Bayern Munich News: The aftermath of FC Bayern’s 1-0 win over Wolfsburg; Bayern, Real Madrid eying Man City’s Josko Gvardiol; and MORE!

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Bayern, Madrid to make play for Gvardiol? (TEAMtalk)

Before he made the move from RB Leipzig to Manchester City, Josko Gvardiol was one of the most sought-after center-back prospsects in the world and was firmly on Bayern Munich’s radar according to reports at the time.

Now, with his contract up in 2028, there is some speculation that Bayern Munich could renew its interest in the 24-year-old, with Real Madrid also being a potential suitor:

Manchester City are preparing to open talks with Josko Gvardiol over a new long-term contract amid growing interest from both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, TEAMtalk can reveal. The Croatia international defender has established himself as one of Pep Guardiola’s most important players for Man City since arriving from RB Leipzig in 2023.

We understand that Man City are now eager to secure Gvardiol’s future beyond his current deal, which runs until 2028. Sources state that Man City sporting director, Hugo Viana, has been carrying out a major review of the squad planning.

After making progress on Phil Foden’s long-term future at Man City, attention is now turning towards tying down Gvardiol to a new deal. We understand that Man City are fully aware of increasing interest in the versatile defender from Europe’s elite clubs. Both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are huge admirers of the 24-year-old and have made contact with Gvardiol’s representatives to explore his current situation at the Etihad Stadium.

The two European giants are actively searching for left-sided defensive reinforcements. Gvardiol’s ability to excel in that role at the highest level has made him an especially attractive option for both Madrid and Bayern.

It would be a shock if Manchester City did not extend the deal of its Croatian sensation, but it would be an interesting name for the Bavarians ahead of next season if — somehow — there was a move to make this summer. Unfortunately, it just seems like a total longshot.

Is Kroos talking about his old team? (Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano)

Toni Kroos is nothing, if not intentional, and his comments praising Paris Saint-Germain, seem to be directed at Real Madrid if you read between the lines:

🚨 Toni Kroos tells Marca: “Luis Enrique subbed out Ousmane Dembélé, his best player, in the 65th minute of a Champions League semi-final and nobody complained. He exits the pitch, shakes his coach’s hand and sits on the bench cheering his teammates. There are some counter examples to this.”

“You look at Ousmane Dembélé, and how he’s yelling at his teammates to keep fighting, from the bench. That’s not what 90% of players who think they’re stars would do. They start to do bad gestures on the pitch, then sit on the bench sulking.”

Bayern out on El Mala (Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg)

There is a €50 million price on the head of Said El Mala, which has caused Bayern Munich to exit the race (and rightfully so). Brighton appears to be the leader in the clubhouse for the FC Köln attacker:

🚨🆕 1. FC Köln still want up to €50m for Said El Mala.

Brighton are waiting in the background. FC Bayern are out at that price. Chelsea are currently not in the race despite reports.

El Mala would back himself to make the move to the Premier League in the summer. Nothing has been decided yet, though. His focus right now is participation at the World Cup.

12G/5A so far in his first Bundesliga season. #effzeh

Bayern not interested in Havertz (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)

There were some odd rumors linking Bayern Munich to Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, but those are not true per Sport Bild’s Christian Falk:

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Bayern have added Kai Havertz to their shortlist ahead of the summer. I heard the rumours a few weeks ago and checked up on it. There were no talks, no negotiations. Havertz is already thinking about next season with Arsenal. I think he would like to play for Bayern Munich in the future, but at the moment, his name wasn’t discussed by the supervisory board. He’s not, at present, on Bayern’s summer shortlist.

Real still unraveling (Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano)

Real Madrid interim coach Álvaro Arbeloa does not seem like a bad guy, but he does need to stop trying to cover for or apologize for or lie about the mess that the team is at the moment.

🚨 Álvaro Arbeloa: “It’s a LIE that the players are unprofessional, that they’ve disrespected me”.

“Just as false is the claim that some of them aren’t playing because of problems with me. I’m the one ultimately responsible for the fact that the season won’t be up to par”.

“Of course it’s a healthy dressing room. It’s not easy to accept two seasons without a trophy, and as I always say, to be a Real Madrid player you have to be very ambitious”.

“Of course, we have to do things better, change, reflect… but I see a healthy dressing room, I really mean it. One that’s ready to win again”.

At this stage, Real Madrid should just stop everyone from talking.

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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