Bundesliga

Robert Lewandowski's agent has engaged in a war of words with Dietmar Hamann after his client was labelled a "problem" by the former Bayern Munich and Liverpool midfielder.

Hamann spoke about Bayern's 3-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga on Saturday and identified Die Roten striker Lewandowski as an issue for the struggling champions, per Liam Prenderville of the Daily Mirror: "I think that Lewandowski is becoming a problem for Bayern. ... I believe it is clear that he is an individualist."

Hamann also referred to what he sees as the Poland international's "theatrics," as well as his "partly sluggish behaviour on the pitch."

Naturally, these words drew an angry response from the prolific No. 9's agent, Maik Barthel: "After the defeat against Leverkusen it does not help to attack players on this level as Mr. Hamann has done. That he sees Robert as the main cause says it all about his tactical understanding to me. Maybe he did not even see the game."

Liverpool fans will hope Lewandowski is out of sorts when the Reds meet Bayern in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The first leg of the tie takes place at Anfield on Tuesday, February 19.

While it's easy to find fault, the numbers reveal Lewandowski is still the biggest threat for Bayern:

Lewandowski tops the UEFA Champions League scoring charts with eight goals. There's no doubt the 30-year-old is the player Liverpool have to stop if the Merseyside club are going to reach the last eight.

While Lewandowski's body language may not be impressing Hamann, it's just as easy to conclude the striker is suffering from Bayern's overreliance on him. The recent transfer of back-up Sandro Wagner to Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda has raised further concerns about Lewandowski's workload.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently tried to play down those concerns, per Goal's Peter Hanson: "We discussed that with the coach, and Niko Kovac thought that with Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry, in case of doubt, we have alternatives. But Robert Lewandowski has never been injured at Bayern Munich since 2014."

While both Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry could fill in for Lewandowski in the event of injury or suspension, neither is a natural centre-forward.

Muller can operate on either flank off the frontman, where his pace and intelligent movement often catch defenders cold.

It's a similar story for former Arsenal wide man Gnabry. His mix of strength, speed and skill is often most effective from the wings.

Unfortunately, Die Roten will be without Muller for the games against Liverpool. The versatile forward will serve a two-match ban, while winger Arjen Robben will also miss out through injury, according to Goal's Dejan Kalinic.

It means Lewandowski will once again be expected to spearhead Bayern's attack. If he's showing signs of frustration lately, it may be due to the ongoing pressure applied on him by a team still worryingly reliant on one player.  

Arsenal fans face a lengthy wait before they see how exciting youngster Emile Smith Rowe fares on loan at RB Leipzig.

The Bundesliga club's manager, Ralf Rangnick, has revealed that he's going to be patient with the 18-year-old, who moved to Leipzig during the January transfer window:

Ironically, Smith Rowe, who arrived in Germany with a hip injury, may see a familiar face once he makes it onto the pitch for his new club, according to James Benge of Football.London:

Arsenal fans will be hopeful Smith Rowe can match Reiss Nelson's initial success in the German top flight. The latter has helped himself to six league goals while making 20 appearances in all competitions for Hoffenheim.

It's proving to be an invaluable learning spell for 19-year-old Nelson, who was introduced to the Gunners first team by Arsene Wenger last season. However, Nelson needed more playing time and the loan move came at the right moment, with Unai Emery succeeding Wenger back in the summer and working to put his own stamp on the north London club.

Smith Rowe's situation is similar to Nelson's and Arsenal supporters are likely to find the wait for his start in Leipzig a frustrating experience, given the promise the teenager has already shown this season.

Emery used cup competitions to get Smith Rowe some first-team experience before his loan move. It was a useful ploy that yielded enticing examples of impish skill and a keen eye for goal.

Smith Rowe scored three times across UEFA Europa League and Carabao Cup action. Contributions like those naturally have Arsenal fans excited about what could come from the club's latest academy graduate.

But Leipzig have made light of the fervour from Gunners supporters surrounding Smith Rowe:

A little patience will be worth it, with Arsenal taking a calculated approach to sending Smith Rowe to Germany until the end of the season. Benge noted in January how Emery considers the player a "building block of the future."

