Bayern Munich could be seeking a way to refresh its backline and might even be willing to drop its asking price on center-back Kim Min-jae.
Per Tz journalist Philipp Kessler (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Manchester United could be willing to explore a move, but there is nothing concrete happening as of yet:
Manchester United representatives have been watching Kim Min-jae for some time and will continue to watch him at the World Cup, though nothing concrete has developed so far. Juventus and top Turkish clubs also have Kim on their radar. The Korean defender is generally happy in Munich. His contract runs through 2028.
To this point, Kim, who earns a total package of €15 million per season (salary + bonus), has not shown any inclination to leave Bayern Munich. Some of that might be about the likelihood of another club meeting his wages, but the Korean also does not — allegedly — want to leave Bavaria.
In the Friday Daily Schmankerl, it was reported that Bayern Munich might be willing to go down to €20-25 million on Kim, which would be a big drop from the €50 million it paid for Kim back in 2023.
Would the South Korean accept a move to Manchester United, a club that might be able to afford his hefty salary? It is certainly something to keep an eye on.
Song of the Week: “Fall to Pieces” by Velvet Revolver
As an avowed Scott Weiland honk, I was psyched to see the former Stone Temple Pilots singer attempt to re-launch his career after some troubles (of which he had many) back in 2004 as part of a supergroup. And man, did this supergroup ever work.
Former Guns N’ Roses members Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), and Matt Sorum (drums) teamed with Wasted Youth’s Dave Kushner (rhythm guitar) and Weiland (lead vocals).
Released in 2004 on the “Contraband” album, I always liked this tune because it had the sound and feel of a late 80s power ballad. It just worked. This song has gotten lost in the annals of rock from that era, but man, it’s still good:
Of course, this would just be another small chapter in Weiland’s career before he passed on. What a talent he was. Seeing STP and The Meat Puppets back in 1993 at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia was probably still the best show I’ve ever seen.
Raum concedes left-back spot to Brown
David Raum might have had his best season for RB Leipzig in 2025/26, but a few injuries have placed him behind the eight-ball for the German national team. Now, he is running as the back-up to Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown, but has taken the demotion in stride.
“A tournament like this is long. I accept my role – and if I get in, I’ll give it my all. Even if I don’t start at the beginning, the team knows they can rely on me,” Raum said (as captured by Abendzeitung). “Nene is doing very, very well. He plays very offensively in Frankfurt and is doing an outstanding job. I had some physical problems, but I’m getting better and better. I’m getting fitter all the time.”
Raum, who is still the starting locker room DJ, also stated that the squad is thriving without carrying the burden of expectations.
“Nobody expects anything from us after the last two World Championships,” Raum said. “This is perfect for us, we can show the world how good we are. We have the ambition to get back to the top of the world rankings.”
Entertainment Rundown
Alas, it has been a busy week and there has not been any leisurely watching of television. Anything on the TV or laptop being watched was sports-related.
However, I did see something cool…
The Social Reckoning
As a fan of the The Social Network, it seems very interesting that there is a follow-up to it (in a way). I have to say this has me intrigued:
Predictions
No disrespect to Curaçao, but this should be a game where Germany can impose its will.
That said, it would be foolish to think that Germany will just show up and win the game. The Germans are in a “prove it” mode and this is about as good a way for them to start convincing everyone that they can be a factor in this World Cup.
There will not be many positions up for grabs in the starting XI (maybe two), which means that Julian Nagelsmann has settled into a comfort zone for now with his personnel. That should hopefully bode well for Germany — if Nagelsmann has landed on the right XI.
In the match, though, the Germans should have a decided advantage at every position, even if this is the best team in the history of Curaçao.
If you want a full preview on the match, check out our BPW Preview Show here.
Prediction: Germany 5-0 Curaçao
Other World Cup predictions include:
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Mexico 2-1 South Africa (W)
South Korea 2-1 Czechia (W)***
Friday, June 12, 2026
Canada 2-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
United States 3-2 Paraguay
Saturday, June 13, 2026
Qatar 0-3 Switzerland
Brazil 3-2 Morocco
Haiti 1-2 Scotland
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Australia 0-3 Türkiye
Netherlands 3-1 Japan
Ivory Coast 1-2 Ecuador
Sweden 1-0 Tunisia
Monday, June 15, 2026
Spain 5-0 Cape Verde
Belgium 3-1 Egypt
Saudi Arabia 0-2 Uruguay
Iran 1-0 New Zealand
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
France 3-0 Senegal
Iraq 0-4 Norway
Argentina 3-0 Algeria
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Austria 2-0 Jordan
Portugal 3-0 Congo DR
England 3-1 Croatia
Ghana 2-1 Panama
Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Czechia 2-1 South Africa
Switzerland 2-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Canada 2-0 Qatar
Mexico 2-1 South Korea
Friday, June 19, 2026
United States 2-1 Australia
Scotland 1-2 Morocco
Brazil 3-0 Haiti
Türkiye 2-1 Paraguay
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Netherlands 2-0 Sweden
Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast
Ecuador 3-0 Curaçao
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Tunisia 1-2 Japan
Spain 3-0 Saudi Arabia
Belgium 2-0 Iran
Uruguay 2-0 Cape Verde
New Zealand 0-1 Egypt
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Portugal 3-0 Uzbekistan
England 3-1 Ghana
Panama 0-3 Croatia
Colombia 2-1 Congo DR
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0 Qatar
Switzerland 2-1 Canada
Morocco 3-0 Haiti
Scotland 1-4 Brazil
Czechia 1-2 Mexico
South Africa 1-2 South Korea
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Curaçao 0-2 Ivory Coast
Ecuador 1-2 Germany
Japan 2-1 Sweden
Tunisia 0-2 Netherlands
Paraguay 1-1 Australia
Türkiye 3-2 United States
Friday, June 26, 2026
Norway 2-3 France
Senegal 2-1 Iraq
Cape Verde 1-1 Saudi Arabia
Uruguay 1-3 Spain
Egypt 1-0 Iran
New Zealand 1-2 Belgium
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Croatia 1-0 Ghana
Panama 0-4 England
Colombia 2-4 Portugal
Congo DR 1-0 Uzbekistan
Algeria 0-2 Austria
Jordan 0-4 Argentina
Prediction Records
Total: 50-30
Perfect Picks: 12
Bundesliga Last Matchday: 0-0
Bundesliga Overall: 0-0
DFB-Pokal: 0-0
World Cup: 0-0
International Friendlies: 50-30
Champions League: 0-0
Club Friendlies: 0-0
Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 0-0
Final Prediction Records for 2025/26
Total: 533-352
Perfect Picks: 55
Bundesliga Last Matchday: 3-6
Bundesliga Overall: 167-139
DFB-Pokal: 52-11
World Cup Qualifiers/Friendlies: 164-95
Champions League: 101-80
Club World Cup: 39-23
Club Friendlies: 4-0
Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 1-0
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…
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