Bundesliga

RB Leipzig have confirmed the signing of Spain international forward Dani Olmo from Dinamo Zagreb.

The Bundesliga club announced the deal on their Twitter account on Saturday:

The 21-year-old, who left Barcelona's academy in 2014 to move to Zagreb, has been linked with a number of European football's elite clubs, so Leipzig will consider his acquisition a coup in the midseason window.

Olmo caught the eye in the UEFA Champions League this season. While Zagreb struggled and were only able to win one of their group games, the forward impressed with two goals and an assist.

He netted this brilliant volley to open the scoring in the clash with Manchester City, albeit the team went on to lose 4-1: 

Olmo's nose for goals, dynamism and versatility unsurprisingly caught the eye of a number of clubs, with the man himself confirming earlier in January that Barcelona showed an interest in signing him.

However, Leipzig have stolen a march on a number of elite teams to bring in the Spaniard. Scouted Football think that working under a manager like Julian Nagelsmann will help Olmo in his bid to take his game to the next level: 

Per the Bundesliga's Alex Chaffer, Olmo is one of a number of exciting prospects to have arrived in the German top flight in the January transfer window: 

It will be fascinating to see how Leipzig use the Spain star, as they are already one of the most potent attacking sides on the continent.

This season, Timo Werner has starred at the point of the attack, grabbing 20 Bundesliga goals already. He's been well supported by the likes of Yussuf Poulsen and Patrick Schick. Olmo will add even more competition to the forward positions, as well as on the flanks.

The acquisition will be a huge boost to Leipzig in what is shaping up to be a thrilling season. Ahead of Saturday's Bundesliga matches, they have a four-point lead at the top of the German top flight. They will also face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League last 16, with the first leg set for February 19.

Erling Haaland continued his remarkable start to life at Borussia Dortmund on Friday, scoring two goals as a substitute in his team's 5-1 win over Cologne in the Bundesliga. 

The striker, who signed for BVB from Red Bull Salzburg this month, netted a hat-trick when he came off the bench against Augsburg on his competitive debut last weekend. 

It wasn't enough to earn him a spot in the starting XI for Friday's match, although the forward was able to make the most of the time he had on the field, converting twice to help add some gloss to a dominant display from Dortmund:

Per Robin Bairner of Goal, the brace for Haaland sees the striker break a Bundesliga record, with no player previously scoring five goals in their first two appearances in the German top flight.

As BR Football relayed, the 19-year-old's incredible haul is made all the more remarkable by his minimal time on the field:

Football journalist Richard Jolly added further context to Haaland's goalscoring, comparing his finishing to that of Manchester United's, who were strongly linked with a move for the Norway international:

After leaving Salzburg to join a more challenging division like the Bundesliga, Haaland would have been forgiven for undergoing a transition period in his young career. However, the teenager has hit the ground running for his new side.

Already, he has showcased a razor-sharp killer instinct in front of goal, smart movement and the strength needed to cut it in one of European football's most physical leagues.

Per EiF, whatever competition Haaland has played in this season, he's found it easy to hit the back of the net:

Following the game, some of the striker's team-mates commented on a stunning beginning to his time at Dortmund:

Also on the scoresheet on the night were Raphael Guerreiro, Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho, as BVB scored five goals for the second consecutive week in the Bundesliga. The win moves them provisionally up to third place ahead of the weekend's games, four points behind leaders RB Leipzig, who have a game in hand.

Although Dortmund still have a lot of work to do if they are to challenge for the title this season, they are one of the most effective attacking teams in European football and in Haaland, have one of the best goalscorers in the game on their books.

With a two-legged UEFA Champions League clash to come with Paris Saint-Germain next month too, those who frequent the Westfalenstadion have plenty to be excited about.

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Real Madrid defender Alvaro Odriozola on loan until the end of the season. 

The defending Bundesliga champions announced the temporary deal via their official Twitter account on Wednesday:

Odriozola, 24, moves to the Allianz Arena after falling out of manager Zinedine Zidane's first-team plans—his last league appearance for Los Blancos came in the 1-0 defeat to Mallorca in October.

He'll be expected to provide competition for France international Benjamin Pavard, who has been first-choice right-back under interim manager Hans-Dieter Flick.