A temporary stay in the Bundesliga makes sense considering the division is fast becoming a proving ground for some of England's brightest young talents. Aside from Nelson, Jadon Sancho has been a major success since leaving Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund.

Sancho has talked up the chances on offer to burgeoning talents:

Arsenal won't want Smith Rowe to get too attached to life in Germany, though. Not when he can become a key part of Emery's first-team setup in the very near future.

The creative department in Emery's squad will need restocking sooner rather than later. Aaron Ramsey is joining Serie A giants Juventus on a free transfer at the end of the season, while Emery has been reluctant to trust natural No. 10 Mesut Ozil too often.

Ozil, who is Arsenal's highest earner, could move on during a summer when goalkeeper Petr Cech is set to retire and striker Danny Welbeck faces being released, per Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail. 

Mokbel noted how Emery may be given just £45 million to spend on transfers, a situation likely to make the Gunners more reliant on young talents from the academy.

Smith Rowe and Nelson could save Arsenal a fortune by offering Emery replacements for Ramsey and Ozil, as well as alternatives to 30-year-old Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Yet much will depend on how well Smith Rowe fares in Germany, with Arsenal surely hoping he performs at least as well as Nelson.

Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac said goalkeeper Manuel Neuer "feels good" amid reports he could be out of action for three months. 

According to Sport Bild (h/t MailOnline's James Dutton), Neuer has suffered a "blemish on the right hand" and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines if he has torn the ligaments supporting his thumb. An injury of that type could require surgery, which would rule him out of both legs of Bayern's last-16 UEFA Champions League tie with Liverpool.

Speaking ahead of Bayern's DFB-Pokal match with Hertha Berlin on Wednesday, Kovac gave an update on Neuer:

Neuer was absent for Saturday's match with Bayer Leverkusen, so back-up Sven Ulreich made his first appearance of the season in his stead. It was far from an ideal outing, as Bayern lost 3-1.

Ulreich deputised for Neuer last season, with the No. 1 sidelined for almost the entirety of the campaign, and he helped Bayern win the Bundesliga and reach the semi-final of the Champions League.

However, an ill-timed slip from Ulreich when attempting to deal with a back pass gifted a goal to Real Madrid's Karim Benzema in that semi-final, which contributed to Bayern's exit at the hands of Los Blancos.

Neuer's potential injury would be a boost to Liverpool's chances in their tie given he's among the best 'keepers in the world.

Bayern are already perhaps the underdogs given their disappointing form this season—they're third in the Bundesliga, seven points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund—so they can ill afford not to have their best players involved.

Bayern Munich confirmed on Monday that Thomas Muller will miss both legs of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie against Liverpool because of suspension after their appeal to overturn his ban failed.

Muller was sent off for a foul on Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico in Bayern's final group game in December and will serve a two-game suspension, per the club's official website:

"Now it's official: FC Bayern will be without Thomas Muller in both legs of the Champions League round of 16 against Liverpool FC. The German record champions' appeal against the 29-year-old attacking midfielder's two-match suspension was rejected by the European Football Union's (UEFA) Appeals Senate on Monday."

Muller was handed a straight red for a high challenge on Tagliafico that left the Ajax defender needing "staples and stitches" to a head wound, per Tom Farmery for MailOnline.

The Germany international apologised after the game:

Muller featured in all of Bayern's games in the group stages, and he will be missed. Manager Niko Kovac will have to find a replacement and could opt to bring in James Rodriguez or move Leon Goretzka into the No. 10 role.

Goretzka is a man in form with four goals in his last three matches for Bayern:

Bayern will face a tough test against a Liverpool side who are currently top of the Premier League table and were beaten Champions League finalists last season.

However, Jurgen Klopp's side do have problems defensively. Key centre-back Virgil van Dijk will miss the first leg through suspension, while Joe Gomez is injured and requires surgery on a leg fracture, per BBC Sport.

The first leg takes place on Anfield on Feb. 19, with the return leg scheduled for the Allianz Arena on March 13.

Bayern Munich will face Bayer Leverkusen without Manuel Neuer on Saturday, as the Germany international has suffered a hand injury in training. 

