Daily Schmankerl: Liverpool not ready to give up on Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sané; Matthijs de Ligt open to Manchester United move?; Aleksandar Pavlović, De Ligt recognized for efforts; FC Barcelona duo for sale?; & MORE!

LFC not giving up on Sané pursuit (Sport Witness)

Bayern Munich star Leroy Sané seems like he is set to re-up his contract with Bayern Munich, as there has been nothing but good vibes surrounding the winger’s contract status of late.

However, Liverpool FC seems like it has not given up hope that it can convince the Germany international to return to England for his club ball:

Earlier in the season, Sport1 reported Liverpool are in the picture to sign Leroy Sané and that they are impressed with his performances for Bayern Munich. Last November, Sky Deutschland stated the Bundesliga winners are a ‘little worried’ due to the Reds’ interest in the winger.

Fast forward to February and Sport now mention Liverpool in a report that focuses on Barcelona’s interest in the 28-year-old. Sport state Barca have identified him as one of the main objectives to bolster their attack next season. In addition to this, Liverpool have ‘made moves in recent months’, to try and secure his services in the summer.

Although several factors could point towards a renewal, Sport don’t specifically state he’s not keen on returning to England. If Liverpool still want to sign him in the summer, they have to find a way to first convince Sané [and his agent] to not sign a new contract at Bayern.

De Ligt open to United move (CaughtOffside)

Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt has found his status at Bayern Munich under Thomas Tuchel somewhat in doubt.

If things are not up to what the Dutchman wants them to be by the summer, he could push for a move to Manchester United:

Bayern Munich defender Matthijs De Ligt has been linked with a move away from the club at the end of the season.

Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly keen on signing the 24-year-old defender but he is not willing to join the French outfit. A report via Fichajes claims that the defender is keen on a move to Manchester United or Barcelona.

The 24-year-old is a top-quality defender who is likely to improve with experience and coaching. He could be a key player for Manchester United and Barcelona in the coming seasons.

Both clubs could use defensive reinforcements at the end of the season and it remains to be seen whether they are keen on signing the defender.

De Ligt has shown his quality with clubs like Juventus and Bayern Munich in recent seasons. He is certainly good enough for the Premier League and it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils can get a deal done.

The 24-year-old could prove to be an upgrade on Harry Maguire and he would help Manchester United tighten up at the back. Similarly, Barcelona need a reliable partner for Ronald Araujo and the Dutchman certainly fits the profile.

Barcelona are going through financial difficulties and it remains to be seen whether they can afford the defender at the end of the season. On the other hand, Manchester United certainly have the resources to pay a premium for the player.

With that said, any club hoping to sign a player of his quality will need to secure Champions League qualification and it remains to be seen whether Manchester United can finish in the top four. They have had a mediocre season by their standards so far and they will need to finish the campaign strongly.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Postgame Show — Bayern Munich 3-1 Gladbach (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich hosted Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Allianz Arena and the Bavarians started out extremely fast with some dominant play.

However, U-ball (gasp!) came back into play and Bayern Munich lost control of the match for a bit, which put the homeside in a 1-0 hole after a very uncharacteristic mistake from Manuel Neuer.

Perseverance would end up being the word of the day, though, as the Bavarians battled back to secure the 3-1 victory. Let’s take a look at what we have on tap for this episode:

• A look at Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI and how it played out when working together on the pitch.
• A rundown of the scoring and substitutes.
• Aleksandar Pavlović is not disproving any of his believers.
• If The Mandalorian was here, he would say Jamal Musiala at wing and Thomas Müller attacking midfield is the way.
• A quick look at what’s next for the Bavarians.

Pavlović, De Ligt earn honors (Bild via @iMiaSanMia)

Aleksandar Pavlović and Matthijs de Ligt were recognized for their efforts against Gladbach:

Meanwhile, Pavlović was also named to kicker’s Bundesliga Team of the Week:

LFC wants Barca duo (Fichajes - Spain via 90Min.com)

Liverpool might look to FC Barcelona to solve the gap that will be left by Mo Salah after the season:

Liverpool will target Barcelona duo Raphinha and Ansu Fati if they find themselves needing to replace Mohamed Salah this summer.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 3, Episode 30 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich is coming off of a somewhat of a crazy transfer window in the midst of a slew of injuries and while preparing to face-off with the always pesky Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Needless to say, we have a TON to talk about. Let’s take a look at what is top for this week’s episode:

• What the Philadelphia Eagles taught us about “a win is a win” and why Bayern Munich needs to get it together.
• Why is Thomas Tuchel so averse to Jamal Musiala playing wing — even at a time where the club desperately needs him to?
• Examining the validity of my own crackpot theory about Musiala possibly refusing to play wing. Is there a primadonna blossoming under the radar?
• Taking a look at the other options: Thomas Muller, Mathys Tel, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Bryan Zaragoza, and Alphonso Davies.
• Was bringing in Zaragoza now, a panic move?
• The acquisition of Sacha Boey and what it could mean for the future of Noussair Mazraoui.
• A deep dive in how divisive Tuchel has made things in the Bayern Munich fanbase.
• Thought on the last episode of True Detective.

Gunners could battle Chelsea on Osimhen (The Mirror via 90Min.com)

Arsenal FC could look to face-off with Chelsea in hopes of landing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen:

Arsenal could rival Chelsea in the hunt for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

Pavard enjoying his time in Milan (Sempre Milan)

Former Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard seems to be loving life in Italy and recently took some time to reflect on his approach to the game and journey as a footballer:

“Before a match I think about how to win it. And, being a defender, how to not concede goals. And then, I love to celebrate with the fans,” the Frenchman continued. “I play matches to win them. I play football to win trophies. That’s why I’ve always dreamed of becoming a footballer,” Pavard said.

He looked back, “As a child I watched all the big teams lift trophies. I don’t play football for the money, but for the trophies. That’s what pushes me to take to the pitch, I want to be proud of myself at the end of my career.”

Pavard reflected that “I think about where I am now. I’m proud to wear this shirt.”

“Or incredible moments like the goal I scored against Argentina at the World Cup in Russia,” he went on. “Or the brace I recently scored against Scotland, in Lille where it all began for me.”

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 6, Episode 30 (Bavarians Football Works)

So Bayern Munich won against Gladbach, and head into a critical week where the team will look to overturn the two point deficit on Bayer Leverkusen. Thomas Tuchel has stumbled into a formula that works, but will he stick with it? And how will the winter signings impact the outcome of the season?

In this episode, INNN and Schnitzel discuss the following:

• A full roundup of the winter transfer window now that all the signings have been secured.
• Did Bayern Munich panic buy because of injuries?
• Has Thomas Tuchel found his best XI? Will he stick to it?
• Is Leroy Sané back in a rut? Should Bayern Munich consider moving on from him in the summer?
• Why does Thomas Tuchel refuse to choose his best XI?
• Is Aleksandar Pavlović the future of the midfield position at Bayern Munich? What does this mean for Joshua Kimmich?
• How will Tuchel tackle the game against Bayer Leverkusen? What is his coaching philosophy?

Madrid makes progress on Mbappé (@FabrizioRomano)

Over the weekend, a report broke from ESPN that Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé made his decision to go to Real Madrid this summer. Per Fabrizio Romano, things are progressing on getting a deal done: