ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 14: Dani Olmo #10 of Spain is marked by Michael Olise #11 of France during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between France and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 14, 2026 in Arlington, United States. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
CSmith1919 Chuck Smith is the site manager for Bavarian Football Works, where he began writing in 2017. He is the author of The Daily Schmankerl, the longest-running daily Bayern Munich column in English, and also writes The Weekend Warm-Up. In addition to covering Bayern Munich news and providing commentary on Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga, and the German national team. He brings more than 30 years of sports-writing experience to the site. Over the course of his career, he has written for numerous newspapers and websites.
Bayern interested in Olmo again? (ESPN)
Per this report, Bayern Munich is thinking about a move for FC Barcelona attacking midfielder Dani Olmo in January:
Bayern Munich are lining up a January move for Barcelona attacking midfielder Dani Olmo, according to Sky Sports. The German giants are preparing contingency plans amid growing interest from rival clubs in Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise, and have maintained a long-term interest in the 28-year-old that dates back to his time at RB Leipzig. Olmo, who won the World Cup with Spain this summer, has a transfer valuation estimated at €70 million and could be offloaded as Barcelona look to build funds to sign Julián Álvarez from Atletico Madrid.
There is little to no chance that Bayern Munich will actually make this kind of move in January, especially for an attacking midfielder. Any talk of selling Musiala and Olise is being far overblown as the Bavarians are likely not very inclined to sell either player, any time soon (and definitely not in January).
Olise’s contract situation will probably be the primary point of discussion next summer to determine whether or not the Frenchman even wants to extend his deal past 2029. At this point it is tough to tell (and it will not get any easier given Olise’s dislike of interviews or even talking to the media in general).
As for Musiala, it has not been a smooth two years since he signed his own contract extension, but Bayern Munich has not shown any signs of even being willing to sell the prized attacker.
Olise interested in future in Spain? (TeamTalk)
If Michael Olise wants to leave Bayern Munich at some point, it looks like he could turn down any inquiries from England in favor of a jaunt to Spain:
Michael Olise is in no hurry to return to the Premier League amid fresh reports suggesting a blockbuster move to Liverpool could be on, with sources close to the French superstar telling TEAMtalk that his next move is more likely to take him to Spain than back to England.
The 24-year-old has never ruled out playing in England again during his career after spending three years at Crystal Palace, but TEAMtalk understands there is currently little appetite from Olise to make a Premier League return.
TEAMtalk revealed earlier this summer that Liverpool had asked about Olise as they viewed the Frenchman as the ‘perfect’ replacement for Mohamed Salah.
Those links have resurfaced in the last few days after Sky Sports revealed that Bayern Munich are looking to bring Olmo back to the Bundesliga from Barcelona, with the German giants keen to ensure they are covered should Olise be sold off.
However, neither Bayern nor Olise showed any interest in the possibility of a move, leaving Liverpool to eventually pivot towards Bradley Barcola after also missing out on Yan Diomande.
Sources can now confirm that Arsenal and Manchester City also made enquiries about Olise during the summer as both clubs assessed winger options.
Sources have told TEAMtalk that Olise has a genuine ambition to play in Spain, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona very much aware of his situation.
The two Spanish giants have long-standing appeal for elite players, and Olise is understood to be attracted by the possibility of testing himself in La Liga should the opportunity arise.
A rumor like this likely reinforces the belief that Olise is eventually going to target a move to Real Madrid, but there is a full season to play before those kinds of talks even begin.
Kylian Mbappé believes ‘every club in the world’ would like to sign Michael Olise, but won’t advise him to leave Bayern Munich
Why Bayern struck out on Díaz replacement (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)
Bayern Munich desperately wanted a back up to Luis Díaz for this season and it seemed as if the Bavarians were set with Arijon Ibrahimović…until they weren’t. Now, it is a hole on the roster for the Bavarians, but maybe not one that cannot be filled by other players on the roster:
The other thing to note is that FC Bayern tried really hard to find an alternative for him, in order to grant Diaz a break at times this season. That’s why we were all wondering a little why Bayern agreed to send Arijon Ibrahimović on loan to FC Augsburg. At the time, the 20-year-old thought he’d be the man who could provide some cover for Luis Diaz. Max Eberl said Bayern tried to get cover in for the Colombian, but every alternative available on the market was too expensive, as we’ve discussed previously. Bradley Barcola, for instance, who is rated very highly in Munich, was simply too expensive, and ultimately he decided for Liverpool.
Now, you have Alphonso Davies who can play on this position, but it’s not a normal alternative compared to the options on the opposite flank with Lennart Karl and Michael Olise, not to mention the young but exciting Tim Binder. You don’t have so many options on the left.
United scoping BVB’s Guirassy (ESPN)
Manchester United could be keeping an eye on Borussia Dortmund star Serhou Guirassy:
Manchester United are monitoring Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy as they assess attacking options ahead of January, TEAMtalk reports. The 30-year-old is being considered as an experienced option should Joshua Zirkzee depart, while United remain committed to Benjamin Šeško despite his recent injury issues. Dortmund are reluctant to let Guirassy leave, but his contract has less than two years remaining, which could force their hand. Meanwhile, The Sun reports that United are targeting Vålerenga’s 15-year-old winger Gabriel Rajkovic as a replacement for JJ Gabriel.
Bayern Munich News: Despite long odds, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, FC Barcelona still vying for Harry Kane; Arsenal eyeing Bundesliga star?; and MORE!
ICYMI: Udinese officially welcomed Alaba (Udinese)
As expected, former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid defender David Alaba was announced as a new signing by Udinese:
Araújo on Bayern’s shortlist (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)
According to Sport Bild’s Christian Falk, Bayern Munich is, indeed, tracking Tomás Araújo, but it would likely take Kim Min-jae to leave the club before it would consider such a move:
✅ It is TRUE: Bayern Munich know Tomás Araújo very well. He’s been on the shortlist at FC Bayern for a very long time and would be one of the players to keep an eye on if they look to get someone new in. At the moment, Min-jae Kim is doing very well as a rotational option alongside Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano. So, he’s performing the best he ever has as a Bayern Munich player. Of course, this simultaneously means he’s one of the players Bayern can earn money from. This is why Araújo could be one of the players they look to buy if Kim is sold. But as I mentioned, at the moment, the first question to answer is whether or not Min-jae Kim has a future. If not, Bayern Munich will look at their list.
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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