The club announced the news on Twitter:

Neuer has started all 19 Bundesliga matches this season for Bayern, and the 32-year-old's form has improved as the campaign wore on. Like many of his team-mates, he struggled early, but he hasn't conceded more than a single goal in a match since the 3-3 spectacle against Ajax in December.

Some rust was expected from the German star, who missed most of the 2017-18 season due to injury and didn't look like himself upon his return.

While the 2017-18 campaign was a disaster for Neuer and sunk Bayern's European hopes, the Bundesliga giants learned they have a reliable backup in Sven Ulreich. He did his job in both meetings with Leverkusen last season:

Fans won't be too concerned about Neuer's absence against Leverkusen, in all likelihood, but they will keep an eye on his recovery.

Bayern's tweet only referenced Saturday's contest, but the Bavarians will face in-form Liverpool on February 19. They're already short-handed due to several injuries and can't afford to face manager Jurgen Klopp and his Reds without their captain as well.

There's no reason to panic just yet, as long as Neuer's one-match absence doesn't turn into something more serious. 

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is confident the Bundesliga champions have adequate cover for Robert Lewandowski, despite selling Sandro Wagner.

Wagner, 31, joined Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda late in the January transfer window, barely a year on from rejoining Bayern from Hoffenheim.

He was firmly second choice to Lewandowski and had started just one Bundesliga game in 2018-19, hence his eagerness to make a move, but Wagner was the only like-for-like replacement for Lewandowski in the Bayern squad.

Should the Poland international get injured, though, Rummenigge said he is confident Bayern still have good cover in the shape of Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry, neither of whom are conventional No. 9s, per Peter Hanson of Goal on Friday:

"Sandro asked [to leave] because he had an offer from China with an incredibly high salary. We discussed that with the coach and Niko Kovac thought that with Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry, in case of doubt, we have alternatives."

He then added: "But Robert Lewandowski has never been injured at Bayern Munich since 2014."

Lewandowski, 30, is arguably Bayern's most important player. He has netted 12 Bundesliga goals this season—Bayern's second-most-prolific player is Leon Goretzka on five—and eight in the UEFA Champions League.

Even when Sandro was in the squad, Lewandowski would arguably have been irreplaceable.

But at least Sandro was a genuine striker who had a fine scoring record at Bayern despite being given few opportunities:

Bayern are playing catch-up this season in the Bundesliga as they are currently six points behind leaders Dortmund.

Lewandowski's goals will be vital if they are to catch Lucien Favre's side, and it will now be even more crucial he remains fit. 

Bayern Munch chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says his club's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic "nearly fell in love" with Chelsea youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi. 

The Bundesliga champions have made no secret of their interest in the 18-year-old, and Rummenigge has been talking about his club's pursuit of the young forward, per FourFourTwo.

"The only one Hasan would have liked to buy was this player [Hudson-Odoi] from Chelsea. I have to say that he nearly fell in love with this player and his qualities. All the other things [stories about transfer links with other players] were rumours.

"We don't have any demand on these positions for the second half of the season. This is a topic for the future. We'll handle it in the next months and will decide.

"I won't deny that they [Chelsea] didn't like this so much [Bayern's open pursuit of Hudson-Odoi], but don't forget that you have to give a signal to the young player [that you want him].

"There was no personal contact with the player because this is not permitted. I think that was noticed. The player had to have a signal that Bayern is standing completely behind him."

Salihamidzic confirmed early in the January transfer window that Bayern "absolutely want to sign" Hudson-Odoi, per Tom Hamilton of ESPN FC. 

The teenager is a talented winger who has already shown his eye for goal in Chelsea colours:

However, he is yet to force his way regularly into the Chelsea team, and his frustration at his lack of game time saw him hand in a transfer request in January, per Alastair Magowan at BBC Sport.

Chelsea have little interest in selling one of their most promising youngsters, and manager Maurizio Sarri does not expect him to leave Stamford Bridge in 2019:

Although Chelsea may have managed to keep hold of Hudson-Odoi for now, they may face a battle to convince him his long-term future lies at Stamford Bridge:

Hudson-Odoi's future at the club may depend on how much playing time he sees between now and the end of the season.

