Former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann might find himself in some hit water…with the DFB’s U-21 squad.

The U-21s are ripping through the EUROs, but the big bossman has not been present — and the players have apparently noticed:

Within the U21 national team, the players were disappointed and surprised that Julian Nagelsmann did not attend the game against Italy yesterday. After three wins from three matches in the group stage, there was high hope among the players that they would play the quarterfinal in front of Nagelsmann – his presence would have been a sign of appreciation and that he’s keeping an eye on them. New Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, on the other hand, was in the stands. The players are hoping Nagelsmann would attend the semifinal against France on Wednesday.

Well…Nagelsmann can’t be skiing, so we can rule that out, but if there was ever a guy who should know something about showing face during important times, you would think Nagelsmann would be the man.

Speaking of the U-21s, VfB Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade has been the star of the tournament so far:

| A star in the making!

Nick Woltemade at #U21EURO:

• Most goals (5)

• Most assists (3)

• Joint-most big chances created (3)

• Second-most key passes (9)

• Highest average Sofascore Rating (8.70)

Another stellar display for the star of the tournament this evening to send Germany into the semifinal!

Rumors have been swirling about Bayern Munich midfielder João Palhinha in recent days — transfer to Fulham? Loan to Manchester United? — but it seems as if the Portuguese international is happy to just stay in Bavaria:

João Palhinha is determined to stay at Bayern next season. A possible return to Fulham has completely been ruled out by the midfielder.

Bild (via @iMiaSanMia) backed up the report:

@BILD confirms @abolapt’s report that a return to Fulham is out of the question for João Palhinha. The Portuguese midfielder has several offers, but his main goal remains to establish himself at Bayern.

Bayern Munich’s stadium hosted Guns N’ Roses this week! This is what we have for this episode:

  • Is the FIFA Club World Cup being played at the right time?
  • What is the point of the FIFA Club World Cup?
  • Will Vincent Kompany rotate more, especially against Benfica? Should he be judged based on his efforts in this competition?
  • We offer more thoughts on Bayern vs. Boca Juniors and the patterns that Bayern has been stuck in over the past year.
  • What is football’s role in society? Are football clubs supposed to be profit-driven or prioritize their fans first?
  • We offer some suggestions for the football calendar to accommodate the FIFA World Cup and make it more comfortable for the players.
  • Can Harry Kane function as a #10 and Jamal Musiala as a #9 in the future for Bayern?
  • We talk transfer rumors including Nico Williams, Fermin López and Jamie Gittens.
  • We preview Bayern’s match against Benfica.

Harry Kane earned a spot on the official DAZN/FIFA Team of the Week for the Club World Cup:

Darwin Núñez is a top target for Napoli:

Darwin Núñez remains Napoli’s priority and dream target as centre striker. The club won’t advance/close on different options until they’ve a chance to get Nunez.

Talks will continue next week in order to understand how/if transfer fee and salary can be feasible.

Bayern Munich came away with a strong performance against Boca Juniors, the famous and historic Argentine club, 2-1, in the FIFA Club World Cup. This meant Bayern qualified for the Round of 16; this also meant Bayern became the first club to successfully defeat a South American club in the competition. The only downside was an injury to Jamal Musiala. Vincent Kompany set his team up to play with fluency, and for the most part, Bayern did so. In this podcast:

  • We look at the lineup put out by Vincent Kompany and what it actually looked like during the game.
  • We share some thoughts about Jamal Musiala’s injury as well as Vincent Kompany and Thomas Tuchel’s overuse of the player.
  • We give some praise for Josip Stanišić.
  • We give a lot of praise for Michael Olise and Harry Kane.
  • We look at the events leading up to the goal which Bayern conceded from Miguel Merentiel of Boca Juniors.

Arsenal FC could be tiring of trying to get a deal done with RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško:

Arsenal may back out of the race to sign Benjamin Šeško after hearing the RB Leipzig striker’s wage demands, according to The Mirror. Mikel Arteta’s side are on the search for a new No. 9 to lead their title charge and Slovenia international Sesko appeared to be the Gunners’ No. 1 priority. However, with talks stalling over the agreement of personal terms with the 22-year-old, Arsenal are once again considering their options. Sporting CP star Viktor Gyökeres is the most likely alternative, but Arteta’s side believe they’ll face stiff competition from Manchester United to sign the Sweden international.

Say what? You know we love a swap deal rumor here:

In a bombshell revelation by Mundo Deportivo, AC Milan have offered Rafael Leao to Barcelona in a sensational swap deal involving Ronald Araujo.

The proposal comes at a time when both clubs are reshaping their squads, and Barcelona’s transfer strategy could take an unexpected turn if this offer gains traction.

Bayern Munich’s true offseason will not start until after the Club World Cup, but there is plenty to talk about. Even with the big match against Boca Juniors on the horizon, the Bavarians have plenty of news dropping by the hour.

Let’s get into it, this is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Podcast:

  • Max Eberl has an unenviable task this summer to cut salaries and add talent. It won’t be easy, but at least his bosses are going to be patient…right? Right?
  • Rudi Völler says he knew a few months ago that Florian Wirtz was headed to Liverpool FC, which kind of leaves more egg on the face of Bayern Munich.
  • Our own Jack Laushway checks in to talk about his trip to Germany for the Champions League final and the UEFA Nations League Four. We also discuss the German U-21 squad, which is ripping through the U-21 EUROs at the moment.

A year ago he was linked to Bayern Munich, but now Theo Hernández is headed to…Al Hilal? It looks like it: