Peretz’s comments when speaking to Israeli channel Sport 5 are actually rather curious as it was clearly stated that Peretz was meant to compete with regular HSV starter Daniel Heuer Fernandes. Peretz delivered an especially poor training camp with HSV and, as a result, was not tapped to even earn a start in Hamburg’s opening round cup fixture. 

“It’s obvious that I’m disappointed that I’m not playing in Hamburg,” Peretz told the Israeli broadcaster. “I didn’t expect not to be playing. It was actually clear that I would be playing. But the things that are happening right now are no longer under my control. I am responsible for my own behavior and conduct. Maybe there will be a change in January, because I really want to play.”

HSV sporting director Claus Costa has already responded to Peretz’s comments in an interview with transfermarkt.de. Costa reiterated that Peretz simply lost the training camp battler against Daniel Heuer Fernandes and denied that any specific promises had been made. 

“We offered him some prospects, but it was also completely clear that we already have an absolute top man in ‘Ferro’ [Heuer Fernades],” Costa said. “Up until the very end [of training camp], it was a really close race between the goalkeepers. The outcome is not satisfactory for him and his disappointment is understandable. Anything else would have surprised me.“

GGFN | Peter Weis

While there theoretically remains plenty of time for the two sides to come to terms, Upamecano’s contract status leaves him free to negotiate a free transfer to another club as soon as the January transfer window opens in less than three months’ time. Bayern will have to begin contemplating a January sale of the centre-back in order to avoid losing him on a free.

Upamecano has started seven of eight competitive fixtures thus far this year for the German record champions. The 26-year-old – presently valued at €50m – has also started and gone the full 90 minutes for the French national team in his country’s last three World Cup Qualifying fixtures. 

Given that Bayern possess a qualified central defensive duo in the form of Kim-min Jae and Jonathan Tah (plus the injured Hiroki Ito) a January sale may be contemplated. Plettenberg reports that Premier League Champions Liverpool remain very interested in Upamecano’s services. 

The defeat constituted the first loss for the German U21s in a qualifying match in nearly four years. Way back at the beginning of Di Salvo’s tenure, the U21s fell 0-4 to Poland at the WirMachenDruck Arena in Aspach on November 11th, 2021. Since then, despite a disappointing 2023 Euros and some defeats in friendlies, Di Salvo’s youngsters went 16 qualifying fixtures without a defeat.

The search for answers was on following the Friday loss. The fact that Di Salvo’s selection remains injury-ridden certainly didn’t help. In addition to the four players who have officially departed DFB camp, Southampton centre-back Joshua Quarshie (a regular starter) was unable to play on Friday. Two players Di Salvo called up late – Eintracht Frankfurt’s Elias Baum and Dynamo Dresden’s Julian Pauli – have also had to leave camp injured. 

Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof – another eagerly anticipated U21 debutant – was given the captain’s armband and did register an assist on Tom Rothe’s 2-2 equalizer. The rising FCB midfield talent nevertheless lamented the team’s sloppy start when conducting his post-match interview with ProSieben MAXX. Di Salvo, too, referenced errors in his own interview. 

“We have to be present from the very first minute onward and have enough balls to play forward,” Bischof told the German broadcaster. “We were simply afraid to play the ball forward. The spaces were too big. We should have closed down the field more. If we had done that, it would have been a better game more like the victory we envisioned.”

“I warned them [the team] about the Greeks,” Di Salvo added. “We made too many simple mistakes. Then the mistakes pile up because your confidence drops. We cannot afford any more mistakes or slip ups.“

Seimen’s goalkeeping error was emblematic of the entire error-strewn first half that simply didn’t work. Poor marking off a free-kick in the 13th enabled Konstantinos Kostoulas to score the opening goal. Less than a minute later Seimen fumbled a back-pass in front of the onrushing Stefanos Tzimas. The former Nürnberg striker collected the ball and then proceeded to out-deke Seimen for the 14th-minute 0-2. 

The clearly rattled German hosts made several more embarrassing amateurish errors before the half was out. Seimen recovered a bit to make some quality saves, but was himself spared further blushes by some lucky bounces and tight offside decisions. Seimen and the rest of the DFB defensive ranks looked out-of-sorts on Dimitris Rallis’ match-winning 2-3 in the 81st minute.

The 19-year-old Seimen certainly didn’t look like someone capable of challenging Werder Bremen keeper Mio Backhaus’ hold on the Germany U21 No. 1 slot. The current SC Paderborn loanee also almost certainly didn’t look like the net-minder his parent club VfB Stuttgart have earmarked to replace No. 1 Alexander Nübel next season.

