Bundesliga

Former Bayern Munich star Michael Ballack has advised the German champions to appoint Jose Mourinho as manager when current boss Nico Kovac leaves the club.

Kovac is only in his first season in charge at Bayern and they are now on track to win the Bundesliga, although Borussia Dortmund sit just one point behind them in second:

The 47-year-old's position is not completely secure as Bayern have failed to dominate the title race, and they were also knocked out the UEFA Champions League this season by Liverpool at the last-16 stage.

If Bayern win the title again this term, it seems unlikely Kovac will leave the club.

But Ballack believes Mourinho, who was sacked by Manchester United in December, would be a good fit for the club in the future, per Bild (h/t MailOnline's Peter Rutzler):

"Right now Niko Kovac is the head coach and that should be respected. He does a good job. [But] one cannot deny that, at some point in the future, the appointment of Mourinho would bring a certain glamour to the club and the Bundesliga. It has been seen with Pep Guardiola—his appointment gave the league a giant jolt, even if he did not win the Champions League at the end with Bayern.

"Guardiola introduced a certain style of play, he's an exceptional coach. In addition, the international profile of each club is many times higher when you get Guardiola or Mourinho. With a coach like Mourinho, it's probably easier for a club to get top stars. At the moment, the Bundesliga does not have the same appeal for world-class players as the Premier League. But Bayern would be well-advised to have world stars in their team."

Ballack, 42, played under Mourinho during his four-season spell at Chelsea between 2006 and 2010.

At that time, the Portuguese manager was at the top of his game. He left his post in west London in 2007 with two Premier League titles and went on to win the treble with Inter Milan in 2009-10, and he then beat Guardiola's Barcelona to the Liga title with Real Madrid in 2011-12.

Mourinho returned to Chelsea and won a third Premier League title in 2014-15, but his career has been on a downward trajectory ever since.

He has left both Chelsea and United after dire starts to Premier League seasons and no longer seems to have the magic touch he once did:

However, having managed successfully in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, the 56-year-old may well see a challenge in plying his trade in Germany.

If Bayern take on Ballack's advice and pursue Mourinho when they next need a manager, he could well be open to the prospect.   

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has said he is hopeful of playing a part in the team's end to the domestic season despite his recent injury.

Neuer had to be withdrawn from the 4-1 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf in the Bundesliga on Sunday after he suffered a calf strain when rushing out of his box to clear the ball.

Speaking on Wednesday at a captain's press conference, Neuer said he is confident he can still contribute in 2018-19 and has targeted the showdown with RB Leipzig on May 11 for a possible return:

Bayern are involved in a gripping battle for the German title, as they lead Borussia Dortmund by a point heading into the final five games of the season.

The Munich giants are out of the UEFA Champions League following their last-16 elimination at the hands of Liverpool. However, they remain in the hunt for the DFP-Pokal, with a semi-final clash with Werder Bremen to come.

While he was rated as the best goalkeeper in the world in his prime, Neuer's standards have regressed in recent seasons. In the Champions League loss to Liverpool, his mistake early in the game allowed Sadio Mane to net the opening goal in a 3-1 win for the visitors.

The goalkeeper has often made costly mistakes in the knockout stages of the European Cup:

Neuer said it's been a tough season to assess, and he also had words of praise for his deputy Sven Ulreich, who spent much of the previous season starting in goal for Bayern after Neuer suffered a long-term injury:

Now 33, Neuer is beginning to reach the twilight years of his career, and there will surely be some concern among the Bayern hierarchy regarding the number of problems he's endured lately. If he is to get back to his best levels again, it's important he stays fit.

Despite some struggles, Bayern manager Niko Kovac would prefer to have his captain fit for a crunch spell in the campaign. Bringing Neuer back in further down the line when the campaign is at its most intense is far from ideal.  

Timo Werner has told RB Leipzig he does not want to sign a new contract with the club, according to CEO Oliver Mintzlaff.

Goal's Ronan Murphy relayed his comments to Sky Germany and noted the transfer speculation surrounding Werner:

In March, the Mirror's Alex Richards reported Liverpool had been in touch with Leipzig regarding Werner, who was said to have agreed personal terms with Bayern.

The 23-year-old is coming up on the final year of his deal with Leipzig, who will have to sell him this summer or risk losing him for free in 2020.

The striker has scored 17 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions this season, as well as contributing six assists. In each of the last two campaigns, he finished the season on 21 goals.

He's in superb form at the moment, as Squawka Football observed:

The German's goal against Bayer Leverkusen was a memorable effort:

Liverpool have scored 75 goals in the Premier League this term, but they lack quality alternatives to their forward line. What's more, Daniel Sturridge is out of contract this summer.

As for Bayern, they allowed their only recognised back-up to Robert Lewandowski, Sandro Wagner, to leave the club in January for the Chinese Super League.

Werner is Leipzig's most valuable player, according to the International Centre for Sports Studies:

While they'll want him to remain at the club, they can ill afford to lose such a valuable asset for nothing, so a departure this summer seems likely.

He wouldn't necessarily be an automatic starter at either Bayern or Liverpool, though, so he might have to content himself with more of a squad role if he joins either club.

Robert Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman reportedly came to "violent blows" during Bayern Munich training and had to be separated by team-mates.

The altercation started after Lewandowski criticised Coman, needing defenders Niklas Sule and Jerome Boateng to intervene, according to RMC Sport.

Bayern Munich are preparing for Sunday's Bundesliga visit to Fortuna Dusseldorf. Niko Kovac's side top the table by a point from Borussia Dortmund after hammering their title rivals 5-0 last time out.

Kovac intended to send both players back to the changing room after the confrontation but allowed them to continue the session, according to Bild (h/t Adam Shergold for MailOnline). His decision was said to have "surprised" the rest of the squad, per the report.

The incident comes just a day after Lewandowski showed off his boxing skills on social media.

This is not the first time that Lewandowski has reportedly clashed with a team-mate in training. The Poland international had a bust-up with Mats Hummels last season, according to Bild (h/t Stephan Uersfeld at ESPN FC).

Bayern Munich have endured an eventful week on the training pitch after Saturday's impressive win over Borussia Dortmund put them back on course to retain their title.

The German champions announced Corentin Tolisso had to withdraw from a session after picking up "knee problems" from a challenge:

Bayern will be hoping there's no lasting damage done between Lewandowski and Coman, who are both important members of the squad.

The striker is the Bundesliga's top scorer with 21 goals this season and hit a landmark in the win over Dortmund:

Coman is a talented young winger who moved to Bayern from Juventus after impressing on loan, although the 22-year-old has seen his season disrupted by a series of injuries.

Kovac will want Bayern to maintain their momentum and avoid any distractions after seeing his team beat Dortmund and put themselves in pole position to maintain their domestic dominance.

Dortmund led the Bundesliga table by nine points at the start of December, but Bayern have reeled them in to move into top spot with six games remaining.

Former Arsenal head of recruitment Sven Mislintat has signed a two-year deal with Bundesliga side Stuttgart to become their new sporting director. 

Per Jake Polden of the Mirror, Mislintat said his first priority with his new club will be to secure Bundesliga survival, before he starts the rebuild of VfB:

"It is a huge challenge and at the same time a great honor to work for a club like VfB.

"I grew up in the environment of traditional clubs, this atmosphere is very important to me.

"The talks with [president] Wolfgang Dietrich and [director of football] Thomas Hitzlsperger were extremely good and decisive for my decision for VfB.

"Our joint focus is in the coming weeks on the fight for survival, of course, the look is also already on the plans for the new season."

Stuttgart are five-time national champions and won the Bundesliga as recently as 2007, but they've fallen on hard times in the past few years. The club has struggled for consistency and were relegated in 2016 but earned promotion in the following season.

They're in a tight battle against relegation this year and find themselves in the play-off spot, four points behind Augsburg.

Mislintat is best known for his work with Borussia Dortmund, where he developed a reputation as one of the best bargain-hunters in Europe.

At BVB, he unearthed the likes of Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele. He signed Aubameyang again after he joined Arsenal, as well as the likes of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.

But according to Polden, Mislintat left over "alleged differences in opinion" with sporting director Raul Sanllehi, while there was also speculation Arsenal's lack of spending power played a role.