In a statement released via Bayern's official website, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "Following internal discussions, we agreed to follow the wishes of head coach Hansi Flick in strengthening the defence and decided to go for Alvaro Odriozola. We are delighted about the signing and thank Real Madrid for the friendly and cooperative talks."

The four-times capped Spain international has made 27 total appearances for Los Blancos since he joined from Real Sociedad in July 2018 when he was signed by then-manager Julen Lopetegui.

Competition from first-choice right-back Dani Carvajal has seen his chances limited at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Spanish football writer Simon Harrison predicted the move to Germany will be positive:

Odriozola left Sociedad as a highly touted prospect, and Die Roten will hope to realise that potential after the defender's development stagnated somewhat in Madrid.

Bayern incumbent Flick appears to favour Germany star Joshua Kimmich in a midfield role, and his new arrival will offer a more natural alternative to Pavard on the right side of defence.

He'll join fellow Spaniards Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez at the Allianz, while Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Hernandez will be familiar faces from their times with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, respectively.

Odriozola could be in contention to make his Bundesliga debut when Bayern—second and four points off leaders RB Leipzig—host Schalke on Saturday.

Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick has walked back his comments regarding the club's need for transfer reinforcements, saying the return of Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry will boost his squad.

Flick and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic had a public spat over their views on the transfer market after the January window opened, but per Perform (h/t AS), Flick said the situation has since changed:

"It's true that I said [we need signings], but something has changed in the meantime. With the return of Serge and Robert, we've got two additions.

"I had a good conversation with Hasan and we both want to work successfully. When it comes to arrivals, it's important that players come to help us. I trust Hasan and his scouting department to make it possible for us.

"But that also has to be done carefully. You can't do anything crazy."

He previously defended his demands, even though Salihamidzic publicly criticised him over them:

Flick also weighed in on the title race, highlighting the need for a strong start to the second half of the season. Bayern sit in third place in the Bundesliga, four points behind leaders RB Leipzig.

He added: "We have the quality to become champions. Bayern showed last year under Niko [Kovac] that they can catch up. But we have to think from game to game."

The Bavarians went on a midseason training camp in Doha, Qatar, without Lewandowski, who had surgery to repair a groin injury in December. Gnabry then suffered an injury of his own during the camp, prompting some questions about the team's depth.

The Poland international leads the league in scoring this season with 19 goals. Gnabry is tied for second place on the team with six goals, the same as Philippe Coutinho.

Both will be counted on heavily during the second half of the season in what is shaping up to the be most exciting Bundesliga season in years:

Bayern have won the last seven titles, putting pressure on Flick to keep the streak going. The 54-year-old only joined the club in the summer as an assistant to Kovac, and he was never supposed to take over during the 2019-20 season.

Kovac departed the club in November, a move that saw Flick promoted to interim manager. He set a club record by winning his first four matches in charge, scoring 16 goals and conceding none, and his position for the rest of the season was confirmed in December.  

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has all but ruled out the prospect of the German champions moving for RB Leipzig's Timo Werner in the January transfer window. 

Salihamidzic has told German outlet Bild (h/t Kate McGreavy of MailOnline) that Werner does not fit into Bayern's style of play and could also be redundant in their squad due to the presence of Robert Lewandowski:

"Timo Werner is a good player who played an excellent first half of the season. However, we have Robert Lewandowski. Robert is a striker who fits our style of play perfectly. Robert has the ability to orientate himself in a tight space, the technology to move in tight spaces and to find extraordinary solutions with the ball.

"With his speed, Timo Werner needs more room, which he had in the system that Leipzig played. The system at RB has now changed, but it is still not as tight at the front as it is with us."

Werner's return of 18 goals in the opening half of the 2019-20 Bundesliga season is second only to Lewandowski's 19.

Add in the 23-year-old's six assists, and no player has contributed to more goals in the German top flight this term:

Werner has been vital for Leipzig as they have risen to the top of the Bundesliga. They have a two-point lead over Borussia Monchengladbach and sit four points ahead of Bayern in third.

Julian Nagelsmann's side pose a major threat to Bayern's seven-year hold on the Bundesliga title.

Keeping hold of Werner, whose contract runs to 2023, will be vital for Leipzig, and Salihamidzic's comments will likely be welcomed at the Red Bull Arena.

