The future for Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is uncertain and if the veteran does retire, the Bavarians could pursue Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Per CaughtOffside, the competition for Costa could be tough as Chelsea FC is also interested:
Chelsea remain interested in Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa as a long-term transfer target, but could face competition from Bayern Munich as Manuel Neuer is considering retiring at the end of the season. Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Chelsea have long had an interest in Costa after being impressed by his performances at Porto, with the Blues still keeping an eye on the goalkeeper market after some patchy form from Robert Sanchez.
Costa could likely be an upgrade on Sanchez, who has looked like a bit of a weak link in Enzo Maresca’s side this season, but Bayern are also very interested in the Portugal international. CaughtOffside understands that Porto are not keen on letting Costa go, and it could take offers in the region of €70m to persuade them to let the 25-year-old leave the club.
Chelsea have made real strides since appointing Maresca as manager, but it seems pretty clear that this team is still lacking a genuine world class ‘keeper like the great Chelsea sides of old. Back when Chelsea were at their best, they relied on world class shot-stoppers like Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois as key players.
Sanchez just isn’t in that kind of elite bracket, and Costa could be worth spending big money on. Still, CaughtOffside have been told that Bayern really like the player as they make a Neuer replacement a priority, while Manchester United are also understood to be long-term admirers.
For now, however, Man Utd seem to have seen some improvement from Andre Onana, so might not be as direct a rival to Chelsea for Costa at the moment. It will be interesting to see how this saga materialises, but it seems clear that Sanchez needs to improve his form or he won’t be Chelsea’s number one for too much longer, despite public backing from Maresca.
Barca Universal also indicated that FC Barcelona is very serious about a pursuit of Costa as well:
However, Barcelona now face serious competition in their pursuit of the 25-year-old keeper as, according to reports relayed by SPORT, Bayern Munich have identified Costa as their preferred choice to replace the 38-year-old Manuel Neuer, who is approaching retirement.
The Bavarian club’s board views Costa’s skill set and characteristics as an ideal match for their requirements and plan to go after him, complicating Barcelona’s path. Adding to the complexity, Manchester City have also entered the race, with their current first-choice shot-stopper Ederson potentially departing for Saudi Arabia. All indicators suggest Costa will make his move to one of Europe’s elite leagues during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Porto remain reluctant to part with their first-choice goalkeeper, which is reflected in the asking price. Costa’s release clause stands at €75 million, though the Portuguese club might consider offers between €40-50 million.
Juventus could be contemplating making a play for Paris Saint-Germain center-back Milan Skriniar:
Juventus are prioritising Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Milan Skriniar as they aim to replace the injured Bremer, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport, which adds that the Bianconeri could look for a loan in which Les Parisiens still pay some of the 29-year-old’s wages. Due to the difficulty in completing a move for the Slovakia international, Juventus have a long list of alternatives with Udinese’s Jaka Bijol at the top of it.
Bayern Munich will be looking to stay hot against Union Berlin in the Bundesliga.
The Bavarians need to continue to build momentum ahead of next week’s Champions League match against Benfica. Will there be a distraction? Will Bayern Munich look ahead? Let’s get right down to business and talk about the squads as they head into the match:
- Bayern Munich is seeking to continue to build momentum, but will the squad start to earn a reputation for beating up on weaker teams?
- A look at the recent form of each team and where they fall in the Bundesliga table.
- A look at the rosters and injuries for Union Berlin and the Bayern Munich.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
In speaking to kicker, Bayern Munich legend Uli Hoeneß spoke openly about Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany.
“In my opinion, Vincent Kompany is – and that cannot be said for sure after a few weeks – a godsend for Bayern Munich. He’s someone who has played football at a high level himself. He also has a great character in my opinion and sees football as work. He wants to make the individual players better, and that’s what he’s working on. Sometimes they train for two hours until they’re tired,” Hoeneß said.
So far I can only say good things. The nice thing is that we’re playing well, he [Kompany] is playing entertaining football. Since he’s been there, I’ve really enjoyed going to the stadium again. It’s entertainment. We are all football fans.”
It seems like Hansi Flick is winning everyone over at FC barcelona these days…including Pedri:
Barcelona midfielder Pedri has praised coach Hansi Flick for giving young players the confidence needed to thrive.
Barça have the youngest team in LaLiga, with an average age of 23.6 years. They are three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the standings heading into Saturday’s Clásico at the Bernabéu (stream LIVE at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+).
“It’s very important,” Pedri told ESPN of Flick’s commitment to nurturing home-grown talent. “The confidence that the coach gives to all the young players that are coming up, they give it back with good play. This allows them to gain confidence and have more freedom to dare to try out things.”
The 21-year-old added: “We are seeing a lot of players that are coming out of La Masia [Barça’s youth academy] and it’s the soul of this club,” Pedri said.
Bayern Munich was playing against Mainz 05…and some ghosts.
Getting past the second round has become extremely difficult for new Bayern Munich coaches, but Vincent Kompany managed to break the “curse” and lead the Bavarians to a 4-0 victory.
Bayern Munich used a staunch first half effort to power the squad and a hat-trick from Jamal Musiala to overwhelm Mainz 05. Simply put, Bayern Munich dominated from start to finish.
Here is what we have on tap for the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A look at the starting XI.
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.
- Vincent Kompany shook off the “second round curse”
- Where does Bayern Munich go from here?
Arsenal FC could be very serious about a pursuit of Bayern Munich star Leroy Sané:
Arsenal are working on a deal to sign Leroy Sané when the winger’s contract with Bayern Munich expires in the summer, claims Football Insider. Several other English clubs are also reportedly interested in 28-year-old.
For Sané, it feels like there is still a great chance that he re-ups with Bayern Munich. However, the Germany international is competing with Michael Olise for playing time at right-wing. If Sané continues to take a backseat to Olise, he could be tempted to test the waters of free agency this summer.
Liverpool is reportedly (still) watching Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, but he is not the only right-back on the club’s radar:
Liverpool have identified Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, Monaco’s Vanderson and Fiorentina’s Michael Kayode as possible replacements for right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
