Welcome to today’s exclusive & comprehensive round-up of all things Bayern Munich from Bayern insider Christian Falk. Featuring updates on Luis Diaz, Rodrygo, Renato Veiga, and Kim Min-jae.
Today’s top stories
- Why Bayern Munich can afford to sign both Luis Diaz and Nick Woltemade…
- Could Rodrygo be a serious Bayern target?
- Who are the backup options if all else fails?
- What’s the latest on the sales front?
Bayern’s transfer list
1) Top of the priority list: Luis Diaz and Nick Woltemade
Bayern Munich are working hard on these two transfers – they are absolute priorities! In both cases, two offers have already been made. The last offer for Woltemade came on Tuesday evening, with Bayern Munich offering €50m [£43.2m] plus €5m in add-ons (and, additionally, a 10% sell-on clause). VfB Stuttgart rejected this immediately. It was a similar story for Luis Diaz. We exclusively revealed at CF Bayern Insider that there was an offer of €52m [£44.9m]. This was then followed by a report from David Ornstein at The Athletic on FC Bayern’s €67.5m [£58.4m] bid. However, Liverpool rejected such advances as well.
In the case of Woltemade and Stuttgart, it is still the opinion of the Bundesliga outfit that they won’t sell the striker in the current summer transfer window. That said, we heard that this could still be part of the poker game. €65m [£56.2m] would be a price they would go to the table for. In the case of Luis Diaz, you never know how willing Liverpool are to enter into negotiations, but Diaz has communicated to Bayern Munich yet again that he wants to join them. We expect that about €80m [£69.2m] will be required for Liverpool to entertain a first round of talks.
Personal terms have already been agreed with Woltemade. In the end, Stuttgart know that they perhaps have to do something, otherwise it could be a difficult season for the German international.
How much could Luis Diaz earn at Bayern?
Bayern are keen to lower the wage bill at the club. However, Luis Diaz could easily earn €50m [£43.2m] gross (perhaps a little bit more with add-ons factored in), which could be more than he’s currently earning at Liverpool at the moment. Ultimately, there’s an agreement between FC Bayern and the player, which is why he knows he can earn more in Munich. At Bayern Munich, they showed Diaz that they really like him. At Liverpool, he’s one of several players, but in Munich, they gave him the feeling that he could be the next big star. So, that’s surely an argument in Bayern’s favour.
Can Bayern afford Diaz and Woltemade?
It remains the plan for FC Bayern to sign both Nick Woltemade and Luis Diaz. You know, they would have been prepared to spend €150m [£129.7m] for Florian Wirtz. So, you can see how Bayern Munich could afford to do two such deals without having to sell players.
Bayern fans want Rodrygo
There’s an interesting development around the club. The supporters are concerned about FC Bayern’s plan to spend so much money on Luis Diaz when they could go for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo. This would be a really interesting player for the club. He hasn’t been discussed yet inside the halls of Säbener Straße, but there is a sense that he could become a topic with the fans pushing hard for the club to sign him. So, perhaps something could develop from this particular wish.
2) The first backup option: Xavi Simons
Xavi Simons is Bayern’s “Plan B” if they can’t sign Luis Diaz or Nick Woltemade. The RB Leipzig midfielder can play in Jamal Musiala’s position, like Woltemade can, but he can also play on the wing like Diaz. So, you can cover two positions with just one player. Last summer, there were already talks between the club and Simons; there was a video call with Vincent Kompany. Max Eberl has a connection to the player because he was on board when the player came to Leipzig (there, he was the boss). So, this would be the first idea if one of the other transfers doesn’t work out as planned.
3) Defensive options: Malo Gusto and Renato Veiga
As we can see, Bayern Munich are primarily focused on bolstering the offence this summer – they really want to do that. If they can manage to sell players, pursuing the Chelsea duo becomes more possible. They like Malo Gusto and, yes, they have an eye on Renato Veiga. However, in both cases, they have to sell players first. So, with Malo Gusto, he’s playing at right-back, and FC Bayern don’t want to sell Konrad Laimer. They don’t want to sell Josip Stanišić either, but they do want to part ways with Sacha Boey. So, if they could sell this player, there could be an option for Gusto. Renato Veiga would also be of interest if they can sell Kim Min-jae. So, you see, if there is movement on either position in the selling list, there could be options for new players.
4) The second backup option: Leandro Trossard
Leandro Trossard is a new idea. Gabriel Martinelli has been on the list for longer. Bayern had contact with the Arsenal winger’s management, but in the meantime, the club also got in touch with Trossard’s management. This is because he has had a new agent from Germany since July. His name is Dirk Hebel – he’s the agent of Marco Reus. Reus, at the time, played for Gladbach when Max Eberl was the sporting director, and was sold to Dortmund. It was a big transfer for Gladbach, with BVB activating a €17.5m [£15.1m] release clause. I heard there was also contact with the management again because of this player. So he is definitely on the list, like Martinelli, and I know that Arsenal want to give him a new contract. But I think Bayern Munich can offer more.
5) The third backup options: Gabriel Martinelli and Christopher Nkunku
Trossard is the backup if one of the others doesn’t work, like Martinelli and Christopher Nkunku. Nkunku is now cheaper than he was when Max Eberl asked for him in the winter. I think Chelsea wanted about €70m [£60.5m]. Now, it could be half the price. Also, a connection worth bearing in mind – Pini Zahavi made many deals with Bayern Munich previously. The last one was Jonathan Tah, so you see the network is there! That’s why he’s also on the list.
6) Who is off Bayern’s transfer list?
We’ve previously mentioned Rafa Leão, Cody Gakpo, Eberechi Eze, and Kaoru Mitoma. For Leão, the reason was that he lacked the level of professionalism Bayern Munich are searching for. There were talks for Gakpo but the idea of the player doesn’t fit as perfectly as the other targets. He feels a little more central. Now, Mitoma is off the list. We can also mention Marcus Rashford, as we’ve previously discussed. The Manchester United striker remains on the long list and could be an option if price and salary fall within an acceptable limit for Bayern Munich. Nico Williams was on the list but seems to have taken himself off, so this doesn’t appear a viable option for now – perhaps in the next year! But at the moment: no chance!
Bayern summer exits
Joao Palhinha to Arsenal?
Arsenal made a concrete approach for João Palhinha, as we exclusively reported on CF Bayern Insider on Thursday. So there’s still the possibility of selling him this summer. The price is going down and down – €25m [£21.6m], perhaps €30m [£25.9m], but that’s it. Bayern Munich want to sell him. If he leaves, it’s also a chance for the club to go for Renato Veiga.
Kim Min-jae to the Premier League?
We’ve heard that Chelsea and Tottenham are interested in Kim Min-jae. There’s not any concrete movement on this front at the moment, partly because I think these clubs also have to sell players on their end. Bayern Munich are still willing to sell the South Korean centre-back, but there’s nothing concrete.
Is Adam Aznou going to be sold?
Bayern had an idea that he could be a backup option for the upcoming campaign, given that Alphonso Davies remains injured. So, there is no need to give him away. Bayern bought him to be part of the squad. So, at the moment, if there’s nothing very, very interesting on the table, they’re planning with the 19-year-old. It was a little bit surprising that he wasn’t allowed to play so much at the FIFA Club World Cup. So, he’s still in development, but at the moment, he should be part of the squad as long as Davies is not back.
Should Bayern fans be worried about the decision to sell Nestory Irankunda?
To be honest, he wasn’t far enough along in his development. Nestory Irankunda was not good enough at the moment to break into the Bayern first team. So, it makes sense to give him away. He has to get more experience and more development in his skills if he wants to be a Bayern Munich player in future. So, it’s a good idea to sell him, and Watford isn’t a big six club in England. I think he’s on the right track now for what he showed.
What does the future hold for Daniel Peretz?
Genoa are still an option for Daniel Peretz, but there’s also still Hamburg in the race. Before, PSV Eindhoven wanted to bring him in, but the Eredivisie outfit has since made a deal with Leverkusen for Matej Kovar. So, this door is now closed. So, now, I think HSV could be more interesting for him, but, still, Genoa would of course be a proper possibility for the goalkeeper. He needs playing time. We’ll have to see with these two clubs. If Peretz does leave, Henrik Bonman (31) of Ludogorets would come in as a replacement.
→ READ MORE: The Bayern Insider: Bayern set for internal talks after Nico Williams contract extension
→ READ MORE: Christian Falk’s Fact Files – Bayern are watching Chelsea star
Pay up or shut up simple
Liverpool will sell Luis Diaz, but only for the right price, which is in excess of £70m. If Bayern have that available, great. If not, then stop wasting everyone’s time.