He has also been linked with Spanish giants Real Madrid, but Los Blancos are reportedly looking to sign him in the summer not the January window:

The winter break in Germany ends this weekend, when the fight for the Bundesliga title will begin again in earnest.

Leipzig host Union Berlin on Saturday and will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 13 matches. 

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has said the club are yet to decide Mario Gotze's future.

The playmaker's contract expires in the summer, at which point he'll be a free agent. 

However, Zorc told Ruhr Nachrichten (h/t Goal's Dejan Kalinic):

"That has not yet been decided.

"It is of course also the case with him that he would like to have more minutes. We are talking to Mario.

"I spoke to his father before Christmas. I spoke to him again in Marbella. We will surely get together in the spring and then make a final decision."

BVB spent time in Marbella at a training camp earlier in January:

Around that time, reports surfaced that Gotze would be leaving at the end of the season without penning a new deal:

However, Zorc told ARD (h/t Goal's Ronan Murphy) such talk "surprised" him because those decisions are yet to be made by either party, which he reiterated to Ruhr Nachrichten.

Gotze rose through the ranks at Dortmund as a youngster. He showed incredible potential and contributed 31 goals and 44 assists in 116 appearances in his first spell at the club.

He was snapped up by Bayern Munich in 2013 at the age of just 21. Gotze returned 36 goals and 24 assists in 114 matches, but he struggled to kick on under Pep Guardiola and rejoined BVB in 2016.

The Germany international hasn't been able to recapture the form of his first spell since his return, though.

Injuries have been a recurring problem throughout his career, and he has missed 46 games though various issues since he moved back to Dortmund, including 18 games out with a metabolic illness.

In the 98 appearances he has made, he has produced 14 goals and 17 assists.

He has one assist to his name in this campaign and three goals, the most recent of which came in Dortmund's final Bundesliga game of 2019 against Hoffenheim (U.S. only):

Gotze will turn 28 in June, so if he does leave this summer his next club will be signing a free agent who likely still has plenty of time left in him at the top level.

They'll be able to offer him a more significant role than he's currently playing at Dortmund, too.

He has started just six of his 16 appearances in all competitions this season, spending 579 minutes on the pitch. If he's to ever get back to the level he once operated at he needs to be playing more regularly, but in the immediate future at least, it does not seem he'll get to do so at Dortmund.

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has suggested he could be open to moving on in the summer. 

Muller's contract expires in 2021, so this summer will be Bayern's last major opportunity to cash in on him before he leaves on a free transfer next year.

He told Sport1's Florian Plettenberg (h/t Goal's Chris Burton): "My focus is exclusively on being successful this season. What will happen in the summer, I will talk to the club and consider my options. Then let's see in which direction things will go."

On the possibility of signing a new contract at the Allianz Arena, he said: "With such a thing, all parties have to put their arguments in the pot. Let's see if you can make an agreement there. You just have to compare what all parties want."

The German has spent his entire career at Bayern, having joined them in 2000 as a child.

He has 510 appearances for the club, scoring 190 goals and contributing 180 assists in that time. His efforts have helped Bayern win eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokals and the UEFA Champions League, among other honours.

Muller has a century of caps for the German national team, too, with 38 goals and 36 assists to his name and a FIFA World Cup winner's medal from 2014.

The 30-year-old's best period for Bayern came in the four seasons from 2012-13 and 2015-16, in which he bagged 102 goals and 61 assists.

He's only managed five goals 25 appearances this season, but he has laid on 13 assists. His efforts have made history in the Bundesliga:

StatsBomb offered further insight into his performance:

Muller may no longer be operating at his peak, but it's clear he still has a habit of making match-winning contributions at the top level.

At 30, he likely still has several years left in him, too, so he'd be a fine addition to many teams this summer, particularly as he'd likely be available in a cut-price deal because of his contract situation.

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has ruled out a January move for longtime transfer target Leroy Sane of Manchester City. 

Per Tobias Altschaffl of Sport Bild, he was asked about a possible move for the Germany international during a press conference:

Sport Witness couldn't help itself:

Sane has long been linked with the Bundesliga giants, and there were strong rumours he would join them in the summer. He suffered a major knee injury during the Community Shield against Liverpool in August, however, all but ending the chances of a summer switch.