At Stuttgart he'll have a bigger role, and the opportunity to steer the sporting project likely played a role in his decision, per Bundesliga writer James Jukes.

While the club have struggled in recent years, Stuttgart remain among Germany's biggest, with a massive fanbase and a large membership. They also have impressive facilities, including the Mercedes-Benz Arena, which seats over 60,000.

Sportswriter Manuel Veth descirbed VfB as a "sleeping giant" when discussing the move:

Stuttgart are winless in their last four Bundesliga matches and would face Union Berlin in a play-off for the final Bundesliga spot if the season ended today.

Eintracht Frankfurt coach Adi Hutter has confirmed Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City all want to sign Luka Jovic this summer.

The Serbia international, who is on loan at Frankfurt from Benfica, has been enjoying a breakthrough campaign and has established a reputation as one of European football's most exciting young forwards.

The 21-year-old is set for an intriguing summer with that in mind. Ahead of Thursday's UEFA Europa League showdown with the striker's parent club, Hutter said there are some elite teams chasing the player's signature, per Kleinen Zeitung (h/t Chris Burton of Goal).

"Sure, top clubs like Real, Barcelona, Bayern or Manchester City have thrown the fishing line at him," the manager said. "It's normal for us to find ourselves in this pool."

Jovic is in the second year of a two-season loan. While Frankfurt do have a clause in the deal that would allow them to purchase Jovic outright, it's noted by German football commentator Kevin Hatchard that the Bundesliga side may sign him with a view to making a quick profit:

The calibre of club listed by Hutter is indicative of how good Jovic has been this season for Frankfurt. The Bundesliga Twitter account shared the following clip from Tifo Football, showcasing how many different strengths he has in his game:

This season the Serb has been part of an excellent Frankfurt attack, with Sebastien Haller and Ante Rebic also part of the triumvirate. Jovic is the man who has caught the eye most frequently though, having showcased all the attributes you'd expect from someone who could be a complete forward in the future.

The 5'11" forward has played as a centre-forward and in a more withdrawn position this season. Jovic is capable of using his pace to spin in behind defenders, but he is also adept at dropping off the shoulder of centre-backs and picking up the ball in pockets of space.

That variety makes him a difficult player to handle, as does the composure he's showcased in dangerous areas so far this season. Jovic has scored 17 times in the Bundesliga in 2018-19 and added six assists.

In their most recent domestic outing, he netted in the 99th minute from the penalty spot to secure a 2-1 win over Schalke:

Given City have Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus at their disposal, it would be a surprise if they made a major push for the Serb at the end of the season. Barcelona and Real Madrid both have excellent No. 9s in Luis Suarez and Karim Benzema, respectively, albeit both are 31 or older.

Jovic would potentially be a fine option for either La Liga club, as he has the quality to go to the summit of the game. However, it appears as though any side keen on the forward will face serious competition from at least one European rival.

Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben reportedly prefers the thought of a move to Major League Soccer over joining Italian giants Inter Milan when his contract in Germany expires this summer.

Robben, 35, is approaching the end of his 10th and final season at the Allianz Arena, and Calciomercato.com (h/t Sports Illustrated) reported the veteran is more in favour of a switch to the United States.

His former Bayern team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger has found success with Chicago Fire since joining the club in 2017.

The Nerazzurri may be disappointed to learn Robben would shun them for MLS, where the level of competition would be considerably lower. Sportswriter Nebojsa Markovic noted the havoc Robben could wreak if he was able to rediscover his old ways in North America's top competition:

Robben told reporters in December that this would be his last season with Die Roten, which came as little surprise given the recurring injuries that have restricted him to just 15 appearances in all competitions this season.

Five separate injury and illness absences have resulted in an underwhelming sendoff season for the player, per Transfermarkt. That's after the seven separate absences he endured in 2017-18.

Therein lies the concern in signing the 96-times capped former Netherlands international, as FOX pundit Alexi Lalas highlighted when Robben was linked with a similar move in 2018:

Despite making only 15 appearances this term, Robben has five goals and two assists to his name, equating to a little less than one direct goal involvement every other game.