“Of course, I’m extremely aggravated about it,” Seimen said of his mistake in the mixed zone on Friday night. “But it’s happened now and I have to put it behind me. I just thought I could kick the ball away. I’m pretty disappointed, but life goes on.“

“He knows full well that he made a mistake and there’s no escaping that,” Di Salvo added at the post-match press conference. “Logically, he had to clear the ball [out into touch], but I’m annoyed at how it came to that back pass. We simply played back unnecessarily.

“Mistakes are part of football and it happens,” Di Salvo was then sure to emphasize. “I will talk to him and build him back up, just as Klaus Thomforde [the goalkeeping coach] will. It happened. We will put it behind us. It’s all the more reason to pull together and do better [against Northern Ireland] on Tuesday.“

GGFN | Peter Weis

Some 18 months ago, Kimmich returning to the right back role was absolutely not a laughing matter. Nagelsmann – some six months after taking the German national team job – once famously quipped that Kimmich had to “subordinate himself for country“.

Kimmich nevertheless seemed to have no problems talking about his latest right-back deployment when speaking to journalists in the mixed zone after Germany’s 4-0 win over Luxembourg in a Sinsheim-hosted World Cup qualifier. 

Germany’s dire need at the right-back position means that Kimmich must “subordinate” his personal wishes once again. The now 30-year-old at least now knows how to maintain his sense of humor about it. 

“That’s great,” Kimmich responded when a reporter pointed out that his latest move out of the midfield constituted a big topic. “That means you don’t have to ask any questions about it.“

“In goal,” Kimmich answered when the same reporter asked him what his favorite position to play in was. 

Kimmich then needed to wait a few seconds while the laughter among the assembled members died down.

“There’s no need for him [Nagelsmann] to make a [permanent] decision,” Kimmich continued. “If he [Nagelsmann] needs me there for the team or for the [tactical] constellation, he doesn’t have to ask.

“He doesn’t have to make a decision,” Kimmich concluded. “I can play in both positions. He can set it up in accordance with what’s needed against the opponent. Whatever is needed.“

GGFN | Peter Weis

Gnabry prepares to return to one of his old stomping grounds. Germany get set to host the Luxembourg national team at the PreZero Arena in Sinsheim. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – after the infamous stints at Arsenal, West Brom, and Werder Bremen – was the last station Gnabry worked at before finally clicking with the German record champions. 

After Bayern purchased Gnabry from Bremen (for €8m no less), they immediately loaned him out to work under current Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann at the Sinsheimers. The year at Hoffenheim would prove Gnabry’s last year of working as an underachiever. Three years after departing Kraichgau, Gnabry became a €90m-valued player. 

Every bit of mentorship helped.

Though some would say that the Stuttgart-native never fully realized his massive potential, Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany made clear from the outset this year that Gnabry was a “very underrated and highly appreciated player“. In his new No. 10 role for club, Gnabry hasn’t disappointed. Three goals and three assists through six matchdays counts as an excellent haul.

“Serge feels a lot of confidence and goes into games feeling very liberated,” Nagelsmann noted at the DFB press conference. “It’s clear that it’s good for his game, because he’s not someone who worries much. Serge is in great shape physically after having had a few niggles in the past. The Bundesliga season has been going very, very well for Serge so far.”

“Goals and assists naturally help an attacking player to feel a certain lightness,” Gnabry himself added. “You get into a flow and don’t worry too much about whether you’ll play again in the next game. I want to bring my form to this team.

“I’m also trying to use my experience to help out the younger players,” Gnabry said of his new leadership role. “Just like Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira, and Thomas Müller helped me out when I was younger.“

GGFN | Peter Weis

The club are currently in negotiations with Dayot Upamecano over a new contract, with the defender’s deal set to expire next summer. However, the Frenchman is not short of suitors and will be free to negotiate with other clubs once the January transfer window opens. Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool have all been linked with the central defender.

Should the France international leave the Allianz Arena, Murillo is among Bayern’s top targets to replace him. However, it would likely be a very costly deal for die Rekordmeister, as the Brazilian is under contract with the Reds until 2029 and crucially, does not have a release clause.

Murillo joined Forest from Corinthians in the summer of 2023 and has been instrumental to the club’s progress over the past two seasons—particularly last season, when they secured Europa League qualification with a seventh-place finish in the Premier League.

GGFN | Harry Good

Guerreiro’s current Bayern contract expires at the end of this season. The 31-year-old has made just four league appearances for the German record champions this season, all off the bench. Bayern may be keen to cash in on Guerreiro, who does maintain an estimated market value of €8m.