The winger hasn't played since, and speculation has lessened as a result. Bayern are still expected to make a move for Sane at some point due to their need at the position.

Longtime starters Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery both left the club at the end of last season, leaving the Bavarians with limited depth. Kingsley Coman has been hit hard by the injury bug, and Ivan Perisic has struggled for consistency since joining on loan from Inter Milan.

Bayern are looking for reinforcements, but it's difficult to find the right players in midseason, according to Salihamidzic:

City have been just fine without the 23-year-old, courtesy of their phenomenal squad depth. Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva have all performed well when stationed on the wing, and the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Joao Cancelo can also split out wide if needed.

The fact they've hardly missed the former Schalke man could make City more receptive to a sale in the summer. Sane is a talented player but clearly not crucial to the squad.

Per Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News, he's close to returning to training, and in all likelihood, Bayern scouts will keep a close eye on him when he's ready. If he shows he's back to his best in the coming months, a summer switch seems likely.

Bayern Munich rising star Joshua Zirkzee has said he almost signed for Everton before completing his 2017 switch to the Bundesliga champions.

The forward has impressed during his two-year journey through Bayern's system and is now knocking on the door of the starting XI.

However, Zirkzee has revealed to Voetbal International (via Sean Lunt of Sport Witness) he nearly ended up at Goodison Park before his move from Feyenoord's academy.

"Everton was a serious option for me.

"Ronald Koeman was the first team coach at the time, and I didn’t have a lot of strikers in front of me at the time.

"Romelu Lukaku left for Manchester United that summer and I got the feeling from Everton that there was a good chance I could move on there.

"When I was there, they immediately offered me a contract."

Zirkzee made a sensational debut for Bayern as the 18-year-old scored with his first touch after rising from the bench against Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Dec. 8. 

The Dutchman replaced Philippe Coutinho in the final minute with the score 1-1, and his immediate effort was followed by a Serge Gnabry goal, giving the champions a vital 3-1 win in stoppage time.

It was a fairytale start for Zirkzee under interim coach Hansi Flick, with former Netherlands international Youri Mulder describing the teenager as "a serious talent."

Zirkzee's two substitute appearances have totalled eight minutes, but the forward scored again in the 2-0 league win over Wolfsburg, finding the back of the net after being on the pitch for two minutes.

Both times the player replaced Coutinho, and the starlet will continue to be an impact sub this term as Bayern chase their 30th Bundesliga crown.

Borussia Dortmund are reportedly "adamant" Jadon Sancho will not switch clubs in January amid rumours linking the England international with Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

According to Sky in Germany (h/t Sky Sports), BVB do not believe they could find an adequate replacement during the January window, and as a result, they will not sanction a sale. A summer transfer remains likely, however.

The report does not come as a surprise, with few rumours swirling around the 19-year-old early in the January window.

Per the Daily Mail (h/t Anfield Watch) and The Sun's Duncan Wright, both the Reds and Blues do not have plans for him:

Sancho has been a regular for Dortmund so far this season, starting 14 Bundesliga matches. He has already scored nine goals and added nine assists and is well on track to set career-high marks in both categories.

Here's a look at some of his highlights so far:

His exceptional development and sky-high potential have made him a popular transfer target, and he's expected to be a hot commodity when he becomes available.

Sancho left the Manchester City academy for the Signa Iduna Park in 2017, a bold move that has paid off in a big way. He needed little time to get settled in Germany and has developed at a rapid pace since making his Bundesliga debut, playing his first minutes for the national team less than a year later.

The speedster's current contract doesn't include a buyout clause and will run until 2022. That gives Dortmund plenty of leverage in transfer talks, and with seemingly every top club in Europe expressing some interest, Die Schwarzgelben will hope they can start a bidding war.

A January sale makes little sense, however. Barring catastrophic injury, Sancho's value shouldn't go down between now and summer, and Dortmund need the teenager at his best for the rest of the campaign.

The team has not enjoyed a great first half of the season domestically and sit in fourth place in the Bundesliga, tied with fifth-placed Schalke on points. Competition for a top-four spot and a ticket to the Champions League is tight, with eighth-placed Freiburg just four points back.