There are solutions thanks to the players’ versatility, which is valuable given the fact that Bayern’s squad is still not particularly big.

Tottenham still want to sign João Palhinha

✅ It is TRUE: Tottenham are happy with João Palhinha but want to sign him for a smaller fee. Bayern would get €30m [£25.9m] with the midfielder’s release clause. At the moment, he’s playing well, if not quite incredibly well or incredibly bad. I think it’s normal for Spurs to point out that they won’t be in the Champions League next season (potentially not even in the Premier League at this rate!). So, there are reasonable arguments being made to justify Tottenham potentially paying a lower fee. Bayern Munich have to sell this summer – and they know they have to because Vincent Kompany is not planning with the Portuguese international. So, Bayern are not in the best situation when it comes to negotiations. I think they can talk about the price. In the end, it’s necessary for both player and club that Palhinha is moved on at the end of the season.

Where are Bayern Munich with Harry Kane contract talks?

✅ It is TRUE: Bayern Munich would like to extend Harry Kane’s contract before the World Cup. Both sides are completely relaxed at the moment. Kane is feeling pretty good with his current lot in life at Bayern. He’s dreaming of winning the Champions League and performing very well across all competitions this season. As I mentioned, there was a banquet held after the Champions League defeat to PSG. Harry Kane’s family was also attending – his wife, father and brother (and their respective families) – so, you can see he’s feeling completely well in Munich.

I heard that PSG are searching for – and what to spend a lot of money on – a striker like Harry Kane. They’re focusing on Kane. So, you never know! If Bayern win everything this season, perhaps Harry comes back to the bosses and says he fancies a new challenge. He’ll be closer to England, certainly, if he were to move to the French capital. But at the moment, I don’t think he’s feeling this way. In the end, of course, if there’s an offer on the table, you never know!

The end of the line for Nicolas Jackson

Everyone in the club is clear: Nicolas Jackson’s chapter with Bayern Munich will close at the end of the season. The €65m [£56.1m] Chelsea are looking for would be too much! Even if the Blues were to cut that figure in half, we can’t escape the fact that Jackson doesn’t suit Vincent Kompany’s system perfectly. The squad is already small, yes, and you’ve got Jamal Musiala, who can’t play a full 90 minutes yet, as he’s recovering from his serious injury. But it says a lot when Jackson then comes on last for about a minute of action in the first leg of Bayern’s 5-4 defeat in Paris. There’s not a lot of trust in this transfer. But it’s perhaps to be expected, given this was a last-minute transfer in the summer.

Kompany preferred for Bayern to sign Xavi Simons, and then they were trying to sign Ademola Lookman. He was the target they wanted, and it didn’t work out. So this was how FC Bayern ended up with Nicolas Jackson. Now, we have to see what happens next for the Senegal international.

Is it all over between Nick Woltemade and Newcastle?

Normally, Nick Woltemade wouldn’t want to leave Newcastle in the summer. However, we’ve all seen his socials (and, more specifically, what’s no longer on his socials). There is some background to this. There was an article from an English newspaper, and I think Woltemade is aware that the reporter in question is very close to Eddie Howe. It could be that perhaps the German feels the sentiment within the report is shared by his manager. I can say that, perhaps, this is true. This is why they could come to a new conclusion about what the next season holds for all parties involved.

In amongst this, it’s worth highlighting that Newcastle should develop their interest in Nicolas Jackson. This makes sense. It could happen. In that event, it begs the question as to who would move in for Nick Woltemade. He costs a lot of money! €80m is a lot, and then you have to find a club willing to pay this amount. I heard rumours that Bayern Munich would be interested in the 24-year-old – but this isn’t the case at the moment, as he is simply too expensive. We have to see what happens next, but it does seem like this chapter between the former VfB Stuttgart star and Newcastle could end. Perhaps the desire to end the relationship is coming more from the Magpies’ end. Woltemade would have been up for the challenge of the next season in the north east.

How close were Bayern to signing Ousmane Dembélé?

It was, indeed, really close back in 2016! Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed there was a meeting with some of Ousmane Dembélé’s agents. It’s a really interesting story and one I was also very close to at the time. There were two agents when Bayern Munich wanted him. They met one in Paris. There was Rummenigge and the former technical director, Michael Reschke, who spoke with the guy in question. He wanted to be the France international’s agent and was indeed a close friend to the family. The agent said he had the rights – but that wasn’t true! Moussa Sissoko was the man who made the deal, and he was only in talks with Borussia Dortmund. Also, for context, Dortmund at this time were (and remain) sponsored by PUMA – the same as Dembélé’s former club Stade Rennais – and they made the deal. Bayern were simply too late, but they had the right idea!

Chelsea could bring Said El Mala to the Premier League

Said El Mala’s potential move to the Premier League this summer is not off! There’s another club the FC Köln star is interested in, and this is Chelsea. This is now the club that has their eye on El Mala. Cologne demand €50m [£43.1m]. Brighton would have been prepared to pay €35m, which was not enough for FC Köln. Of course, for El Mala, the move would have been nice; he’s earning about €1.5m at Cologne and Brighton offered €4m. But now, there’s a question: Is there a club out there prepared to pay €50m? The hope is that’s Chelsea. They are interested in the player, but if they’ll pay so much for a German talent remains to be seen – we don’t yet know! In the meantime, FC Köln would be happy to keep the 19-year-old winger. They’re working right now on a new deal with a supermarket chain that could supply the rest of the salary that El Mala would like to earn (€4m). That’s the Plan B if he isn’t sold. At the moment, it’s up to Chelsea and Said El Mala.