The SBOTOP football betting odds say Bayern Munich, I say Bayern Munich and one suspects even their domestic rivals will agree they will be incredibly difficult to stop if the Bavarians can pull off one of the transfer deals of the summer.
For the German champions are poised to make their next push to sign Harry Kane, with two of their top executives flying to London for talks with the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy.
The situation is not straightforward as it’s been reported Paris Saint-Germain are interested in Kane and willing to outbid anybody for him.
Indeed, PSG’s presence stands to create a market for Kane, even if it is a slightly artificial one, which Levy, known for his obdurate stance, will surely leverage.
Yet the England captain, who has one year remaining on his Spurs contract, wants to go to Bayern if he is allowed to leave this summer and there is an open channel of communication between the two clubs which suggests he may get his wish.
Kane is desperate to win silverware and, if ever a club has had a guarantee of success over the past decade, it is Bayern. They have won 11 Bundesliga titles in a row and usually have a shot at the Champions League. Moreover, it would be a cleaner and less confrontational move for Kane than going to a domestic rival which Levy is unlikely to countenance.
Their Bundesliga triumph on goal difference last term provided a happy ending after a rather rude introduction to the Bayern job for Thomas Tuchel, who only took over from Julian Nagelsmann towards the end of March.
However, with a full pre-season of Tuchel school behind them, the 32-time Bundesliga champions may well be a completely different animal in the new campaign.
Despite being told to beware a wounded Dortmund, I have made my views known and think they are going to be well of the pace, even if Marcel Sabitzer appears an astute signing.
The Austrian international has arrived at the Signal Iduna Park from Bayern, where he has been considered surplus to requirements, boasting bundles of Bundesliga experience – 229 appearances in all competitions for RB Leipzig before signing for Bayern two years ago.
He spent the second half of last season on loan at Manchester United where he played 18 times, scoring three goals.
As well as racking up 71 international caps, Sabitzer has also netted 34 times and provided 29 assists in 185 Bundesliga games for his former sides since making his debut in the division in 2016.
Overall though, it’s hard to think the way in which Dortmund missed out on the title won’t impact them and they have also said farewell to the German footballer of the year, the talented teenager who created so many of their Bundesliga highlights last term.
There is no underestimating the departure of Jude Bellingham who, at the age of 19, was even entrusted with the captain’s armband on a couple of occasions through the course of the campaign.
If Dortmund are weaker, so are RB Leipzig who have lost established defensive midfielder Konrad Laimer, snapped up by Bayern on a free transfer.
The 26-year-old, who has joined on a four-year deal, confirmed he would be moving on following their German Cup win.
He made 190 appearances for the club after moving from Red Bull Salzburg in 2017 and his departure is also a blow to Leipzig, who finished just five points behind the top two in the league.
That is just another reason why I feel Bayern, already out in front of both, will not be seriously challenged by either this time – and even more so if they swoop for Kane.
Whatever happens between now and the end of August in the transfer window, a story this week has put football into perspective.
After Borussia Monchengladbach announced defender Stefan Lainer is suffering from lymph node cancer, the German football community rallied behind the Austrian.
Football naturally takes a backseat when news like this is announced.
The Austrian will undergo therapy over the next few months and his club says that, due to the early diagnosis, there is an extremely high chance he will get back to full health, and a normal life including professional sport could still be possible.
Last year Sebastien Haller, Timo Baumgartl, Marco Richter and Jean-Paul Boetius were all diagnosed with testicular cancer. Lainer has already received similar levels of support from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and across the football world.
We hope to see him back fit and healthy before too long.
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