Former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid star Toni Kroos can admire how dominant Bayern Munich has been in the Bundesliga this season.
However, Kroos thinks that Bayern’s dominance has made for a boring title race.
“It doesn’t particularly surprise me that Bayern are pulling away, because on the one hand they are very good themselves, and on the other hand I don’t see a real challenger,” Kroos told Sport1. “Leverkusen have undergone a complete overhaul. Dortmund usually struggle with consistency. And I don’t see Leipzig as a classic contender for Bayern either. That’s why it’s relatively clear what will happen this season. Bayern are, of course, doing very well – you can see that in the Champions League. But in the Bundesliga, unfortunately, it won’t be an exciting year.”
This is a down season for the Bundesliga — there is no denying it. The loss of talent and other important figures like Xabi Alonso has wreaked havoc on the balance of power. When also factoring in things like the financial discrepancy between the upper-end clubs and the lower-end clubs, it is hard to fathom how this title race was not going to be slanted heavily toward Bayern Munich.
Sure, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are contenders to Bayern Munich, but they are a clear level (or two) below the Bavarians. All of that makes it hard to dispute what Kroos stated.
How does the league fix all of this? Now, that is the (multi-)billion euro question.
WhoScored.com put out its (take a deep breath) “Europe’s Top 5 Leagues Team of the Season So Far.” Three Bayern Munich players made the cut — Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Luis Díaz:
It has been thought that Real Madrid is the leader in the clubhouse to land Ibrahima Konaté, but Bayern Munich and Juventus could be making headway with the 26-year-old center-back:
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté is open to leaving Anfield on a free transfer this summer, amid interest from Juventus and Bayern Munich, reports TEAMtalk. It is reported that the 26-year-old could begin to look for a new challenge, but the Reds are doing all they can to protect his transfer value, and are set to open talks over a short-term extension. The Bundesliga champions view Konate, who has also been linked with Real Madrid, as an “ideal addition,” while the Bianconeri see him as a strong fit for the Serie A.
Liverpool seems to be intent on bringing in a new center-back in 2026. Now, the Reds could be eyeing Inter Milan center-back Alessandro Bastoni:
Inter Milan center back Alessandro Bastoni is on the radar of Liverpool as the club look to solve their defensive woes, says Mundo Deportivo. Bastoni, 26, is considered to be one of the best, and most versatile, defenders in Europe and his transfer would cost around €100 million. But Liverpool have already spent over €450 million on a host of big-name arrivals in the summer and are looking for a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk.
Bayern Munich was previously linked to Bastoni, but the thought is that he could cost too much to bring him to Bavaria.
This may come as a shock to you, but there could be some issues with personalities and egos at Real Madrid:
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior wants equal pay with star striker Kylian Mbappe if he is to sign a new contract.
Tottenham Hotspur could be ready to talk about making its loan of João Palhinha a permanent move:
Talks are set to commence between Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich regarding a permanent move for midfielder João Palhinha, according to Nicolo Schira. Spurs have reportedly already agreed a three-year deal in principle that would keep the 30-year-old at the club until 2029, following a run of impressive performances while on loan in North London this season. Meanwhile, The Sun reports that midfielder Yves Bissouma remains on the radar of Galatasaray, who are keen to land the 29-year-old on a free transfer. He is yet to feature since manager Thomas Frank took over, and will enter the final six months of his contract in January.
Miroslav Klose is getting closer to a contract extension with FC Nürnberg:
🚨✍️ BREAKING | World Cup winner Miroslav #Klose is now on the verge of extending his contract with 1. FC Nürnberg.
The expiring deal with #FCN is expected to be renewed until at least 2028, with a basic agreement already reached between Klose/Chatzialexiou.
The signatures are planned to be completed later this year.
Amid speculation that he might consider a winter loan move to AC Milan, Son Heung-min pretty much killed off that idea:
🚨❌ Heung-min Son confirms links with loan to European club in January are not true: “I won’t leave LAFC this winter, or ever, while I’m here. I respect this club deeply”.
“As long as I’m wearing this badge, there will be no such thing as a loan or a move. Never”.
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…
