The Daily Bee (November 22nd, 2018): DFL reconsiders Monday games and potential transfer targets

• Pulisic talks BVB future (NBCSports)

Christian Pulisic has been the talk of the international break. We had everything from links to Chelsea and Liverpool, to Michael Zorc denying that Pulisic will be sold in January to rumors that Bayern Munich are interested in him.

Now Pulisic himself has talked for the first time about the situation and the plan for the coming months:

“I’m still focused on Dortmund. We are doing great this season. Once the break comes [in January], that is always when I will have to discuss with Dortmund and see about my future,” Pulisic said.

This isn’t really much but two things seem clear at this point, he will finish this season in Dortmund and he will be gone next summer. As of right now the Premier League seems the likely destination but Bayern probably shouldn’t be counted out of that race. The Bavarians need wingers and if Pulisic does decide to move to Munich, Dortmund will once again be in a horrible position of either losing him for free or selling him to Bayern.

• DFL cancels Monday games

The DFL has reacted to the heavy fan protests against Monday fixtures and will stop playing Bundesliga games on Monday’s from 2021/22 onward. All 18 Bundesliga clubs had unanimously decided to stop with the Monday fixtures and instead add an additional game on Sunday.

• VAR to be included this CL-season? (The Times)

The video assistant referees have been introduced in the Bundesliga last season with varying success and were scheduled to be introduced in the Champions League next season. Those plans could change however, The Times report that UEFA is planning on possibly using VAR in the Champions League this season. The current plan is to bring in VAR in the quarterfinals.

• Transfer rumors including Werner and Hazard

The current rumors surrounding Christian Pulisic are mostly because of his contract situation, his contract expires in 2020 which means BVB will have to sell him next summer if they don’t want to lose him for free a year later. BVB are not the only club in this awkward position though.

Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) and Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Mönchengladbach) are in the same situation and have, just like Pulisic, refused to sign an extension. Both are reportedly targets for BVB next summer.

Bild claim RB Leipzig expect Borussia Dortmund to be one of the interested clubs if Werner would be available. However it’s hard to imagine Leipzig would let him leave to Dortmund if other clubs were also interested and might even offer more money. Furthermore Werner is more of a striker and BVB could just sign Paco Alcacer permanently.

Hazard is more of an interesting suggestion. The Belgian international could sign with Gladbach but if he doesn’t Dortmund would possibly be interested according to kicker. The winger could cost over 30€ million next summer.

Daily Buzz: Hazard, Werner, Pépé and Pedrinho are rumored transfer targets so far, who would you prefer as Dortmund’s next winger? Or maybe some other players like Neres, Bergwijn, Lozano, etc.?