The rigours of Major League Soccer might allow for the wizened winger to play under fewer pressures, but potential suitors may also expect their headline name to feature prominently.

Bayern's other stalwart wide man, Franck Ribery, is also expected to leave Bayern when his deal runs out in June, with young guns Kingsley Coman, 22, and Serge Gnabry, 23, expected to take over the reins.

In an ideal scenario, MLS would provide Robben with a stage on which to launch a late career revival, having carved out a reputation as one of the best to play his position, via BT Sport (UK only):

Bayern have travelled to the United States for pre-season contests in the past, but fans across the pond may look forward to getting a closer look at Robben's talents in the near future.

Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has made it clear that Jadon Sancho will not be sold this summer despite ongoing links to Manchester United.

The 19-year-old is enjoying a breakout season at Westfalenstadion as BVB lead the Bundesliga title race.

He has netted eight goals in his 27 league appearances, while his return of 13 assists eclipses any other player in Europe's top leagues:

It is no surprise, then, that Sancho has attracted interest from elsewhere, but Watzke has ruled out a summer departure during a conversation with Eurosport Germany (h/t Joe Shread of Sky Sports): "We will not sell him. That is fact. It is clearly discussed with every person who is involved that Jadon plays in the next season for BVB."

The Dortmund chief also said that European clubs know BVB's position on Sancho, so there have been no approaches for him:

Dortmund are two points ahead of Bayern Munich, with each team having seven games remaining in the Bundesliga. The two sides face off at the Allianz Arena on Saturday. In the reverse fixture back in November, Dortmund prevailed 3-2.

Sancho will be vital for Lucien Favre's side in Munich if they are to get a win that could clinch their first league title since 2012.

The Englishman is in a fine vein of form, having provided four assists in his past three appearances for club and country.

Dortmund fans will be delighted to hear Watzke's assertion that Sancho will still be at the club next season.

But if he enjoys another superb campaign in 2019-20, it will surely not be long before he is snapped up by one of Europe's bigger outfits.

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Former Bayern Munich player Steffan Effenberg has criticised the €80 million fee paid by the club for Atletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez and joked it could lead to them splashing out a big sum on a bus driver.

Bayern announced in March they had agreed a deal to recruit Hernandez this summer.

Former midfielder Effenberg told T-Online (h/t Goal's Stephen Crawford):

"If we look at the transfer fee paid for Hernandez, we can assume that there is only one winner: Atletico Madrid.

"The sum might seem normal in today's transfer market but it gives me a stomach ache. It's one of the reasons that fans often find it hard to understand what is going on.

"If things continue like this, we'll be paying €5 million for a bus driver in five years!

"I would rather spend €80 million on players who are at the top of their game or offensive or creative players."

The 23-year-old started all seven of France's matches at the 2018 FIFA World Cup as they triumphed in Russia.

Hernandez's Les Bleus' team-mate Benjamin Pavard will also join Bayern this summer from Stuttgart in a €35 million move, but Effenberg is not convinced by the pair:

"[Sporting director] Hasan Salihamidzic always talks about Pavard and Hernandez as the signing of two world champions, but from my point of view, it doesn't matter that they became world champions with France in 2018.

"That doesn't mean they will still be world champions in 10 years."

Bayern are in the process of a squad overhaul amid a season in which they were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the round of 16 by Liverpool and find themselves trailing Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga by two points with seven matches remaining.

Both Pavard and Hernandez are centre-backs, but they can also play as a right-back and left-back, respectively, which they do for France.

Scouted Football and Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe believe Hernandez is a good capture for Bayern, despite the large fee:

Football writers Alex Richards and Grace Robertson are less convinced:

Bayern have spent a club-record fee for a defender, so there's a great deal of pressure for him to deliver at the Allianz Arena in the coming years.

He's not going to be contributing much in terms of goals and assists, but as Virgil van Dijk has shown at Liverpool following his £75 million (€87 million) move last year, defenders can still have a significant impact on a team's fortunes.

With their defence taken care of, Bayern might focus their attention on reinforcing their centre-forward options, as they have little cover for Robert Lewandowski, or on potential long-term replacements for Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery out wide.