Farke: Bayern delays new contract talks with Lennart Karl, awaits Olise extension

Welcome to today's exclusive and comprehensive Bayern Munich roundup from Bayern insider Christian Falke, including the latest on Olise, Finn Jeltsch, Martín Zubimendi, and Wael Mohya.

This is what we call the "Bayern Family." You can see that it's not easy, there are internal difficulties, but they manage to stick together! This is the most important characteristic of this club, and that's why I am very confident in what Bayern can achieve this season. Remember when Bayern lost to Chelsea in the Champions League final? A year later, they returned and won at Wembley! Sometimes, great success can also come from great loss. Going back further to the 2001 Champions League, you must also remember that two years prior, they unluckily lost to Manchester United in the final minutes. Two years later, they were back! This is Bayern Munich. I have a new feeling that this could be a very special year.

Lennart Karl, 18, is a very special person. As journalists, we often say that interviewing players nowadays is too quiet and boring because everyone is media-trained and their answers are similar. This is not the case for Lennart Karl, neither in his playing nor in his dressing style! He just attended the Ballon d'Or ceremony and finished third for the Kopa Trophy (best young player) after Yamal. He has a bright future in this sport, and other clubs are clearly aware of this, and Bayern is certainly wary of European rivals trying to poach him.

I heard that Bayern and Lennart Karl's representatives had an internal meeting. They told him that he is a very important player for Bayern Munich, and the club is very satisfied with his development. But they are not yet satisfied enough to discuss a new contract! His current pre-tax annual salary is approximately 2.5 million euros (£2.08 million). So you can see that there is still a lot of room for negotiation in the future. Everyone is now waiting for Olise's decision. Once that decision is made, everyone will have a clearer view of Lennart Karl and his future at Bayern Munich.

The statement that Olise's team is negotiating with the club is somewhat half-true. Let's be clear: they are not currently in contract negotiations. Bayern Munich has told him that they hope to make a decision by next summer, so you can also see how long it is until that decision. On one hand, the club knows he still has a long-term contract (three years left), and he is not a top earner, so they could easily extend his contract by two years and then give him a raise. However, it's also important to send a signal to the player, telling him: "Hey, we really trust you! We want you to stay at Bayern Munich for as long as possible."

Bayern usually doesn't settle everything at once. The first thing to address is the contract extension of Ballon d'Or winner Kane, and the next step could be to talk to the future new superstar—that is Olise. However, it is still too early to say that the French international has made a decision or given any signals.

It's true: Upamecano has a release clause in his contract. He also had one in his previous contract, and it was much higher, almost twice the current amount. Outside speculation suggests this clause is around 65 million euros (£54.3 million), which is not high for a player of his caliber. But this was a key negotiation point when he signed his new contract, and he himself wanted a new contract. There were some issues between the club and the agent because there was a lot of disagreement over the signing fee on the table. The release clause itself is not a problem; it is acceptable; Bayern just wants it not to be immediately effective. I must emphasize: Upamecano wants to stay. At one point, there were concerns that he would leave, but the central defender himself made a call, and the club also made a call, and after direct communication, Upamecano clearly stated that this is his club and he has no interest in leaving. Don't forget, he has a deep relationship with coach Kompany. So yes, although there is indeed a release clause in the contract, I don't think it will be triggered in the short term.

This is truly a very, very difficult topic; it's always hard to talk about someone else's health issues. He's had bad luck recently. In 2025 at the Club World Cup in the US, he suffered that severe injury after colliding with Donnarumma, which kept him out for many games. Then another health problem arose that Bayern had not encountered before. He suffers from a treatable neurological dysfunction that causes seizures. I heard that since starting medication, he has not had any seizures, so he feels great now! But then new injuries came: hamstring issues.

Therefore, Uli Hoeneß proactively discussed Musiala's salary, stating that the German international is one of the highest-paid players in the squad, but due to health reasons, no one is sure if he can return to his best form as when he signed. This is a very tricky topic. Not everyone accepts Hoeneß bringing this up—believe me, Musiala's camp doesn't either! Furthermore, Kompany stated that before the injury, he saw Musiala in his best form in training since joining the team. So, no one can say if the medication will affect his performance on the field. Right now, he is on the road to recovery. Having temporarily left Klopp's German national team, he can do more training in Munich.