Bayern could return in the summer as they will need to strengthen. Winger Arjen Robben has already announced he will leave the club at the end of the season and fellow wide-man Franck Ribery is also expected to depart.

Bayern Munich striker Sandro Wagner has joined Chinese Super League outfit Tianjin Teda.

The Bundesliga giants announced the deal on Wednesday:

In an accompanying statement, Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said: "Sandro approached us and asked us to release him from his contract. He has a very attractive offer from China, so we granted his request. We would like to express our thanks to Sandro for his time at FC Bayern, and we wish him all the best and a lot of success for his future in China."

According to German magazine Kicker (h/t DW Sports), the 31-year-old will receive €15 million over the course of a two-year deal with Tianjin.

Wagner came through the ranks at Bayern as a youngster but left in 2008 for MSV Duisberg. He returned to Munich in January 2018, following spells at Werder Bremen, Kaiserslautern, Hertha Berlin, Darmstadt and Hoffenheim.

The forward operated as cover for Robert Lewandowski, and he has left his hometown club having made 34 appearances and scoring 10 goals.

As OptaFranz demonstrated, he was an able and efficient backup for Lewandowski:

He had scored just once this season, though, having spent 264 minutes on the pitch spread across 12 appearances.

In China, Wagner will link up with former Germany international Uli Stielike, who is head coach of Tianjin. The club finished 14th out of 16 teams last season, avoiding relegation courtesy of their head-to-head record against Changchun Yatai, who finished in 15th.

Bayern might now have to find another solution up front when boss Niko Kovac needs to rotate Lewandowski during the run-in.

Wales international Rabbi Matondo is reportedly close to sealing a move from Manchester City to Schalke after the two clubs agreed to a €13 million fee (£11.29 million).

According to Sam Wallace in The Telegraph, Matondo, 18, and Schalke need to only agree to personal terms before the move can be announced. 

An attacking player boasting terrific pace, Matondo has never made a first-team appearance for City, but he did make his senior debut for Wales against Albania last November.

City manager Pep Guardiola said recently he would not stand in a young player's way if the player felt he was not getting enough time on the pitch:

Per Wallace, Schalke are not the only club to have shown interest in Matondo. Borussia Monchengladbach, RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim and AC Milan were also linked when he expressed a desire to leave the Etihad Stadium.

He will likely hope to replicate the success Jadon Sancho has enjoyed since swapping City for Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

The Englishman had also received no first-team action before leaving. But he is playing a key role in BVB's Bundesliga title challenge. In 2018-19, Sancho has netted six goals and provided nine assists in 19 appearances in the German top flight.

Reiss Nelson, 19, is another young British player who is enjoying his time in the Bundesliga. He has netted six goals in 490 minutes of league action for Hoffenheim since joining on loan from Arsenal in August.

The trend looks set to continue, with Chelsea 18-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi still heavily linked with Bayern Munich after he received little game time in 2018-19.

Bundesliga clubs seem to be benefitting hugely by snapping up talented homegrown players who are not being given opportunities at the Premier League's biggest sides, and Matondo could be the latest to flourish in Germany. 

FC Dallas confirmed on Thursday that they have agreed a permanent deal with Bayern Munich for defender Chris Richards:

The 18-year-old joins Bayern on a four-and-a-half year contract that will keep him at the Allianz Arena until June 2023. 

The teenager originally moved to the German giants on loan in July 2018 but has impressed enough in his short time with Niko Kovac's side to earn a permanent move:

Bayern Munich have paid an initial $1.5 million for Richards, although the fee could rise as high as $2 million, according to Goal's Ives Galarcep.

Richards has spoken of his delight in making the move to Bayern permanent, per the club's official website. 

He said: "I've always dreamt of playing for a big European club, and now I'm at one of the world's top teams. I'm really happy."

The youngster was part of the Bayern squad for their 2018 pre-season tour and played in friendlies against Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain at the International Champions Cup.

He has gone on to feature regularly for Bayern's under-19 team and will be hoping he can now kick on and force his way into the first-team reckoning.