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€30m release clause 

Ian Subiabre is one of the hottest emerging Argentine talents and a name to remember for the coming years. The 18-year-old excelled at the recent South America U20 Championships with scouts from all of Europe’s biggest clubs in attendance. River Plate starlet Subiabre scored three goals in six starts as Argentina finished runners-up behind Brazil with the winger’s ability to beat defenders at ease catching the eye.

 

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Set to leave? 

Bayern Munich spun the rumour mill into action this week when reports from Germany stated that the Bundesliga giants had withdrawn their offer of a new contract renewal for star midfielder Joshua Kimmich. First reported by Bild and then later confirmed by Kicker, the publications claimed that the Munich side had changed their mind over an extension to Kimmich’s current deal, which is expected to expire at the end of this current season. The German international was reportedly taking his time to consider Bayern’s new offer, which in turn made the club question his intentions. As things currently stand, Kimmich will depart Bayern at the end of this season for free and that has naturally led to a huge amount of speculation over which European giant will pick up the 30-year-old talent in the summer. 

Why would Kimmich leave Bayern? 

While there’s little doubt that Kimmich is one of the first names on Vincent Kompany’s team sheet each and every weekend, the Germany international has long been considered a jack-of-all-trades at the Allianz Arena. Which, in turn, also makes him a master of none. Since making the move to Bayern in 2015, the Rottweil-native has made 426 appearances for the club. That, undoubtedly, makes Kimmich an integral part of the Munich club’s squad. However, on closer inspection, the former Stuttgart prospect has been used in a vast array of positions. For example, while he’s played as a defensive midfielder in 240 games for Bayern, he’s also played as a right-back in 128 games, as a No.8 in 26 games, as a central defender in 23 games and was even tasked with playing as a right winger in four games.

 

When we consider Kimmich’s total game time in the Bundesliga over the last 10 seasons and plot what percentage of that was played as a central or defensive midfielder, we get a graph like the one above. Which should perfectly illustrate the frustrations that the player may be having at the German club. While Kimmich has had a number of seasons where he’s played predominantly in the middle of the pitch, he has often found his game time in that position vary dramatically. So much so that over the course of his time at Bayern, he’s only played in his preferred role on average 63% of the time. 

Such numbers clearly point to Kimmich’s many talents and the versatility he can show on the football pitch, but it also underlines the point that the Germany international isn’t exactly considered to be Bayern’s first-choice right back or central playmaker, but rather a player that can fill in if or when the club don’t have a better option in either position. As such, as the 30-year-old talent now considers how the final chapter of his career will play out, few could blame Kimmich for considering all of his options and seeking out a club that would prefer to play him in his preferred position because he’s their best player for the job, rather than treat him as a useful back-up for a number of positions across the pitch. 

Who could sign Kimmich this summer?

In terms of recent reports linking the midfielder with a departure from Bayern in the summer, so far only two clubs have been routinely linked with a move for Kimmich: Liverpool and Real Madrid. However, a move by either club could prove to be highly unlikely in the coming weeks. At Anfield, Liverpool manager Arne Slot already has a well-settled midfield of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai and a move to sign Kimmich as a potential replacement for right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is unlikely to entice the German international to the Premier League. Equally, while a move to Madrid can never be ruled out for any player, the LaLiga giants already have ample depth in midfield in the form of Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde, who currently plays a similar role to Kimmich in filling in at both central midfield and right back. 

J. Kimmich

Defensive Midfield

Bayern Munich		?		Man City
Bundesliga				Premier League

J. Kimmich

Defensive Midfield

Bayern Munich		13 %		Liverpool
Bundesliga				Premier League

Instead, should Kimmich leave Bayern in the summer, it seems more likely that two other clubs will be the only ones with the means and gaps in their squad to entice the German international away from Munich. The first is most likely Barcelona, where Kimmich could reunite with former head coach Hansi Flick and teammate Robert Lewandowski. The Catalan giants do have a number of midfielders, but may be forced to sell Frenkie de Jong when he enters the final year of his contract this summer. The other club are Manchester City, who are expected to part ways with a number of midfielders, such as Bernardo Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, Kalvin Phillips and İlkay Gündoğan at the end of the season. And having worked with him at Bayern, Pep Guardiola may be exceptionally excited by the prospect of signing Kimmich if he truly is available to sign this summer. 

