<b>Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund scoping Hertha Berlin’s Niklas Stark; PSG is the leader to land Ajax’s Matthijs De Ligt; Manchester United out on Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale; Women’s World Cup coverage; and MORE!</b>
<a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/f0dpazu3SPy2wp7LQpvDC2q4aek=/0x0:2555x1703/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64005074/Stark.0.jpg">Media</a> The last of the Starks (at Hertha Berlin)? <a href="https://www.kicker.de/1-bundesliga/transfermarkt">Stark’s release clause worrying Hertha (kicker)</a><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/hertha-berlin-bsc">Hertha Berlin</a>’s Niklas Stark garnered some attention this season with his stellar play and now Die Alte Dame is a bit worried that too many other teams might have noticed that Stark is pretty darn good. According to kicker, Stark has a release clause that can be activated through June 30th. Hertha BSC wants to start the new season with Niklas Stark (24), but still has to worry: According to kicker information, the central defender has a release clause in his contract, which runs until 2022, for almost 25 million euros and it will remain in effect until June 30th.Stark’s recent promotion to <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/germany">Germany</a>’s senior team has made his stock rise even more. Given that exposure and his excellent performance in the Bundesliga during the season, Stark has reportedly opened the eyes of <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/bayern-munich">Bayern Munich</a> and <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/borussia-dortmund">Borussia Dortmund</a>. According to reports, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hertha?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hertha</a>’s Niklas <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Stark?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Stark</a> has a €25m release clause in his contract which is valid until the end of June. In the past he was linked to several clubs like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBayern?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBayern</a> Munich or Borussia <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dortmund?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dortmund</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hahohe?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hahohe</a>— German Football Daily (@GERFootDaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/GERFootDaily/status/1139432866486595584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2019</a>Stark can play as both a center-back and defensive midfielder, which would be another versatile option for Niko Kovac should Bayern seek to activate Stark’s release clause. <a href="https://www.merkur.de/sport/fc-bayern/matthijs-de-ligt-zum-fc-bayern-muenchen-treffen-mit-psg-oder-nur-fake-news-12359523.html">PSG storms to the lead of the De Ligt sweepstakes (Münchner Merkur)</a>At different points over the past six months FC <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/la-liga/teams/barcelona">Barcelona</a> and Bayern Munich were each considered to be a frontrunner to land Ajax star center-back Matthijs de Ligt. Now, however, it is the free-spending, deep pockets of Paris Saint-Germain that might be closest to landing the 19-year-old phenom. “Paris Saint-Germain does everything for de Ligt,” writes De Telegraaf. In addition to the Dutch daily, the French L’Équipe also reports on a meeting between De Ligt’s agent Mino Raiola and PSG officials, including Antero Henrique, who will soon be replaced by Leonardo. Raiola himself denies that there has been a meeting: “This is a classic case of fake news,” he told the Italian news agency ANSA.However, two important women in the life of the Ajax star could be happy about moving to the French capital. According to De Telegraaf, de Ligt’s friend Annekee Molenaar and her mother Christiane have already visited the city. In order not to be recognized, they are said to have been in a car with darkened windows. All this for a player that <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/manchester-u…
<a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/f0dpazu3SPy2wp7LQpvDC2q4aek=/0x0:2555x1703/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64005074/Stark.0.jpg">Media</a> The last of the Starks (at Hertha Berlin)? <a href="https://www.kicker.de/1-bundesliga/transfermarkt">Stark’s release clause worrying Hertha (kicker)</a><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/hertha-berlin-bsc">Hertha Berlin</a>’s Niklas Stark garnered some attention this season with his stellar play and now Die Alte Dame is a bit worried that too many other teams might have noticed that Stark is pretty darn good. According to kicker, Stark has a release clause that can be activated through June 30th. Hertha BSC wants to start the new season with Niklas Stark (24), but still has to worry: According to kicker information, the central defender has a release clause in his contract, which runs until 2022, for almost 25 million euros and it will remain in effect until June 30th.Stark’s recent promotion to <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/germany">Germany</a>’s senior team has made his stock rise even more. Given that exposure and his excellent performance in the Bundesliga during the season, Stark has reportedly opened the eyes of <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/bayern-munich">Bayern Munich</a> and <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/borussia-dortmund">Borussia Dortmund</a>. According to reports, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hertha?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hertha</a>’s Niklas <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Stark?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Stark</a> has a €25m release clause in his contract which is valid until the end of June. In the past he was linked to several clubs like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBayern?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBayern</a> Munich or Borussia <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dortmund?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dortmund</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hahohe?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hahohe</a>— German Football Daily (@GERFootDaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/GERFootDaily/status/1139432866486595584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2019</a>Stark can play as both a center-back and defensive midfielder, which would be another versatile option for Niko Kovac should Bayern seek to activate Stark’s release clause. <a href="https://www.merkur.de/sport/fc-bayern/matthijs-de-ligt-zum-fc-bayern-muenchen-treffen-mit-psg-oder-nur-fake-news-12359523.html">PSG storms to the lead of the De Ligt sweepstakes (Münchner Merkur)</a>At different points over the past six months FC <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/la-liga/teams/barcelona">Barcelona</a> and Bayern Munich were each considered to be a frontrunner to land Ajax star center-back Matthijs de Ligt. Now, however, it is the free-spending, deep pockets of Paris Saint-Germain that might be closest to landing the 19-year-old phenom. “Paris Saint-Germain does everything for de Ligt,” writes De Telegraaf. In addition to the Dutch daily, the French L’Équipe also reports on a meeting between De Ligt’s agent Mino Raiola and PSG officials, including Antero Henrique, who will soon be replaced by Leonardo. Raiola himself denies that there has been a meeting: “This is a classic case of fake news,” he told the Italian news agency ANSA.However, two important women in the life of the Ajax star could be happy about moving to the French capital. According to De Telegraaf, de Ligt’s friend Annekee Molenaar and her mother Christiane have already visited the city. In order not to be recognized, they are said to have been in a car with darkened windows. All this for a player that <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/manchester-u…
