After an impressive breakthrough campaign at Bayern Munich, Lennart Karl has faced difficulties both on and off the pitch since the start of the 2026/27 season.
The 18-year-old has struggled to rediscover his best form after recovering from the muscle tear that ruled him out of the World Cup. At the same time, his attitude and behaviour off the pitch have recently come under significant criticism from Bayern supervisory board member Uli Hoeneß.
"I plan to have a serious word with him. He is a long way from being a superstar. Young players need humility," Hoeneß fumed in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.
"Comparisons with [Michael] Olise are clearly not doing him any good. There is still a world of difference between them."
According to Bild's head of football, Christian Falk, Karl's situation has put Liverpool, ******* nal and Manchester United on alert, with all three Premier League clubs monitoring developments should an opportunity to sign the 18-year-old arise in the future.

#year #young

Bayern Munich has made progress towards generating income from its campus this summer, with multiple sales of academy talents contributing to Bayern's overall summer transfer income — estimated at over €50M, per Transfermarkt.
It has been called the 'summer of the century' by Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeneß, according to an interview he gave to Kicker. However, the Bavarians are naturally hoping for more first team-ready products to emerge for themselves, to follow in the recent examples of Aleksandar Pavlović and Lennart Karl.
Via Kicker journalist Frank Linkesch, as captured by iMiaSanMia:
Speaking to kicker, Uli Hoeneß says he's very happy with the funds the club managed to raise in the summer by selling Campus players. Hoeneß has even called it "summer of the century", saying that when the Campus was established, he was thinking more about producing players for the first team than generating transfer revenue from sales.
Hoeneß calls the resulting income "a nice side effect," adding that the academy has long since paid for itself. And in an era of exorbitant salaries, it can also help ease the financial burden on the first-team budget.

#generating

Ask a Bayern Munich executive or management figure about French mega-star Michael Olise and he will tell you that the winger is not for sale.
Chief executive officer Jan-Christian Dreesen, president Herbert Hainer, board member for sport Max Eberl, sporting director Christoph Freund, and supervisory board member Uli Hoeneß will all give you the same story. One thing that none of them can be completely certain of, however, is the future.
As for that, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly trying to make headway. In this report, the duo is allegedly working through intermediaries to see if a deal can get done at some point:
Following his outstanding performances for FC Bayern Munich and the French national team at the 2026 World Cup, Michael Olise remains on the wish lists of top European clubs. The 24-year-old right winger is one of the key players in Bayern's attack. His contract with the German record champions runs until June 30, 2029. With his strong start to the 2026/27 season, Olise has further cemented his status as a highly sought-after transfer target.
Olise's rapid development and consistently strong performances have attracted the attention of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in particular. According to information from fussball-news.de, both European powerhouses are closely monitoring his progress and are considering high-caliber reinforcements for the right wing and attacking positions.

#olise #bayern #real

VfB Stuttgart will have to manage without Tiago Tomás in the coming weeks.
As head coach Sebastian Hoeneß revealed at a press conference on Thursday, the winger is set for a spell on the sidelines.
"Tiago suffered a minor muscle injury in training yesterday," Hoeneß said ahead of Friday's Bundesliga clash with 1. FC Köln.
"He will probably be back after the international break," Hoeneß added.
Tomás started Stuttgart's first two competitive games of the 2026/27 season.