 

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February 28th 

The January transfer window is now little more than a distant memory in European football and as such clubs across the continent are already making plans for the summer window. Teams are working tirelessly behind the scenes on identifying targets and figuring out their budgets.

Managers will be constantly assessing their squads with sporting directors and recruitment staff scanning the market for potential deals. A plethora of players will become available in the summer where clubs famously have more money to spend and aren’t as restricted by financial fair play rules. The rumour mill is beginning to pick up pace and we’ve collated some of the biggest current transfer stories. 

Marcus Rashford is reportedly increasingly open to joining Aston Villa on a permanent deal this summer. The England international has impressed on-loan from Manchester Untied and Villa have a buy-option in the deal.

Victor Osimhen could be heading to Old Trafford this summer with the Nigerian reportedly keen on joining the English giants. The Nigerian international will return to Napoli from his loan spell at Galatasaray and he will only have one year left on his contract. 

Barcelona are monitoring Rafael Leao’s situation and AC Milan and could move for the Portugal international this summer. The Athletic have also reported that Barcelona could look to secure a sensational return for Neymar – if he proves his fitness at Santos. Meanwhile, Chelsea are keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund attacker Karim Adeyemi. 

 

​All the latest Arsenal news and updates on the Gunners’ search for a new sporting director 

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​Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham’s big rivals have released their accounts for the 2023/24 financial year 

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TAA replacement? 

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future has dominated the headlines this season with Liverpool increasingly resigned to losing one of their star players. The academy graduate has won it all at Anfield since making his debut in 2016 and is destined to add another Premier League title to his silverware collection. Alexander-Arnold is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world and Liverpool are desperate to keep the 26-year-old in Merseyside.

But it’s understood that the England international favours a new challenge with Real Madrid his expected destination. Liverpool rejected an optimistic offer from the Champions League holders in January but Madrid remain confident of securing Alexander-Arnold’s signature on a free transfer. Arne Slot’s attention will switch to replacing the right-back to provide competition to emerging star Conor Bradley and Flamengo starlet Wesley has emerged as a potential replacement.

Who is Wesley?

Wesley is a right-back, currently plying his trade at Brazilian top-flight club Flamengo. The 21-year-old joined the Rio de Janeiro club’s youth ranks from Tubarão in 2021 and he quickly progressed into a first-team player. The 2023 campaign was Wesley’s first as a first-team regular, making 56 appearances in all competitions – notably Série A and the Copa Libertadores. Wesley has grown in influence and was integral to Flamengo winning the Copa do Brasil last season and finishing third in the league to secure qualification for the Copa Libertadores.

The Brazilian has developed a reputation for his attacking flair and Marcos Watts, Transfermarkt’s Série A expert, has detailed his main qualities. He said: “He’s very skilled for a defender, makes good forward-runs often and knows how to set up an attack. His speed and agility make him a good athlete, allowing him to come back to defence quickly after attacking – which is so important for a modern full-back.

Which clubs are interested in Wesley?

Manchester United were linked with Wesley during the January window but it’s understood that Liverpool are the leading candidates. Anfield chiefs have made an initial approach to Flamengo over the 21-year-old, according to various Brazilian outlets. Liverpool have enjoyed great success from signing South American’s in recent years, including Fabinho, Roberto Firmino, Luiz Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister. Liverpool, however, aren’t the only European giants tracking the Flamengo star with Barcelona eyeing a deal hoping to unearth the next Dani Alves.

