Bavarian Football Works

Bayern Munich loaned out Mathys Tel to Tottenham Hotspur in January and some reports indicate that the Bavarians are more than eager to let Spurs activate his release clause.

According to a report from 90Min.com, however, Bayern Munich could be thinking about bringing Tel back to play in the Club World Cup:

Bayern Munich are considering cutting Mathys Tel’s loan deal at Tottenham Hotspur short so that he can play for the Bavarian giants in this summer’s Club World Cup, reports in Germany state.

Ange Postecoglou was confident that his February recruit would be around for the long haul. “Tel will be a Tottenham player,” the Australian coach insisted shortly after his arrival. “I think he will show everyone he will be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn’t bring him here for six months.”

However, Tel’s Tottenham career could be concluded after just five months. In preparation for the inaugural edition of the expanded Club World Cup which begins in mid-June, German publication Kicker claim Bayern are giving serious consideration to recalling all their loan players before the tournament begins.

Bayern Munich Club World Cup Group Stage begins vs. New Zealand’s Auckland City on June 15th, witch matches against Argentina’s River Plate and Portugal’s Benfica to follow. Harry Kane has dealt with some wear-and-tear injuries this season, Thomas Müller’s future is uncertain, and the team does not have another player who fill the void at the No. 9 if something happens with those two players.

While Bayern Munich might want to sell Tel, it might ultimately need to recall him to help ensure it has enough coverage at striker. Bayern Munich would be able to make this type of transaction because FIFA will be opening up a transfer period from June 1st through June 15th to allow clubs to bolster their rosters for the Club World Cup.

Looking for more thoughts and analysis on the wild stories breaking about Bayern Munich star Thomas Müller and how (and why!) his tenure at the club could be coming to an end? What about a discussion on the latest Bayern munich injury news, which will see the team even more shorthanded for the stretch run of the season? Awesome, then check out the Bavarian Podcast Works Show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:

Die Folgen: Germany’s 2-1 win over Italy (Bavarian Football Works)

Former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann had to know things would not come easy for the German national team when they faced off against Italy at San Siro.

After a slow start, the determined Germans rallied behind some unlikely heroes to capture the victory. Even when Nagelsmann pushes the wrong buttons to start, he ends up coming out a winner. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

As always, let’s begin with a look at the starting XI:

Hmmm. There was an odd and unexpected selection and it did not work out with Nadiem Amiri. Jonathan Burkardt also never got on track. Pascal Groß got a surprise start over Angelo Stiller and was just okay. David Raum got the nod over Maximilian Mittelstädt and the RB Leipzig star struggled. Otherwise, it went as expected.

Germany struggled right out of the gate, which was expected. This was a group that had not played together and the attack lacked chemistry, while the midfield was error prone. Defensively, things were also a little disjointed in the early going.

The early scuffling led to an early goal from Italy in the 9th minute. Raum got caught ball-watching, while also putting himself into a poor position. All of that allowed a pass from Nico Barella to slip behind him. Jonathan Tah was able to get a foot on the ensuing pass, but Tah’s effort ended up on the foot of Sandro Tonali, who made it 1-0.

Raum was super-aggressive with getting up into the attacking zone, which seemed like it could eventually turn into a problem for the Germans. Fortunately, nothing would come of it.

There was a lot of interchanging within the attack and it did not seem as if the four starters were all that comfortable in playing together. Leroy Sané had a very challenging game overall. As we have seen at different points with Bayern Munich this season, Sané just was not all that effective.

The German attack really, really missed Florian Wirtz. Italy was able to focus on making life hell for Jamal Musiala. It would be tough for either Wirtz or Musiala to carry the attacking load on their own in a way that Nagelsmann is asking them to right now.

In the 15th minute, Leon Goretzka should have made it 1-1, but his header was not hit hard and blooped over the crossbar. Goretzka also rifled a shot in the 20th minute toward net, but Gianluigi Donnarumma handled it with relative ease.

Germany dominated possession in the first half, but just could not find a way to take full advantage of it.

Oliver Baumann was terrific on the day. At a time where there was debate on whether or not Baumann should start over Alexander Nübel, Baumann made a convincing argument that he is “The Man.”

Baumann’s 30th minute save on Tonali was sensational. Just a few minutes later, Baumann was at it again in stopping Moise Kean.

