Bayern Munich news: Harry Kane update; Battling FC Barcelona for an outside-back; and MORE!

With strong relationship, no rush for Bayern, Kane to get deal done (The Athletic’s David Ornstein)

By all accounts, Bayern Munich and Harry Kane are going to hold contract talks, which many expect to result in a new deal for the Englishman.

However, neither side could be in a hurry to meet and get a new deal in place:

Bayern share a fantastic relationship with Harry Kane, and he would be open to extending his contract, although both parties are relaxed and in little rush.

Those terms contain a release clause that stands at €65m in January, and Kane would need to notify the club by the end of that month if he wishes to activate it for a winter or summer move. The expectation is that he will not do so and intends to remain at Bayern for the foreseeable future.

Rumours have swirled about interest from Barcelona and an emotional return to Tottenham, but talks are yet to take place with suitors, and the current direction of travel suggests Kane is staying put.

It seems as if we are nearing “foregone conclusion” territory with this situation. Barring any crazy turn of events, fans can expect Kane to — at least — see out his current contract, which ends in 2027.

Bayern eyeing Santos outside-back? (ESPN)

Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona are both reportedly scouting Santos fullback Souza:

Bayern Munich and Barcelona are among the teams monitoring Santos fullback Souza, who has been compared in style to former Real Madrid and Brazil star Marcelo. Diario AS reports that the Blaugrana have been interested in the 19-year-old since the summer, when he was also linked with Chelsea. It is believed that an offer worth €15 million would be enough to land him, but Santos don’t want to discuss a deal before the end of the campaign.

If you want a sneak peek at the kid, here you go:

Pundit calls for Haaland-Kane tandem at City (City Xtra)

Speaking of Harry Kane, there is one pundit who thinks the Englishman should move to Manchester City and play alongside Erling Haaland:

Former Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has tipped his old club with a sensational swoop for Bayern Munich and England hero Harry Kane.

Earlier this year, Haaland spoke openly about how much he values playing alongside technically gifted creators such as Rayan Cherki, and the thought of pairing the Norwegian with one of Europe’s most complete forwards will catch the imagination of supporters.

Harry Kane’s campaigns in Germany have solidified his position as one of the strongest strikers in the history of the game, and with that, the England international captain continues to attract hypothetical links with elite clubs.

Now, speaking during a new interview with BestBettingSites, Shaun Wright-Phillips has remarkably suggested Harry Kane could launch a sensational partnership with Erling Haaland at Manchester City.

“If you were Harry Kane you could win more silverware at Barcelona, or Real Madrid, why would you turn that down? But if he wants that record in the Premier League, then I think Manchester City would welcome him with open arms,” claimed the former England winger.

Wright-Phillips continued, “I think even if they only play one striker, they can rotate with Erling Haaland. I think both would accept that as long as they were winning trophies.

“More than that, I think they can play together, because Kane is an exceptional No.10 too, and it would free Haaland up. As soon as Kane has the ball and turns, Haaland would be running in-behind and Kane would find him.”

For now, Erling Haaland remains the fulcrum of Pep Guardiola’s attack, and Harry Kane appears settled in Bavaria under the coaching of Vincent Kompany, but Shaun Wright-Phillips’ comments perhaps highlight how quickly the transfer landscape could shift.

Surely…one of you readers has done this in FIFA (or whatever they call it now) or Football Manager…how did it go?

United to make move for Valverde? (ESPN)

Manchester United is interesting in making a deal for Real Madrid star Federico Valverde:

Manchester United are exploring a move for Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, according to The Daily Mirror. The Red Devils are one of several clubs keen on signing the 27-year-old following a “bust-up” with manager Xabi Alonso, and would be willing to make an offer in the region of €80 million. However, that is expected to fall short of what Los Blancos would be looking for, with the Bernabéu hierarchy insisting on a deal over €100 million given that Valverde remains contracted until the summer of 2029.

Bayern keeping eye on strikers as Jackson isn’t seen as long-term solution (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl via @iMiaSanMia)

With Nicolas Jackson almost assuredly heading back to Chelsea after this season, Bayern Munich is scouring the market for striker options…and seems to be keep coming back to FC Midtjylland’s Franculino Djú:

Bayern are keeping an eye on the striker market, since the current tendency is that Nicolas Jackson won’t be signed permanently. The club is still following the situation of FC Midtjylland’s Franculino Djú (21), who already was subject to Bayern interest in the past summer. Christoph Freund, in particular, is a fan of the Bissau-Guinean striker.

Djú is having a breakout season with FC Midtjylland as he has tallied 21 goals and three assists in 29 games across all competitions so far.

Real out on Konaté (The Athletic via ESPN)

Real Madrid is exiting from the Ibrahima Konaté sweepstakes:

Real Madrid have told Liverpool that they have ended their interest in defender Ibrahima Konaté, who will be be free to open talks with foreign clubs from Jan. 1 as his Anfield contract is due to expire int he summer.

That might not seem like massive news on the surface, but Real Madrid could set its sights on Bayern Munich center-back Dayot Upamecano now.

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…