He is one of Bayern Munich's highest-paid players. Kane clearly surpassed him after signing a new contract. In Germany, this is a lot of money. Everyone knows this and understands that salary must match performance. But it's still difficult to talk about. Both sides agreed to that contract at the time. Uli Hoeneß's idea is that if a player cannot perform as he used to, he might proactively signal to the club and give up part of his salary. No one has ever done this before, and I don't think it will happen. Ultimately, I don't think any of this helps Musiala, who is in recovery.

But you have to remember, Uli Hoeneß is not acting out of malice. For the head of Bayern, the club is always the most important. Therefore, he is willing to play the "bad guy." He knows that not everyone will cheer for his advice, but what he wants is the best interests of Bayern Munich. He is the godfather of Bayern, and perhaps only he is qualified to bring up such a topic.

Bayern Munich is not interested in Wael Mohya because they are concerned about Musiala's health. We previously exclusively revealed that Bayern is interested in this Borussia Monchengladbach player. Yes, Bayern Munich is always interested in promising young German players; it has always been this way. I think it's too early to say that he will join directly next summer. However, Bayern is still looking for an offensive player who can develop and be nurtured in Munich. Not the next superstar, not the next Luis Díaz, nor the next Olise. Such a young player, who needs playing time but is not guaranteed a starting spot, can of course play Musiala's position, but Mohya can also play other positions on the attacking line. Especially after Klopp called him up to the national team, it is normal for Bayern to be interested in this type of player. You can see a lot of potential in him. His physical condition is not yet sufficient to be considered a "Bayern player," but he is very interesting and therefore very attractive to Bayern Munich.

It's true: Oskar Pietuszewski has a release clause of approximately 60 million euros (£50.1 million) in his contract at Porto. We also know, of course, that Bayern considered bidding 70 million euros (£58.4 million) for Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha last summer. He will also be a topic next summer. This shows the price range Bayern sets for a talented young player. However, having only one player on the list is not enough, because no club in world football can sign all top targets—and Bayern is no exception! As Gabriel showed...

Both Ngumoha and Oskar Pietuszewski can play on the left wing and are capable of playing on both flanks. Bayern has clear plans for this position, and next summer they want to sign such a player to share playing time behind Luis Díaz. I listened to Farrell Killing's interview with our Portuguese colleague Miguel Lourenço Pereira, which compared him to the Colombian international, and I found it very interesting. There are indeed similarities between the two; Luis Díaz also played for Porto before moving to Liverpool, and then, of course, Bayern Munich. Very interesting!

It's not true: Bayern Munich is tracking Martín Zubimendi and considering a move in January. Bayern will not pursue this Espanyol player in the winter window. What I can say is that he was indeed on Bayern's list in the past, before his move to the Premier League. Bayern had scouted him and had contact, but it ultimately didn't work out! Now, I don't think it's the right time to make a move. There are no more midfield spots. His price would also be very high, and Bayern is looking for players in other positions. Bayern appreciates Martín Zubimendi but will not pursue him in the January transfer window.

It's true: Liverpool has scouted Stuttgart central defender Finn Jeltsch. All top clubs, including Bayern Munich, are following him. When Klopp first put him on the list, it was as a right-back backup. Then a central defender got injured, and he is now also a central defensive backup. This shows that he can play many positions, and everyone sees the potential of this 20-year-old player. Such a player is a gift to all teams. Finn Jeltsch is young, talented, can play multiple positions, and is not expensive! Bayern Munich is also following him. Last week we mentioned Tiago Tomás was also on the list, and Finn Jeltsch is equally on it. He also appears on the lists of many Premier League clubs. I don't think England will be his next destination. Finn Jeltsch is young, and he knows he can take it step by step. But this will not stop scouts from continuing to come to the stadium to observe him, as Liverpool's scouts have recently done.

I can only relay what I heard from Bayern Munich: currently, no one has contacted the club to discuss the possibility of Aaron Danks joining Manchester United's coaching staff. He has done an excellent job in Kompany's absence. Bayern is very happy to keep Danks here, and the fact is that we need him right now because Kompany has not fully returned to the club. Regarding the Belgian head coach, what I can say is that he has returned to Säbener Straße for training rehabilitation, so his return is getting closer. If Manchester United genuinely has clear plans to pursue Danks, no one will stand in his way, because it would be a big opportunity for him. But so far, no one has heard of any serious advancements from the Red Devils.