#tiago #stuttgart #bundesliga #coming

The monster tackle, the unstoppable dash, the curler into the corner: at FC Bayern there are and have been many players with unique abilities, who give us unforgettable moments. Such as Samuel Kuffour, who particularly shone against international stars. The Ghanaian defender made 277 competitive appearances for the German record champions from 1993 to 2005 and won 17 trophies with the club. Today, 3 September, he celebrates his 50th birthday – we wish him all the best.
Effenberg's strength of nerve to make it 1-1, Kahn's epic saves in the penalty shootout – those scenes from our Champions League triumph against Valencia will be remembered forever by many fans. Samuel Kuffour's contribution to the fourth Champions League ***** le might be less prominent. The Ghanaian centre-back didn't provide an iconic moment at the San Siro on 23 May 2001, but his whole performance over the 120 minutes in the Bayern back three is legendary. Like in all the previous knockout matches, he's on the pitch the whole time and intercepts one attack after the other. He closes the opponents down, throws himself into tackles and aerial duels and cuts out countless ***** . Having nullified Manchester United's Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole in the quarter-finals, and Raúl and Guti of Real Madrid in the semis, now it's John Carew's turn. The burly, 1.96-metre number nine iss barely in the game in the final. For someone of his relatively modest height of 1.78 metres, "Sammy" looks shoulders above. How does he manage to hold his own so well against the stars of his day? What characterises his defending?
Kuffour never shirks a tackle. He seeks them out, defends proactively on the front foot and puts his body on the line in a way that's rarely been seen in FCB history. Even in training, he was no different. "I hated training against him," reveals Giovane Élber, who played with him at Bayern from 1997 to 2003. Of course, this style of play brings with it a certain risk – he holds the record for the most sending-offs in an FCB shirt (eight). But fans and bosses are happy to forgive him for that. "When someone clatters into players like Sammy, then he can also make mistakes," says Uli Hoeneß. Especially since he always manages to focus in the big games.
A key component of Kuffour's game is his impressive athleticism. He has tremendous acceleration and agility, which allow him to hold his own even against technically superior players. Added to this is his exceptional jumping ability, thanks to which he easily holds his own in the air against opponents like Carew. Unsurprisingly, this also allows him to pose a constant goalscoring threat in attack, especially at set pieces. Six of his ten goals for Bayern were scored with his head. However, this does not apply to his most important goal – the winning goal in the Intercontinental Cup final against Boca Juniors in the 109th minute of extra time in November 2001. He scores that one with his right foot amid a scramble in the penalty area.

The 2026-27 Bundesliga season opened with Bayern Munich hosting Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena as they looked to begin their defence of the Bundesliga **** le and win it for the third time in a row.
Obviously, the last time these two teams met was in the final game of the German football season last year when Bayern completed their domestic double with a 3-0 win in the DFB Pokal final.
The first major chance came in the 12th minute when Grischa Prömel headed down a cross that deflected into the path of Tiago Tomas, but despite being in front of goal, the forward fired over the bar.
Bayern would be the team to open the scoring when a Joshua Kimmich corner was flicked on by Dayot Upamecano to make it 1-0. After the first game of the new season, the game opened up a lot more, and Bayern managed to gain more control of it after Stuttgart were the better side early on. Nathanial Brown and Konrad Laimer both had clear chances to double the Bundesliga champions' lead before the break.
In the second half, it looked as if Stuttgart were back in it when, in the 52nd minute, Josha Vagnoman's well-taken finish levelled it for Sebastian Hoeneß's side. However, this wouldn't last for long, and when I mean long, I mean three minutes, as Stuttgart would leave Michael Olise wide open in their box and allow him to slot past Fabian Bredlow to restore their lead.

#bayern #last #looked #time

German national team coach Jürgen Klopp has already spoken with several Bundesliga coaches, including Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany:
During his first few weeks in charge, Jürgen Klopp held long conversations with Bundesliga coaches, including Vincent Kompany, Niko Kovač and Sebastian Hoeneß. Klopp wants to work with them closely and stay in regular contact. He has also spoken to the coaches of Germany's youth teams and made it clear to them that they're part of the process and are very important to him. Klopp attaches a lot of importance to attending games regularly in stadiums. After last week's Super Cup, he will also attend Friday's Bundesliga opener at Allianz Arena.
Klopp is trying as best he can to get a read on his talent pool and taking in feedback from some of the most important managers in Germany's top tier. Sure, you can say that is what he is supposed to do, but it is reassuring that he — so far — is able to juggle managing the here and now, while also working to establish new initiatives for the future.
Juventus is still trying to sort out its desire to bring in a new attacker:
Juventus are unimpressed with Randal Kolo Muani's performances since his return to the club and are now looking at Atlético Madrid striker Alexander Sørloth, Gazzetta dello Sport reports. The Norway international is being favoured over Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee because it is felt that his characteristics would be a better fit. Nicolas González could be used as part of a deal to bring the costs down, especially as the 28-year-old wants to continue with Atleti following the expiration of his loan.

#wants

Sky Germany's sources have revealed that Ermedin Demirović's transfer to Galatasaray is no longer going to happen.
The 28-year-old feels very comfortable in VfB Stuttgart's team and senses a strong connection to the club and the city.
Furthermore, the public backing the striker received from head coach Sebastian Hoeneß was another influential factor.
Stuttgart has been informed about Demirović's decision, even though the club negotiated until the last minute with Galatasaray.
The Turkish giants had offered up to €20million, of which €2million were bonuses, but the clubs couldn't reach a quick agreement.