Despite his ability to work as a left back, defensive midfielder, and even as a No. 10, FCB head coach Vincent Kompany doesn’t appear to have much use for the Portuguese international this year. Once Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala return from injury, it’s even less likely that he will get playing time. 

Should Guerreiro depart German football, it will mark the end of a very significant era for both the player and the Bundesliga. Guerreiro has made 209 German top flight appearances in ten seasons spent playing for the league’s two largest clubs, Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. 

Guerreiro joined Dortmund from Ligue 1 outfit Lorient in the summer of 2016 for just €2.5m. At his peak, the 65-times-capped international was considered a €40m-valued-player. He joined Bayern on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.

Guerreiro has actually never played professionally in his native country. If the Juventus move doesn’t materialize, there will surely be plenty of other outfits across Europe interested in swinging a January transfer. 

GGFN | Peter Weis

Kane did find time to attend Bayern Munich’s Oktoberfest outing on Sunday rather than simply stay at home with his ankle iced. In any event, Tuchel emphasized that there was no need to chance matters in a friendly with little at stake. England have a World Cup qualifying match against Latvia coming up next Tuesday. 

“He took a knock in his last game with Bayern Munich,” Tuchel remarked at his Wednesday pre-match press conference. “And it would be too risky for him to take another knock and then be in pain again.“

In the German press, talk continues to revolve around a €65m exit clause in Kane’s contract that will enable the 32-year-old to depart Bayern after the current season concludes.

If Bayern keep up their current run-of-form, Kane could conceivably be interested in finding a new challenge come January, when the release clause takes effect and must be activated. 

GGFN | Peter Weis

As recently as the end of June, Coman had made it clear he had no intentions on seeking a move away from Germany, once declaring: “I want to stay at Bayern.” Nevertheless, just a matter of weeks later, he was packing his bags and leaving the German champions to join Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.

Even now – two months into this new chapter of his career – Coman admits he could have easily imagined staying in Munich. “By the end of the transfer, there were certain things – I won’t get into details – that made everything more complicated. It wasn’t that I was forced out, but the club made it clear that, financially, they were open to me leaving.”

Incidentally, Bayern’s board member for sport, Max Eberl, had already floated the idea of selling him a year earlier – a move which Coman had refused at the time. However, this summer it was different – he said he still felt “the love of the coach, the fans, and some board members,” but not from everyone. “There was a part of the club that wanted to see me go, and that really weighed on me,” the 29-year-old admitted.

Coman joined Bayern from Juventus in 2015, going on to win nine Bundesliga titles and score the winning goal in the 2020 Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. Over the course of 330 appearances in all competitions, the winger scored 72 goals and provided 71 assists – not bad for a player who also had to battle several repeated injuries throughout his Bayern career.

Despite his mixed feelings surrounding his departure, Coman insisted there was no bad blood between him and his former club, declaring: “I’ll come back one day to say goodbye properly. I spent nearly ten years there and the club still means a lot to me.”

Coman has enjoyed a strong start to life as an Al-Nassr player, claiming two goals and four assists in his opening four league games. Such performances have seen him make a return to the French national squad for the October internationals, after having missed out on playing the Nations League’s final stages earlier in the year.

Having received the call-up from France coach Didier Deschamps, Coman insists the move hasn’t changed his level: “Twenty minutes per game at Bayern or playing every week here – which is better?” he asked rhetorically.

“I’m the same player I was in Munich. I’m not going to suddenly lose my quality. Al-Nassr has a great team – we’d hold our own in Europe. And here, I get to play regularly. At Bayern, when you only play every other game, your influence fades.”

GGFN | Sam Carey

Against Die Grün-Weißen, Boey played the full 90 minutes, completed 80 percent of his passes and created two chances in what was his best performance in a Bayern shirt. But prior to Bayern’s Matchday 6 win against Eintracht Frankfurt, Max Eberl made no secret that Boey would have been sold should he had received an interesting offer. 

“We would have considered it if something had happened,” said Eberl. Now, in the absence of Josip Stanišić, Boey has made the right-back position his own. Although this was certainly aided by Alphonso Davies’s injury which has led to Konrad Laimer switching to left-back. While Boey is some way off the €30m valuation Bayern paid Galatasaray in January 2024, the French defender is on an upwards trajectory.

The 25-year-old has featured in every Bundesliga game this season (three substitute appearances in the opening three games) and is finally repaying Kompany and the faith the Belgian has shown in him.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder