Daily Schmankerl: Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann see Joshua Kimmich as a No. 6; Man City to challenge Liverpool on Leroy Sané; A comparison between English and German football; City wants Erling Haaland extension; & MORE!

Nagelsmann doubles down on Kimmich as Germany’s No. 6 (@iMiaSanMia)

Is Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich a defensive midfielder or a right-back?

German national team boss Julian Nagelsmann weighed in — officially — on the matter.

“In my plans now I see (Kimmich) as a #6 and not as a right-back,” Naglesmann said. “We’ll not keep testing (the right-back position) forever. We have Benni Henrichs back, who is playing very well there at Leipzig. Pascal Groß often plays there at Brighton, I’m planning with him in midfield, but that doesn’t mean he’ll never play right-back.”

That seems to settle it for Germany, but what about Bayern Munich? Recent rumors indicate that a move for Kimmich could be on the table, but it is unclear whether than means a slide backward to right-back or a move upfield to the No. 8 role.

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel is eager to bring in a new No. 6, but whether that player backs up Kimmich or takes his job remains to be seen.

City could join LFC in pursuit of Sané (@cfbayern)

Bayern Munich star Leroy Sané figures to be a very popular figure on the transfer market if he does not ink a contract extension in Bavaria.

Every indication to this point is that Sané is happy in Germany, his family is happy there, and that he wants to stay. Of course, Bayern Munich wants him back as well.

However, Liverpool FC and Manchester City are both interested in bringing the Germany international back to England:

CityXtra added more context to the report:

Supporters of Manchester City could be about to brace themselves for the emotional return of fan favourite Germany international Leroy Sane, according to reports. The now 27-year-old completed an exit from the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2020 following an illustrious spell with Manchester City, winning two Premier League titles and several domestic cup competitions in the process.

Leroy Sane signed a five-year deal with Bayern Munich in a deal that was agreed for an initial €45 million fee, with the potential to rise to €60 million through the completion of add-ons related to performance goals.

With the exit from east Manchester completed with relatively little noise or disruption, and given the player’s success under Pep Guardiola, City fans have maintained a strong connection to the player and the possibility of a return has been somewhat dreamt by some.

Now, it appears as though the return of Leroy Sane to Manchester City may not be a non-starter, with fresh reports from Germany suggesting that Etihad Stadium transfer bosses have flagged an interest in the player.

Roord compares German football to English football (@SkySportsWSL)

Former Bayern Munich Frauen player Jill Roord had some observations about how the game differs in England from how it was in Germany:

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 3, Episode 19 (Bavarian Football Works)

Ahead of the EURO 2024 competition, yet another international break is upon us.

Bayern Munich players are spread out globally to represent their respective national teams, but that does not mean that there is not a lot to talk about with both the Rekordmeister and the boys representing Germany:

• Registering a formal take on the hotly-contested Harry Kane vs. Robert Lewandowski debate.
• The curious story leaked by Bild that indicates Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann will not be using Joshua Kimmich as a right-back.
• What to expect from Germany’s upcoming games and what are some realistic expectations.
• Looking at Bayern Munich’s upcoming slate of games.
• The latest news on Alphonso Davies and his potential transfer — as Real Madrid, Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain all circle.

City still aiming for Haaland extension (90Min.com)

Manchester City is intent on inking Erling Haaland to a contract extension and avoiding any temptation he might have to move to Real Madrid or FC Barcelona:

Manchester City are continuing to push for talks with Erling Haaland’s representatives over a new contract, 90min understands. He signed a five-year contract when joining City in the summer of 2022, with the deal including a number of clauses like he had at both Dortmund and Salzburg. He has been linked to both Real Madrid and Barcelona ever since, with many feeling it’s Haaland’s destiny to end up at one of Spain’s, and the world’s, two biggest clubs.

90min revealed in March that City had told Haaland’s camp of their desire to remove a specific release clause from his contract - while negotiating new and improved terms - but had been given short shrift by his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, who is keen for the 23-year-old to be in control of his future. Pimenta reiterated that desire this week, confirming publicly that Haaland remains the ‘master of his destiny’ while suggesting that only City and his inner circle know the value of his release clause.

90min understands that the clauses written into Haaland’s contract do not become active until 2025 - some were removed entirely when Pep Guardiola extended his own contract - and City are willing to soften their stance and discuss a new deal that will increase the release clause’s value, rather than remove it entirely as was previously hoped.

That’s something Haaland’s camp may be willing to consider as it stands, but given he’s already one of City’s highest earners, 90min understands there’s no rush to engage in talks with the club’s hierarchy. Real Madrid have been tipped as the favourites to sign Haaland, if he ends up leaving, but their immediate plans still revolve around trying to sign Mbappe from PSG next summer. Barcelona, as 90min exclusively revealed in September, would also be in the running for Haaland from 2025 onwards, when the club hope to have ironed out the financial difficulties that have plagued them over the past couple of years.

Frauen extend Simon (@FCBFrauen)

The Bayern Munich Frauen have extended Carolin Simon through 2025:

️ @jayjayrech33: “Caro is an important part of the team, on and off the pitch!”

Sommer impressing at Inter (Sempre Inter)

Former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Yann Sommer is doing some nice work at Inter Milan:

Goalkeeper Yann Sommer is enjoying a very strong statistical start to the season in more respects than just the clean sheets he’s keeping for Inter Milan. (Wednesday)’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, note how effective the 34-year-old has been at keeping the ball out of his own net compared to AC Milan and Napoli keepers.

There have been a couple less-than-stellar moments from Sommer so far this season. The Swiss let in a Nedim Bajrami effort that allowed Sassuolo to equalize in their comeback win at the San Siro. And Sommer probably should have done better for another equalizing goal from an Emilian team at the San Siro – that of Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee.

But on the other hand, Sommer has produced some stellar saves. The 34-year-old’s stop on a Bryan Cristante was crucial in making sure Inter won a match that they dominated against Roma. And the overall trend has been good. Sommer’s saves have made a big impact for Inter.

As Tuttosport highlight, the Swiss has made a total of 26 saves for Inter. That is three more than AC Milan’s keepers, and one more than Napoli’s. But Inter have conceded just six goals. That’s compared to fourteen for Milan and thirteen for Napoli. This demonstrates how important Sommer’s saves have been to Inter’s defensive start to the season.

Frauen get to have all the fun (@FCBfrauen)

Yoga...with puppies?

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 6, Episode 18 (Bavarian Football Works)

As Bayern Munich enter another international break, one player has shone brighter than the rest. Harry Kane is a phenomenon — he has 17 goals in 11 Bundesliga matchdays, surpassing the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Gerd Müller. This has people talking, but that’s not the only major thing that has taken place in the last week or so. FCB youth player Aleksandar Pavlović made his starting XI debut, and Thomas Tuchel has picked a fight with the German media.

In this episode, INNN and Schnitzel discuss the following:

• Is Harry Kane already a better striker than Robert Lewandowski?
• What would it take for Kane to surpass Lewandowski’s legacy at Bayern Munich?
• Is a Ballon d’Or on the cards for Harry Kane?
• Switching gears — INNN argues that Thomas Tuchel has managed to do a few things better than Julian Nagelsmann did.
• How would Nagelsmann have fared with Harry Kane?
• What could Nagelsmann have planned for Germany in this international break?
• Is it time for Joshua Kimmich to move back to right-back?
• Does Germany need a new striker?