But is Wesley ready for the demands at one of the biggest clubs in the world? “Whether he’s ready for a top European side will depend a lot on the system they play,” Watts declared. “Being such an offensive-minded full-back makes him unsuitable for many of the tactical approaches in European football. Wesley, however, represents a ‘rare piece’ in terms of being a young talent that would fit Liverpool and Barcelona. If he continues to develop quickly and improves his defensive acumen then he could earn a move to a top five league club and maybe even the Brazilian NT.”

How much is Wesley worth?

Wesley’s current market valuation is €9m on Transfermarkt but that’s likely to increase in the next Serie A update. The right-back is the third most valuable Brazilian U21 defender in the world and he’s been tipped for a call-up to the senior squad. Moreover, Flamengo reportedly recently rejected a €25m offer from Zenit St Petersburg and they’ll want any fee to enter their top five record sales – Vinicius Jr’s €45m sale to Real Madrid is their record.

On Wesley’s valuation, Watts concluded: “Flamengo wouldn’t want to sell their starting right-back for a low price and their minimum valuation would be €20m. The club reportedly rejected a bid from Atalanta last summer, in a package deal of about €16m + €4m in add-ons. Considering their squad depth and how well the player has developed in the second half of 2024, their asking price should be a bit higher.”

 

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Four LaLiga teams in top 10 

With the serious stage of the season in the top leagues and the Champions League almost here, the main domestic cups in Europe’s top-five leagues are also beginning to heat up. Barcelona drew 4-4 to Atlético Madrid in their Copa del Rey semi-final 1st leg, whilst Real Madrid will take a 1-0 lead away at Real Sociedad back to the Santiago Bernábeu. AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bologna and Empoli booked their place in the Coppa Italia semi-finals. Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen, third-tier Bielefeld, and RB Leipzig made it to the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal. Reims, fourth-tier Cannes, PSG and Dunkerque will fight it out in the Coupe De France semi-final, whilst this weekend sees teams go head-to-head in the FA Cup round of 16. But when we look down the archives, which teams are the kings of the domestic cup?

The FA Cup (football’s oldest competition) began in 1871, the Copa del Rey began in 1903, the Coupe De France in 1917, the Coppa Italia in 1922, and the DFB-Pokal 1935. When we nostalgically reflect back across the decades, some teams have dominated their country’s domestic cup. Other competitions have seen trophies more shared out. Here at Transfermarkt, we have calculated which top-five league teams have won their nation’s main domestic cup competition the most times, and put them all head-to-head. We have only included each country’s main cup, so for example, the EFL Cup won’t count in England only the FA Cup etc.

Leading the way are Barcelona, who have incredibly won as many as 31 Copa del Rey trophies. The Catalan club have won over a quarter of all the titles ever won in the competition. Their last victory came in the 2020/21 season, where they beat Athletic Club 4-0 in the final thanks to two Lionel Messi goals. They will be looking to extend their lead at the top of this list this season. In second place, perhaps surprisingly, are another LaLiga side in Athletic Club. The Bilbao-based club have won the Copa del Rey 24 times, including winning last season’s trophy. A truly remarkable feat for a club that only play players from the Basque region in northern Spain and southern France. In joint-third place are Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, whom have won the Copa del Rey and DFB-Pokal respectively on 20 different occasions.

In joint-sixth are Juventus and PSG – the Old Lady have won the Coppa Italia on 15 occasions, while the Parisians have won the Coupe De France 15 times, including in seven of the last 10 seasons. Arsenal are the first Premier League side on the list, having won the FA Cup 14 times in their history – the last of which was in 2020. Next come Manchester United, who have won the FA Cup on 13 different occasions, including last season’s triumph. Atlético Madrid and Marseille are the only other two top-five league sides to have won their main domestic cup 10 times; Atlético have tasted glory on 10 occasions in the Copa Del Rey, whilst Marseille have won 10 Coupe de Frances. The most successful team in each of the five main domestic cups in the top-five leagues are illustrated and compared below.

 

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125 years of excellence 

On 27 February 1900, a group of football enthusiasts led by Franz John decided to break away from their local gymnastics club and form their own football team. They probably had no idea they were laying the foundation for one of the most successful clubs in football history. Fast forward 125 years, and Bayern Munich is not just Germany’s most decorated club but a true giant of the global game. 

It wasn’t always smooth sailing, though. Despite winning their first national title in 1932, Bayern weren’t included in the inaugural Bundesliga season in 1963. They had to fight their way up and only won promotion to the top-tier of German football in 1965. In comparison to many of Europe’s biggest and most celebrated clubs, that wasn’t long ago at all. But once they got to the top, they never looked back. The late 1960s saw the rise of the club’s undoubted golden generation— Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, and Sepp Maier—players who would define not just Bayern but German football as a whole. The 1970s belonged to Bayern. Under Udo Lattek, they won three straight European Cups from 1974 to 1976, beating Atlético Madrid, Leeds United and then Saint-Étienne in successive seasons and cementing their place among the continent’s elite. Müller’s goalscoring instincts, Beckenbauer’s elegance, and Maier’s shot-stopping made them unstoppable.  

Curiously, domestic dominance only followed once Bayern had first conquered Europe. Although the club had won four league titles in the 70s, from the 79/80 season onwards the Munich giants won seven of the next 11 Bundesliga championships, thanks to stars like Paul Breitner and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Which stood in stark contrast to their form in Europe, where they lost in European Cup finals to Aston Villa in 1982 and Porto in 1987. Then came the rollercoaster of the 1990s. Domestically, Bayern were still top dogs, but on the European stage, they suffered one of the most painful defeats in football history. The 1999 Champions League final in Barcelona should have been theirs—1-0 up against Manchester United deep into stoppage time. Then, two quickfire goals turned joy into despair. That hurt. But Bayern never stayed down for long. Just two years later, redemption arrived when they beat Valencia on penalties to claim their fourth European crown.   

In the modern era, Bayern have gone from strength to strength to exert a masterclass of European football in how to become the perfect super club. Under legendary managers like Ottmar Hitzfeld, Louis Van Gaal, Jupp Heynckes, and Pep Guardiola, the club evolved into a relentless winning machine. With unrivalled domestic success, Bayern won not one but two historical trebles – the first coming in 2013 under Heynckes then the second in 2020 under Hansi Flick – which saw the Munich giants win the Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League on both occasions.

Today, Bayern Munich are a global powerhouse. They don’t just win, they dominate. With record-breaking Bundesliga titles, a squad packed with world-class talent, and an ever-growing fanbase, they’re showing no signs of slowing down. From a small Munich breakaway club to the kings of European football, Bayern’s journey has been nothing short of legendary. And if history tells us anything, there’s plenty more to come.  

 

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February 27th 

The January transfer window is now little more than a distant memory in European football and as such clubs across the continent are already making plans for the summer window. Teams are working tirelessly behind the scenes on identifying targets and figuring out their budgets.

Managers will be constantly assessing their squads with sporting directors and recruitment staff scanning the market for potential deals. A plethora of players will become available in the summer where clubs famously have more money to spend and aren’t as restricted by financial fair play rules. The rumour mill is beginning to pick up pace and we’ve collated some of the biggest current transfer stories. 

Liverpool will reportedly target Brighton’s João Pedro, if Darwin Núñez departs in the summer. There’s been constant speculation over Nunez’s future with Atlético Madrid the latest club to be linked. Pedro is enjoying an excellent season with the Seagulls and has attracted interest from a host of Premier League clubs. 

Saudi Pro League clubs will renew their interest in Vinícius Jr this summer, according to the Telegraph. The Brazilian was subject of a bid last summer and Vinicius will only have two years left on his contract at Real Madrid at the end of the season. 

Samu Aghehowa has emerged as a target for Aston Villa. The Midlands club will look to add a striker in the summer after Jhon Duran’s exit and Aghehowa has thrived after joining Porto. Meanwhile, Chelsea are weighing up a move for River Plate’s Ian Subiabre as they look to add another exciting winger to their squad.