Upon entering the match after halftime, Tim Kleindienst was an immediate upgrade over Burkardt. Burkardt never got into a rhythm with his fellow attackers and, unfortunately, will be judged more on the lack of cohesion in the attack than his individual performance.

Nico Schlotterbeck also came in after the half in place of Raum, which was a bold move for Nagelsmann, who was likely not happy with the left-back. Schlotterbeck put in a very solid shift.

In the 49th minute, Kleindienst knotted the game for Germany, who looked as if it was on a mission. Kimmich sent in a long, looping cross from the right-side and Kleindienst perfectly positioned himself between two defenders, got up, attacked the ball, and scored on a tremendous header.

In the 53rd minute, Musiala shouldered Matteo Politano harder than he has ever hit another player.

Baumann was at it again in the 67th minute when he made yet another massive stop — this time against Giacomo Raspadori.

In the 76th minute, Goretzka rose up and flicked Kimmich’s corner past Donnarumma to make it 2-1 and give Germany the margin it would need to win the match.

You have to hand it to Kimmich. After not playing right-back for months, he seamlessly transitioned to the position with ease. With two assists, the Bayern Munich star had a fantastic match.

Goretzka was a headache for Italy to deal with and only lost possession four times, which is incredible for a midfielder. If you wanted to critique Goretzka’s performance, you could argue that he needed to get on the ball more as he only had 67 touches in the match.

Robert Andrich brought some energy for the game’s final few minutes. Given that Groß did not assert himself, Andrich or Stiller could get the nod for the second leg.

Overall, you have to take the win and run. This was a banged up Germany squad that probably had no right in winning this match on the road. Nagelsmann will have some very difficult decisions to make for his lineup ahead of Sunday’s second leg. The coach will also have to sort out how to get more out of his attack — which might mean straying from some of his favorites like Sané.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

NUFC says it won’t let Isak go (ESPN)

Newcastle United is not ready to let Alexander Isak go just yet:

Newcastle are “adamant” that Alexander Isak will stay at the club this summer, according to the Daily Mail. The club’s chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, has informed the hierarchy that all offers must be resisted for the 25-year-old, who was watched by scouts from Barcelona during the 1-0 Premier League win over West Ham United last week. Isak has three years remaining on his contract at St James’ Park, and he has also been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal.

Bayern, Spurs battling over defender? (Sport Witness)

Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur could lock horns over Fenerbahçe SK defender Yusuf Akçiçek:

According to a claim in the Turkish media, Bayern Munich are the latest club showing interest in Fenerbahce defender Yusuf Akçiçek. The youngster has been linked with a move to the Premier League following reports Tottenham Hotspur have been monitoring the 19-year-old.

Fanatik today report on Bayern’s links with Akçiçek, and they say the Bundesliga leaders sent a scout to watch him last weekend when Fenerbahce took on Samsunspor in the Super Lig.

However, like when Tottenham sent officials earlier this season to watch the central defender against Antalyaspor, Jose Mourinho left the player on the bench.

Again, Spurs’ interest in the player has been reported by Fanatik, along with Premier League rivals Manchester United. French giants PSG are also said to be monitoring the situation with the Turk.

Bavarian Podcast Works — The Bundesliga Rundown with Marcus Iredahl: Matchday 26 (Bavarian Football Works)

Matchday 26 had it all—last-minute drama, shock results, and fan protests! In this episode, we dive into:

Can Bayer Leverkusen finally dethrone Bayern Munich?

FC Augsburg’s record-breaking defence.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s ultras and the 50-minute delay in Bochum.

...and much more!

Kompany happy for Kimmich deal (@iMiaSanMia)

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany was thrilled to see Joshua Kimmich sign a new deal last week.

“I’m always happy when it’s just about football. That discussion is now over and it’s now just about football. That’s the ideal situation. The important thing is what the players do in training, in the changing room and at the weekend. Jo has done very well. I’m pleased for Jo and the club,” said Kompany.

Atleti eyeing Núñez (ESPN)

Atlético Madrid might be looking at making a play for Liverpool FC attacker Darwin Núñez:

A move for Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez is under consideration by Atlético Madrid, according to TEAMtalk. The LaLiga club are believed to be keen to land a forward in the summer, and it is reported that the Reds are open to accepting an offer for the 25-year-old, who has scored five goals in 23 Premier League appearances this season. Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta is also on Atleti’s radar.

