Midweek Warm-up: Is Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen going to be Bayern Munich’s next center-back? We know what it will take to get him; Champions League predictions; Throwing it back to Iron Maiden; and MORE!

Bayern Munich will almost assuredly be looking to bolster its backline with another center-back this summer.

Despite performing really well for the time he has been with the club, Eric Dier is not in the team’s plans moving forward. That alone indicates that Bayern Munich is likely to invest in another center-back, but how far should the Bavarians go in trying to support Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae?

Upamecano has had a very good campaign and looks like he could be in line for a contract extension. Min-jae has been solid, but not spectacular this season, which has seen him hampered by Achilles tendonitis for a good chunk of 2024/25. Does the team need another starting-caliber player to create a true rotation or should Bayern Munich seek a low-cost option knowing that players like Hiroki Itō and Josip Stanišić can fill in at center-back?

It is tough to say which direction Bayern Munich will go in, but one name the club has been linked to is Bournemouth center-back Dean Huijsen. Huijsen would fit into the category of high-end defender, who can be part of a true rotation rather than an inexpensive support piece. Getting Huijsen will be easier said than done, though, given the many clubs targeting him and his doable price tag. Per Fabrizio Romano, Bayern Munich would have to pay €60 million to activate Huijsen’s release clause:

Should Bayern Munich decide to go this route and pursue Huijsen, it could tell us a lot about how the club views the future of Kim Min-jae. With Upamecano almost a certainty to receive a proposal to extend his contract, Min-jae could be in a make-or-break period for his Bayern Munich career.

Adding Huijsen could signal that instead of attempting to truly build a rotation at center-back, Bayern Munich could actually be looking at Huijsen as a potential starter to take over at one of the spots.

It is way too early to make that type of determination, but one thing is certain — if Bayern Munich triggers a release clause on a 19-year-old center-back for €60 million, it is likely planning for more than just garbage time minutes to play caddy to two established veterans.

Would you make the move for Huijsen at that price?

Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Bayern Munich vs. Celtic

Bayern Munich leads Celtic FC 2-1 on aggregate heading into leg two, which will be played at the Allianz Arena.

While not dominant in Scotland, Bayern Munich was in firm control of the match until melting down in the final 20 minutes. Surely, Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany realizes that his team must be on-point and cannot afford a let down. The coach will be counted upon to lead this group into the next round of the competition. Let’s take a look at what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show:

• A look back at the first leg of the tie.
• A look at the injury situations for both team.
• A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
• A prediction on the match.

Song of the Midweek: “Run to the Hills” by Iron Maiden

Admittedly, I am still hung up on the “30 Greatest Rock Bands” list from Forbes that we took a look at last week.

During the podcast and also the column last week, I did make the joke that Iron Maiden’s posters were better than their songs. I still firmly believe that — but I should note that it is more admiration for how bad ass those posters were. Seriously, I can’t be the only one here who had one. This was always my favorite!

Anyway, let’s feature Iron Maiden this week with “Run to the Hills”, which was released in 1982:

Entertainment Rundown

Daredevil: Born Again

Here is the latest trailer for Daredevil: Born Again — and I am still very psyched about it (albeit, I am worried Disney will ruin it):

This new trailer does not tell us much more than we already knew about the show, but it is something (selfishly) I can look forward to.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship: Season 7, Episode 30

Bayern Munich earned a point during its trip to BayArena, but doubt and frustration with the squad’s recent performances have some fans feeling uneasy.

This is still a very good team (let’s not forget!), but exactly how good is a massive question these day. Let’s talk about all of that and more on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show! This is what we have on tap:

• The aftermath of Bayern Munich’s 0-0 draw with Bayer Leverkusen — the good (there was some, believe it or not) and the bad.
• Joshua Kimmich did not do enough against Die Werkself. Is he wearing down — and has Vincent Kompany fallen into the trap of relying on certain players too much?
• Is it now time to start having some doubt about Kompany? Yes, yes it is.
• Jamal Musiala’s signing went official — and he has the rumored release clause in hand. Let’s discuss it all.

Predictions

Champions League

Bayern Munich knows that Celtic FC is not a joke. The Bavarians are also well-aware that not everything is functioning smoothly within their own squad. That said, Bayern Munich is — at some point — due to get back on track. The predicted scoreline will not reflect dominance, but it will represent some improvement (at least in terms of how things look).

Prediction: Bayern Munich 2-1 Celtic FC

Other Champions League predictions include:

Prediction Records

• Last Week Bundesliga: 5-4 (Through Matchday 22)
• Overall Bundesliga: 94-104
• UEFA Nations League: 81-66
• Champions League: 85-67 (Through Matchday 9)
• DFB-Pokal: 42-16 (Through part 1 of quarterfinals)
• Total: 303-253
• Perfect Picks: 48 (when the score and winner is predicted exactly)

Bavarian Podcast Works — The Bundesliga Rundown with Marcus Iredahl: Matchday 22

Matchday 22 proved to be the most decisive yet in the title race and relegation battle.

In this episode of The Bundesliga Rundown, we discuss:

• Did Bayern Munich play for a draw against Bayer Leverkusen?
• How has Vincent Kompany fared in his first season in charge of the Rekordmeister?
• Who is better—Florian Wirtz or Jamal Musiala?
• Eintracht Frankfurt and life without Omar Marmoush.
• … and much more!