#million #ermedin #turkish

It already feels like quite some time ago, and yet it also still feels like it was only just a few weeks ago that Germany yet again floundered out of the World Cup far earlier than they should have. In Foxborough, Massachusetts, they fell to Paraguay in a penalty shootout after failing to get the job done in 90 minutes, but the writing was on the wall as they collectively failed to hit their heights throughout the entire tournament — starting off the group stages with a 7-1 trouncing of Curaçao in Houston, Texas probably didn't do wonders for keeping them on their toes.
Too many players underperformed, mid-match management calls and tactical changes might not have been right, but what's done is done and Germany can now ride a wave of anticipation and excitement into Jürgen Klopp's reign as Die Mannschaft manager, as the former Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz man took over for Julian Nagelsmann. The DFB more or less strongly urged Nagelsmann to resign after the World Cup, but was he really to blame for everything that went wrong for Germany, or was he just the easiest scapegoat to point at? For former/honorary Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeneß, the problems with the team extended well beyond Nagelsmann.
"I think our team's performance was an absolute disaster. It was a disgrace for our country. But there are various reasons for that. Enough has already been said about Julian Nagelsmann. I don't think he is solely to blame. We don't have a team of outstanding quality, but you can still have a good World Cup. Argentina proved that. They don't have a good team, but they threw everything into it like crazy. That's what I felt was missing from our team," Hoeneß recently stressed to RTL / Sky Germany (via iMiaSanMia).
Of course, Argentina made it to the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey where they lost to Spain, but a great portion of their campaign was a massive topic of discussions for the way in which they were given a plethora of favorable calls in different matches and getting away with blatant, persistent fouling.
That's not to say that the Argentine squad doesn't possess the grit, fight, and tenacity within the laws of the game that routinely gets them to the latter stages of World Cups, but there certainly questions raised; why didn't Lionel Messi get a red vs. Saudi Arabia, why was Egypt's 3rd goal disallowed, why didn't anyone get booked early on vs. England? All legitimate questions asked, but for Hoeneß, he doesn't see that type of fight from Germany that Argentina almost always displays.

#germany #hoene

Our Get German Football News 2026/27 Bundesliga Tactical Previews series continues with a look at VfB Stuttgart. Oh, Stuttgart. You adorable little red-striped menace. There was a time, not particularly long ago, when the author could approach the VfB section of these previews with a reassuringly familiar collection of questions. Who left? Who needs replacing? How much of Sebastian Hoeneß' latest carefully constructed football machine has the transfer market carried away in several large sacks? Last summer, amid approximately 546,789 Nick Woltemade stories and enough aborted transfer sagas to shorten one's life expectancy, the author eventually concluded that Stuttgart possessed a talented upper-table side but were "plainly NOT ***** le contenders". They responded by finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League again. So much for that.
Perhaps one should simply accept what Stuttgart have become. Hoeneß took over a relegation candidate in 2023 and somehow turned the whole operation into one of German football's most reliably entertaining success stories. The Pokal arrived. European football kept arriving. Champions League qualification has now arrived twice. At some point, the cute little comeback story stopped being cute because it kept happening. Unfortunately for everyone else, the club itself remains rather adorable. It helps that Stuttgart possess Deniz Undav, German football's resident clown prince and a man apparently determined to turn every mixed-zone interview into open-mic night. Keep him forever. Always give him a microphone afterward.
In previous summers, Hoeneß' principal task was figuring out how to replace what success had taken away. This time, most of the good stuff is still sitting right there in front of him. The largest tactical problem currently confronting the coach may simply be explaining to several very good professional footballers why eleven remains the maximum number permitted on the pitch. How terribly sad for him.
The author shall now inspect Hoeneß' overflowing toy box and attempt to work out how all the pieces fit.
The pleasant novelty here is that the personnel section does not begin with an autopsy. Stuttgart have retained the spine, secured Undav, and then spent aggressively to make an already strong squad even deeper. That does not mean the summer has been simple. Nübel's departure creates a goalkeeper succession, Pejcinovic and Sauer immediately alter attacking hierarchies, Prömel places pressure on the captain, and late interest in Demirovic and El Khannouss threatens to complicate what otherwise looks like unusually tidy work. Before Hoeneß can begin solving his luxury problems on the pitch, it is worth establishing exactly how many of them the transfer market has created.

#german #author #transfer

Bayern Munich supervisory board member Uli Hoeneß is facing an unusual legal dispute away from the football pitch.
Per Tz (as captured by iMiaSanMia), the Bayern Munich honorary president has reportedly been sued by a neighbor over two trees allegedly planted on his property in Bad Wiessee. The neighbor, whose property borders Hoeneß's land to the south, claims the trees were planted in an area where planting is prohibited.
Not shockingly, Hoeneß disputes that interpretation, maintaining that the area in question does not fall within the restricted zone. The case is scheduled to be heard at the Munich II Regional Court next Thursday, with the dispute ultimately coming down to whether the two trees were planted in an area where such planting is permitted.
Hoeneß has declined to comment ahead of the hearing.
It is certainly an unusual situation for one of Bayern Munich's most influential figures, who has spent decades dealing with much bigger issues surrounding the club and German football. You have to imagine that Hoeneß might have (maybe!) had a little chuckle about the dispute.

#bayern #munich #trees #unusual

Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl is close to extending his contract at the club, according to Sport Bild. The 52-year-old was informed of the news during the club's Asia tour. However, the supervisory board is yet to reach a final decision on the matter. The next meeting of the board is scheduled for 25 August. Honorary president and supervisory board member Uli Hoeneß recently put the likelihood of Eberl's contract extension at "100 percent."Hoeneß also praised Eberl for "a perfect transfer period." This summer, Bayern have signed German full-back Nathaniel Brown from Eintracht Frankfurt and Moroccan attacker Ismael Saibari from PSV Eindhoven. Eberl's contract expires in the summer of 2027, the same as that of CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, who is also expected to stay with the record German Champions. GGFN | Brook Genene

#contract #hoene #german

Ermedin Demirovic has reaffirmed his commitment to VfB Stuttgart amid persistent speculation linking him with a move away from the Bundesliga club. The 28-year-old nevertheless hopes that his third season with the Swabians will include a Champions League trip to face ****** nal at the Emirates Stadium.
Demirovic attracted interest from Leeds United, Juventus and Fenerbahçe this summer. Stuttgart were also said to be internally divided over whether a lucrative sale should be considered.
Reports that Sebastian Hoeneß was open to dispensing with the Bosnian international particularly irritated the Stuttgart head coach. Demirovic has now dismissed the possibility that he was considering an exit and made clear that his relationship with Hoeneß remains strong.
Demirovic's commitment comes as Stuttgart continue negotiations with Wolfsburg over Dzenan Pejcinovic. The 20-year-old wishes to join the Champions League participants, but the two clubs remain apart in their respective valuations.
Wolfsburg are reportedly demanding €25m, while Stuttgart have offered approximately €20m. Sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth, per Kicker, does not expect Pejcinovic to join the club's current training camp in Grassau, although negotiations remain ongoing.

#commitment

Max Eberl has made it clear that Uli Hoeneß's recent vote of confidence meant a great deal to him.
After Hoeneß publicly declared he was "100%" behind Bayern Munich's sporting director, Eberl admitted the backing was encouraging during a period when his future has been the subject of speculation.
"I was very pleased with Uli's words on Thursday, I make no secret of that. One prefers to hear praise rather than criticism. I'm trying to do the job for Bayern Munich and convince the people who make the decisions that I'm not a bad choice. In the end, the supervisory board will decide. If they want me to continue, then I'm ready to talk," Eberl told Bild (as captured by iMiaSanMia).
It is a measured response from Eberl, who acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his position while emphasizing that his focus remains on doing what is best for Bayern Munich. Rather than ***** uming his future is secure, he pointed out that the final decision rests with the club's supervisory board.
Hoeneß's public endorsement was the strongest backing Eberl has received in recent weeks, but it does not guarantee anything. For now, Eberl appears content to let his work speak for itself and wait for the club's leadership to decide whether he will continue leading Bayern Munich's sporting project beyond this season.

#hoene #munich #future

Is Uli Hoeneß mellowing in his old age? Say it ain't so! After months of pushing for sales, the Bayern Munich legend is relieving board member for sport Max Eberl of that pressure. While Hoeneß wants to see a few sales, it is no longer a requirement for Eberl to keep his job.
"If we can now manage to move one or two players on — which is what we'd ideally like to do — that would be great. But I also want to make one thing absolutely clear: a contract with Bayern Munich is sacrosanct. That means if, in the end, no suitable solution is found, we'll keep the players," Hoeneß said.
This is pretty significant as Bayern Munich has three pretty expensive surplus players on the roster at the moment. Per Capology, João Palhinha (€12,000,000 total pay package), Bryan Zaragoza (€8,490,000 total pay package), and Sacha Boey (€4,340,000 total pay package) all carry significant financial burdens without much hope for playing time.
Another big candidate for sale is Hiroki Itō (€4,700,000 total pay package), but as the squad's fourth center-back, he — at least — has a role that would be needed and a pay package commensurate with his role.
No doubt, Eberl will still try to unload those aforementioned players (and maybe a few youngsters as well), but not feeling like he will lose his job if he cannot move those players is like a big relief.

#players #package

After another consecutive failure for Germany at the World Cup over the past weeks, there is a clear agreement from fans and critics that a major change is needed at the DFB. While all the attention is currently surrounding the head coach role with Jürgen Klopp as the top candidate, there is another interesting candidate that could shake things up at the DFB.
As captured by iMiaSanMia, 2014 world champion Per Mertesacker is being considered by DFB. The former German defender was head of the **** nal academy for eight years before voluntarily leaving the club this summer. With his experience at one of the biggest academies in Europe, he could be the perfect solution for restructuring the youth development program within the DFB and developing a concept that rethinks how German prepares their top talent for success at the highest level.
“Everything Per Mertesacker says on TV is thoughtful and well-founded. He’s never insulting, yet he’s still critical. If you’ve spent eight years at **** nal, you must have something about you — and that’s exactly what we need right now. As a former player, he has vast international experience. He’s always shown how well he can work with people. And one thing is certain: he would never take the job for the money, but because he’s motivated by the challenge of building something and driving it forward with passion. Those are exactly the kind of people we need right now – people who have worked their way up through dedication and are willing to put in the hard work,” Uli Hoeneß told Bild.
Hoeneß makes some pretty good points and it isn’t hard to imagine the World Cup champions having success with the DFB. While Klopp is the clear choice for the manager role, Mertesacker could be another just as important piece of the next German reboot.
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England’s 3-2 win over Mexico in the World Cup came in what was arguably one of the most exciting games of the tournament thus far. Harry Kane’s penalty was what sealed the win for the Three Lions, as they progress to the quarterfinals. Following the victory, England’s head coach Thomas Tuchel was asked about his skipper, to which he recounted a story about his short-lived stint at Bayern Munich.
Expressing his admiration and gratitude, Tuchel said, “When I was at Bayern, I’m still glad that I fought the fight to bring [Kane] to Bayern Munich against some other opinions.”
Tuchel clearly takes shots at honorary club president Uli Hoeneß, who was quite vocal about his opinion on the transfer at the time.
Hoeneß much rather preferred spending that money on Randal Kolo Muani, and it was a publicized power struggle between Tuchel and the club’s bosses, who wanted Kane.
Hoeneß even came close to accidentally sabotaging the transfer by delivering one of his classic interviews that weren’t very kind to Tottenham Hotspur.

If there is one thing that Bayern Munich hates — and that Uli Hoeneß loathes — it is agent fees.
Tacking extra cost on to already expensive contracts has been the bane of Bayern Munich’s existence for a while now, so when Catalonia news outlet RAC1 revealed that FC Barcelona paid an insane €24 million in agent commissions to sign former Newcastle United star and England international Anthony Gordon, it became very obvious why the Bavarians chose to get up from their chairs at the negotiating table and walk away:
It was widely-assumed that Bayern Munich and Gordon, who had already agreed on personal terms, were going to have an easy time finalizing a deal. At the last minute, though, FC Barcelona swooped in to pay Newcastle United €10 million more than Bayern Munich was prepared to offer.
When factoring in the larger transfer fee (even though it was not substantial) and the agent commissions (very substantial), the transfer saga’s unfulfilling ending now makes perfect sense.
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One of the Bundesliga's standout midfielders could be on his way to the Premier League.
According to Kicker, Newcastle United are among the clubs actively holding talks over a move for Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller, whose impressive performances over the past season have made him one of the hottest properties on the market.
The 25-year-old was the heartbeat of Stuttgart's midfield during the last two Bundesliga campaigns, making 34 league appearances in 2025/26 as Sebastian Hoeneß' deep-lying playmaker. Calm in possession, tactically intelligent and capable of dictating the tempo of a match, Stiller has developed into one of Germany's most complete holding midfielders.
His rapid rise has not gone unnoticed.
Newcastle are now reportedly exploring a deal as they look to strengthen their midfield after the exits of Sandro Tonali and potentially Bruno Guimarães ahead of the new season, although they are unlikely to have a clear run at the Stuttgart star, with interest from other clubs also expected.

Newcastle United have added Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller to their shortlist as Eddie Howe looks to strengthen his midfield ahead of the new season, per kicker.
The German is the latest name under consideration at St James’ Park, with Newcastle continuing to **** s options capable of taking their midfield to another level.
The German side is not actively looking to sell one of their most influential players, who has become the on-field conductor of Sebastian Hoeneß’s side.
However, they know they could face another battle to hold on to a star if Newcastle decide to make their interest concrete.
Stiller’s contract runs until 2028 and reportedly contains a release clause worth around €36.5 million.

Germany’s disappointing World Cup exit has put Julian Nagelsmann firmly under the microscope. While the DFB has publicly backed him in the past, another major tournament ending in frustration has many supporters wondering whether a change is inevitable. If Nagelsmann is shown the door and Jürgen Klopp remains unavailable, who should be next in line?
One of the most popular choices would likely be Christian Streich. After an incredible run with SC Freiburg, Streich stepped away from coaching with a reputation as one of Germany’s most respected managers. He consistently got the best out of limited squads, developed young players, and built teams that played with identity, discipline, and togetherness. His personality and leadership could be exactly what a Germany squad that has looked short on confidence needs.
Another intriguing option is Sandro Wagner. The former Germany striker has quickly earned praise as one of the country’s brightest young coaches and already knows many of the national team players through his role as an ***** istant. After a disastrous turn at FC Augsburg, Wagner is available and would provide fresh tactical ideas and a different voice in the dressing room. The biggest question is whether the DFB would trust someone with relatively limited head coaching experience.
Oliver Glasner also deserves consideration. The Austrian guided Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory and has continued to impress in top-flight football with his tactical flexibility and ability to organize teams defensively while still posing an attacking threat. He has experience handling pressure and could bring a more balanced approach to Germany.
Finally, there is Sebastian Hoeneß, who has done an outstanding job rebuilding VfB Stuttgart into one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting sides. His teams play attractive, modern football, and he has shown a willingness to trust young talent. While he may not have international experience, he looks like a manager destined for bigger opportunities.

When one is at the World Cup, one wants to be focused exclusively on said tournament. It is, after all, the biggest and most prestigious tournament in all of football.
Still, the footballing business world never truly stops and it is because of this that Austria’s Konrad Laimer was fielded a question about his status at Bayern Munich. His contract expires in 2027 and his management have been in serious talks with Bayern about extending it for many months now. There has been a recent breakthrough, though. One big enough that Uli Hoeneß believes the extension to already be done.
So it it true? “It’s not official yet,” Laimer was careful to say video distribution channel Servus TV News (as captured by iMiaSanMia). “I’m focused on the here and now, and hoping we’ll stay for a very long time here in the US. But it’s definitely on a very good path. It’s a good fit.”
Does that mean the World Cup debutant feels appreciated at Bayern? “Yes, very much,” Laimer confirmed.
In this day and age, that is as close as professionals can get to saying the deal is done before it is made official. Bayern fans can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing the club will retain the Alpine Zidane.

According to a report from Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg (as captured by iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich’s negotiations for Kennet Eichhorn were formally killed off when the player’s camp asked for a signing bonus.
The amount of the bonus was rumored to be €10 million. Supervisory board members Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß were the officials who formally forced Bayern Munich’s exit from the contract talks, per Plettenberg:
From a sporting perspective, everyone at Bayern would like to sign Kennet Eichhorn. But when it comes to the signing fee, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß vetoed the move and said: ‘no, we won’t do it’ – Liverpool are in pole position to sign Eichhorn at the moment [Plettigoal]
While this information could have been likely ascertained from other reports, Plettenberg specifically named Rummenigge and Hoeneß as the drivers behind the decision. Rummenigge and Hoeneß have come under fire from some fans because of their perceived lack of flexibility to evolving with the financial world of today’s game.
Bayern Munich’s exit from the race has opened the door for Liverpool FC to secure a deal for Eichhorn, with Borussia Dortmund as a contender as well.

Getting as much as possible out of Nick Woltemade has been debated on BBC Radio Newcastle, with the Germany international having been used as both a striker and an attacking midfielder in his debut Premier League season.
Magpies supporter Martin told Total Sport's Simon Pryde: "If I was in Eddie Howe's shoes, I would be looking at the fact that I've got a player there who is not particularly happy with the way I'm playing him and asking him where do you want to play.
"I'd be talking to Julian Nagelsmann, his Germany manager and his previous manager [Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness]."
Woltemade scored 12 Bundesliga goals last season in his only campaign at Stuttgart before his move to St James' Park.
"Kevin Keegan built the team around Andy Cole when he first arrived - he played to Andy Cole's strengths, added Martin.