Chelsea wants no parts of Sancho (iNews via 90Min.com)

Chelsea FC is hosting Jadon Sancho on a loan assignment, but might be willing to take a penalty instead of exercising an obligation to buy the former Borussia Dortmund attacker:

Chelsea are giving serious thought to paying the penalty fee to back out of their obligation to sign Jadon Sancho permanently from Manchester United after being underwhelmed by the on-loan winger’s form.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 7, Episode 34 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich sputtered into the international break with an unexpected 1-1 draw on the road with Union Berlin.

We’ll talk about that and some of the other burning issues going on with the Bavarians at the moment. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:

Why did Bayern Munich look so unfocused and fall apart against Union Berlin? Let’s discuss.

It’s not time to worry about Jonas Urbig.

Why is Vincent Kompany still so reluctant to rotate?

Leroy Sané’s last minute rush for a new contract is upon us.

Eric Dier could get a new deal, but it still feels unlikely.

Who from Bayern Munich is unsellable?

Oh yeah, it’s a race again.

Magull calls it a career for Germany (@dw_sport)

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Lina Magull has decided to end her international career with the German national team:

Van Dijk to MLS? (World Soccer Talk)

Could Liverpool FC center-back Virgil van Dijk potentially join Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne on his rumored move to San Diego FC in MLS?

Maybe:

Liverpool and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk could be set for a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) this summer, ending his decade-long Premier League career, according to L’Equipe. With his contract expiring alongside those of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk is reportedly considering an MLS move, attracted by the American culture.

This follows a report from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal who reportedly made a €20 million offer. He has won several major trophies with Liverpool, including the Premier League title and Champions League.

Van Dijk’s potential move might not be an isolated incident. Manchester City captain Kevin De Bruyne, whose contract is also expiring, has been linked with San Diego FC.

In This Stream

International Break: Germany vs. Italy in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals

Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Germany vs. Italy; Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur warring over defender?; Atlético Madrid eyeing Liverpool star; Chelsea wants out of Jadon Sancho deal; Virgil van Dijk to MLS?; and MORE!

Italy 1-2 Germany: Initial Observations and Reactions

View all 49 stories

Despite showing sporadic glimpse of brightness at Bayern Munich ever since making his move from Stade Rennes in France, it just never fully clicked for Mathys Tel with the German Rekordmeister. After it became clear midway through this season that the French youngster’s minutes would remain to be few and far between under Vincent Kompany, it was decided that a loan spell to Tottenham in the Premier League would be the best option for his continued development. For Spurs, there is an option to buy Tel at the end of the loan, but his loan spell has not exactly gotten off to a flying start.

Ever since moving on loan to North London at the end of the winter transfer window, Tel has made a total of five appearances across all competitions, four of which were starts largely due to the massive number of injuries to Tottenham’s attack and midfield. He scored in the 2-1 FA Cup loss to Aston Villa at the beginning of the month and that remains to be his only goal contribution to date for the struggling Spurs side.

Manager Ange Postecoglou recently offered his thoughts on Tel, fully recognizing that there was no expectation for the 19-year old to hit the ground running in England and light the world on fire. “With Mathys, he hadn’t played a lot, we’ve thrown him in and kept him in there because I want to build up his fitness. But if anyone is expecting him to come in as a 19-year-old and take the Premier League by storm by scoring multiple goals, it’s not realistic. It just can’t happen,” the Australian manager explained (via @iMiaSanMia).

Before Tel made his loan move to North London, he had made a total of 14 appearances for Bayern under Kompany, the majority of which were appearances coming off of the bench. Knowing that, one of the first goals for Postecoglou was to get Tel’s fitness levels up and then maintain them for the remainder of the season. “What we’re trying to do is work with him. He needs to get his physical fitness up because he hasn’t played a lot of football. At 19, I see really outstanding attributes in him that I think he could be a really good No. 9 and he can play wide as well. He’s not going to be a Dom [Solanke] or [Liam] Delap, he’s a different type. But looking at him in training, his movements are becoming a bit more fluent, he’s getting used to the way we play,” the manager explained.

