Manchester United to make bargain play for Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae?

Bayern Munich could be seeking a way to refresh its backline and might even be willing to drop its asking price on center-back Kim Min-jae.

Per Tz journalist Philipp Kessler (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Manchester United could be willing to explore a move, but there is nothing concrete happening as of yet:

Manchester United representatives have been watching Kim Min-jae for some time and will continue to watch him at the World Cup, though nothing concrete has developed so far. Juventus and top Turkish clubs also have Kim on their radar. The Korean defender is generally happy in Munich. His contract runs through 2028.

To this point, Kim, who earns a total package of €15 million per season (salary + bonus), has not shown any inclination to leave Bayern Munich. Some of that might be about the likelihood of another club meeting his wages, but the Korean also does not — allegedly — want to leave Bavaria.

In the Friday Daily Schmankerl, it was reported that Bayern Munich might be willing to go down to €20-25 million on Kim, which would be a big drop from the €50 million it paid for Kim back in 2023.

Would the South Korean accept a move to Manchester United, a club that might be able to afford his hefty salary? It is certainly something to keep an eye on.

Song of the Week: “Fall to Pieces” by Velvet Revolver

As an avowed Scott Weiland honk, I was psyched to see the former Stone Temple Pilots singer attempt to re-launch his career after some troubles (of which he had many) back in 2004 as part of a supergroup. And man, did this supergroup ever work.

Former Guns N’ Roses members Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), and Matt Sorum (drums) teamed with Wasted Youth’s Dave Kushner (rhythm guitar) and Weiland (lead vocals).

Released in 2004 on the “Contraband” album, I always liked this tune because it had the sound and feel of a late 80s power ballad. It just worked. This song has gotten lost in the annals of rock from that era, but man, it’s still good:

Of course, this would just be another small chapter in Weiland’s career before he passed on. What a talent he was. Seeing STP and The Meat Puppets back in 1993 at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia was probably still the best show I’ve ever seen.

Raum concedes left-back spot to Brown

David Raum might have had his best season for RB Leipzig in 2025/26, but a few injuries have placed him behind the eight-ball for the German national team. Now, he is running as the back-up to Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown, but has taken the demotion in stride.

“A tournament like this is long. I accept my role – and if I get in, I’ll give it my all. Even if I don’t start at the beginning, the team knows they can rely on me,” Raum said (as captured by Abendzeitung). “Nene is doing very, very well. He plays very offensively in Frankfurt and is doing an outstanding job. I had some physical problems, but I’m getting better and better. I’m getting fitter all the time.”

Raum, who is still the starting locker room DJ, also stated that the squad is thriving without carrying the burden of expectations.

“Nobody expects anything from us after the last two World Championships,” Raum said. “This is perfect for us, we can show the world how good we are. We have the ambition to get back to the top of the world rankings.”

Alas, it has been a busy week and there has not been any leisurely watching of television. Anything on the TV or laptop being watched was sports-related.

However, I did see something cool…

As a fan of the The Social Network, it seems very interesting that there is a follow-up to it (in a way). I have to say this has me intrigued:

No disrespect to Curaçao, but this should be a game where Germany can impose its will.

That said, it would be foolish to think that Germany will just show up and win the game. The Germans are in a “prove it” mode and this is about as good a way for them to start convincing everyone that they can be a factor in this World Cup.

There will not be many positions up for grabs in the starting XI (maybe two), which means that Julian Nagelsmann has settled into a comfort zone for now with his personnel. That should hopefully bode well for Germany — if Nagelsmann has landed on the right XI.

In the match, though, the Germans should have a decided advantage at every position, even if this is the best team in the history of Curaçao.

If you want a full preview on the match, check out our BPW Preview Show here.

Prediction: Germany 5-0 Curaçao

Other World Cup predictions include:

Final Prediction Records for 2025/26

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