For what it’s worth, there are also things that Postecoglou has seen from Tel already that he really likes. With the work he’s putting in and the way he’s been performing, Postecoglou feels that goals and assists will naturally start to come, which Tottenham desperately need at the moment. “He’s doing the things we need him to do at the moment to help us. He may not be getting the goals and the accolades but he’s certainly contributing to the way we want to play. That’s the most important thing. He’s got so much growth in him and I’m sure we’ll see that,” Postecoglou stressed.

Just a few short days after completing his loan move to Tottenham Hotspur from Bayern Munich, Mathys Tel was thrust into the action for his new club, making a second half appearance in Spurs’ 4-0 Carabao Cup semifinal loss to Liverpool at Anfield. He was far from the problem in what was a poor collective outing from a struggling Tottenham side that had gone into that tie 1-0 up on aggregate, but he did look energetic and hungry to make an impact.

At Bayern, Tel was simply not getting enough playing time for his liking under Vincent Kompany and it had gotten to a point where he voiced his concern with his lack of minutes, opening the door for a loan move away from Munich. While Tel had a preference to join either Arsenal FC or Manchester United, neither of those two clubs wanted him as much as he thought the might’ve and he wound up at Tottenham, a club he was able to hear quite a bit about from Harry Kane.

The England skipper recently explained that he and Tel had talked about Tottenham before Tel’s loan deal was made official, adding that the young French talent has already expressed how much he was impressed by Tottenham’s training grounds and facilities.

“He asked me [about Tottenham]. When the deal was done, he texted me and told me how great the training ground was. He was very excited. I wish Mathys all the best. Hopefully he gets a lot of playing time. That’s what he needs. He needs to develop and experience the highs and lows on the pitch. I know Tottenham well, they will look after him well. Hopefully he does well there. He should show what he can do at the highest level,” Kane told Sport1 (via @iMiaSanMia).

Of course, Kane’s presence in the Bayern squad is one of the big reasons why Tel missed out on minutes there, but he can play as a winger as well. At Tottenham, he likely won’t supplant Son Heung-Min or Dejan Kulusevski, but there is a window of opportunity for minutes with injuries to the likes of James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, and Dominic Solanke. Richarlison also sustained an injury in the losing effort against Liverpool, which Postecoglou said did not “look good.”

Looking for more thoughts and analysis from Bayern Munich’s 3-0 victory over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga? Awesome, then check out our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show for a review of the starting XI, a rundown of the scoring and substitutions, and some final takeaways. You can get the show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:

According to a report from CaughtOffside reporter Mark Brus, Tottenham Hotspur could be the frontrunner to land Bayern Munich free agent Leroy Sané:

Tottenham have emerged as serious contenders to seal the transfer of Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sané this summer, CaughtOffside understands.

Sources now believe that Bayern have all but given up on keeping Sané after trying their best to tie the Germany international down to a new contract, with his current deal about to expire.

Sané now looks highly likely to become a free agent this summer, and Tottenham have been joined by Barcelona in showing an interest in the 29-year-old.

Sané’s status with the club has been in doubt for months now and the club appears to be likely to want to flip quite a few positions in the attack. Will Sané move on?

Looking for more thoughts and discussion on Bayern Munich’s Champions League playoff round visit to Celtic FC? Awesome, because we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show, You can get the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, or below:

Strikers, Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur. Suddenly, it is starting to become a trend. First, Bayern and Tottenham engage in a long, protracted, difficult negotiation in the summer of 2023 that took months but ended with star striker Harry Kane arriving in Munich to wear the red shirt. Now, the winter transfer has concluded with Mathys Tel ending up in the Lilywhites’ colors after completing a loan transfer to the Premier League team. What’s next? Is Dominic Solanke going to move on from being the Kane successor at Tottenham to the being the Kane successor at Bayern? All right, perhaps not.

But the unique circumstances do give Harry Kane’s recent words on Tel’s departure some added meaning. Speaking shortly after the move was completed, the Tottenham legend had this to say: “It’s a great move for both parties. Mathys is a great guy and very hardworking. It’s important for him to get regular game time and keep improving to fulfill his potential. It’s great for Tottenham to have a young hungry player with loads of talent,” Kane said, via @iMiaSanMia.

According to a report from Daily Telegraph football news correspondent Matt Law (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), there is an interesting wrinkle to Harry Kane’s release clause with Bayern Munich — Tottenham Hotspur has the right to match it:

Sources close to Harry Kane have not commented on a report by Bild the England captain has a release clause, but @TeleFootball. understands that there is indeed a clause in Kane’s Bayern contract, even though he is said to be extremely happy in Germany and has no thoughts of activating it any time soon. Premier League clubs are already aware of the existence of Kane’s release clause, which could be crucial to a potential return to England.

Tottenham have a matching right, meaning that should a rival club trigger Kane’s Bayern release clause, Spurs would have to decide whether or not to match the bid and hope the 31-year-old preferred a return to North London.

While all reports indicate Kane is happy, this could mean that both the player and Bayern Munich are aware that a separation in the summer of 2026 is doable — and perhaps palatable for both parties — if Kane wants to head back to England.

From Bayern Munich’s perspective, the second that Kane wins a trophy, the club has to prepare for the possibility that Kane could — maybe — get the itch to head back to England and chase Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal scoring record.

The release clause is at least some protection against that scenario. For now, though, it is business as usual. Next January, though, this should spark much discussion between the player and the club — along with fans.

Looking for thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s upcoming Bundesliga tilt vs. Werder Bremen? Awesome, then check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:

The drama surrounding Mathys Tel around deadline day of the winter transfer window was extraordinary. With the 19-year-old making the decision to leave Bayern Munich just days before the window closing, long standing interest from Arsenal FC, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur was re-ignited and led to a dramatic race for the French top talent. In the end, Tottenham were the ones to secure Tel’s signature, though not before they had been rejected a few days prior despite Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy flying over to seal the deal himself.

So what happened? Why did Tel do such a dramatic U-turn? Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou (try saying that name three times fast), who held a conversation with the youngster that was said to have changed his mind, gave his opinion on the matter:

“People need to understand we’re talking about a 19-year-old player with a major decision. It’s not so much about rejecting us or anyone. He wanted to be comfortable with the decision. He didn’t want to be pushed in a certain direction, credit to him,” the Greek born manager said, via @iMiaSanMia. “I had a conversation with him and purely around the football and that I think he’ll find a great place here in terms of where he is in his career. We’ve shown irrespective of age, he’ll get an opportunity, and the way we play will suit him and what we have in the next few months and beyond, it’s a perfect fit.

“It is right that it took as long as it did so he’s comfortable with it. That he took so much time and was diligent, and made the decision when he had options, it meant the right mentality, right player, he’s ambitious, with self belief and self confidence and feels he can reach the very top.”

So...it was a mix between making a difficult decision at an age notorious for poor decision making, not wanting to be pushed around by others (Was it Bayern pushing him to make the move? Tottenham? Both?) and taking the time to make the most informed decision. That sounds about right.

Looking for thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s upcoming Bundesliga tilt vs. Werder Bremen? Awesome, then check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:

Bayern Munich board member for sport Max Eberl thinks that Mathys Tel is in a terrific position to improve, now that he is settling into his new home — on loan with Tottenham Hotspur.

“Mathys came to Bayern as a very young player and developed at the highest level here. He hasn’t got the game time he wanted of late, so came to us with the desire to move. We’ve now developed a set-up that offers Mathys, Bayern and Tottenham an excellent opportunity,” Eberl said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).

Ultimately, the jury is out on this move until Tel starts to play. The youngster needs minutes and he needs to gain experience — two things that were unlikely to happen during the second half of the season at Bayern Munich. If — for whatever reason — Tel does not get the game time he needs, this move could represent another lost opportunity for the Frenchman.

Looking to catch up on all of the weekend’s action? Awesome, then check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Bundesliga Rundown with Marcus Iredahl. You can get the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, and below:

According to a report from Bild journalist Christian Falk (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich will get €10 million from Tottenham Hotspur as a loan fee for Mathys Tel.

Falk also clarified the exact situation with the option to buy that is included in the deal:

Bayern will receive a loan fee worth up to €10m for Mathys Tel. At first a straight loan was considered, but then Spurs insisted on an option to buy, which Bayern set at the €60m previously agreed. Spurs can only activate it if Tel himself agrees to a permanent move.

Tel, who shot down a full transfer from Tottenham Hotspur last Friday before agreeing to a deal with him on Monday, was asked if he and Harry Kane had a chance to talk about the move. Tel’s response was captured by @iMiaSanMia):

Looking to catch up on all of the weekend’s action? Awesome, then check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Bundesliga Rundown with Marcus Iredahl. You can get the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, and below: