FC Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich President Herbert Hainer has denied rumours the Bundesliga giants could try to land Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the 35-year-old is too old to be a target. 

Hainer made the comment in an interview with TZ (h/t Football Italia): "Lots of names appear in the papers, and that is entirely understandable, but he is too old for us."

Ronaldo turned 35 on Wednesday, and the Bianconeri commemorated his birthday with a video of some of his highlights:

He remains one of the world's most dangerous forwards and is in the midst of his best scoring spell in Italy.

His 19 Serie A goals so far this season rank him second in the league behind Lazio Roma's Ciro Immobile. He has almost four times as many goals as Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala, who are both second on the team with five each.

Ronaldo has found the net in nine straight Serie A outings, an incredible run dating back to the 2-2 draw against Sassuolo on December 1st:

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps going… scoring in his ninth straight Serie A game to bring up his half-century for Juventus.

👕 50 goals
⚽️ 70 games#UCL pic.twitter.com/48rhswAubD

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 2, 2020

While every major contender in the UEFA Champions League could likely use his services, a transfer seems virtually impossible. Juventus would not sanction the sale of such a key player unless the offer is substantial, and teams aren't going to invest an enormous sum in a player of his age―even if Ronaldo has yet to show any signs of slowing down.

Bayern are not lacking for firepower from the striker position thanks to the presence of Robert Lewandowski, arguably the most dependable player in front of goal in Europe right now.

He has netted 22 goals in the Bundesliga already and has been a reliable scorer for the club for years:

Robert Lewandowski has scored his 150th goal for Bayern Munich in Bundesliga.

He's done so in 179 appearances. 😱 pic.twitter.com/OTa8uT6oRc

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 1, 2020

Bayern have won their last eight matches in all competitions, surging to the top of the Bundesliga standings. They'll face Chelsea in the Champions League knockout stages and will likely be significant favourites in that tie.

Juventus lead Serie A and are paired with Lyon in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Bayern Munich's current focus is on fighting for silverware on multiple fronts, not negotiating contract extensions with several key players, according to club sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. 

Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, Javi Martinez, David Alaba and Thiago Alcantara all have contracts that expire in 2021.

In order to ward off interest from potential suitors, Bayern will likely need to renew those deals before the summer transfer window.

Salihamidzic has made assurances talks will take place, but he said Bayern's current focus is on their upcoming matches in multiple competitions, per Dejan Kalinic of Goal:

"We will certainly have talks, but in the next few weeks we will concentrate on the competitions. It's important that we are totally focused on the games in the upcoming weeks. That's where the focus lies."

He acknowledged there is a danger of allowing contracts to run too close to their expiry date but added "we have had good experience with concentrating on the competitions first, and that's what we will do."

Bayern are on an eight-match winning run in all competitions which has seen them move to the top of the Bundesliga, advance to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and the quarter-finals of the German Cup.

Unlike previous seasons, they have no margin for error in the German top flight as the top four are separated by just three points:

The table, point by point

42 Bayern
41 Leipzig
40
39 Dortmund | Gladbach
38
37
36
35
34 Leverkusen | Schalke
33 Hoffenheim
32
31
30
29 Freiburg
28
27 Wolfsburg
26 Augsburg
25 Frankfurt
24
23 Union | Hertha | Köln
22
21
20
19
18 Mainz
17 Werder
16 Fortuna
15 Paderborn pic.twitter.com/BDO7XMsh13

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) February 4, 2020

Meanwhile, the Champions League gets back up and running this month, and Bayern face the first leg of their last-16 tie against Chelsea on February 25.

Bayern disappointed in Europe's elite club competition last season. They failed to get past the first knockout round after being well beaten by eventual champions Liverpool.

The German giants have not made the final since they last won the competition in 2012-13.

For a club of Bayern's stature, that is a lengthy absence, particularly given they reached three finals in four years from 2010.

While no knockout round in the Champions League is straightforward, Bayern are strong favourites to go at least one better this season than they did last.

Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League, 32 points off the top, and they have won just two of their last five games in all competitions. 

Bayern Munich reserve-team coach Sebastian Hoeness has backed Alphonso Davies to become one of the world's best left-backs.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a breakout campaign at Bayern, whom he joined from Vancouver Whitecaps in January last year.

Hoeness told Goal's Dennis Melzer: "Phonzy is now one of the top performers on a regular basis. If his development goes on like this, he certainly has the potential to advance to the top of his position internationally."

The coach added that he could see Davies' "great potential" while working with him in the reserve side, and his performances for Bayern's first team this season have "showed that it can be worth throwing the boys into the cold water and giving them the opportunity to swim freely."

Hoeness said the Canadian's experience as a winger has benefited him since he made the transition to left-back and added:

"Obviously, [Davies'] physique is one of his great strengths. He is a model athlete: fast and also very robust.

"Accordingly, his body is his greatest weapon. He is also a left-footer who works well from a technical point of view, even at the highest speed."

Davies made six appearances for Bayern last season, scoring once, but he only spent a total of 74 minutes on the pitch.

This season, he has played 21 first-team games, contributing a goal and four assists. Since October 26, he has started all of their Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League games, having been moved to left-back after Lucas Hernandez suffered a long-term ankle injury.

His performances have been superb, and he was named Bayern's player of the month for December:

Alphonso Davies named Bayern's Player of the Month for December, and fully deserved. https://t.co/cjbPQkADe2

— Alex Chaffer (@AlexChaffer) January 10, 2020

Davies' pace is not only an asset when he gets forward, but it also helps him recover defensively, too:

Nice try 😉@AlphonsoDavies #BSCFCB #FCBayern pic.twitter.com/57tEemoLcN

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) January 23, 2020

DAZN's Cristian Nyari is a big admirer of his:

Alphonso Davies is the best left back in the #Bundesliga right now. He's been THAT good.

— Cristian Nyari (@Cnyari) December 21, 2019

He was one of Bayern's star performers in their 5-0 win over Schalke in January.

Bundesliga writer Manuel Veth shared some of the numbers behind his impressive showing:

By the way, also an outstanding performance by #CanMNT star Alphonso Davies.

He won 8 out of 16 ground duels, had 120 touches and completed 88.9% of his passes. He played 4 key passes, 4 of his 7 crosses reached the target and he completed 5 of 9 dribble attempts. #FCBS04

— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) January 25, 2020

Away from the pitch the teenager, who already has 17 senior caps for Canada, has been making waves on social media, too:

Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies imitating Jake Peralta's Brooklyn 99 version of 'Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way' is the best video you will watch today! 😂👏 pic.twitter.com/0kMSFzoMdo

— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) February 4, 2020

Given how strong his performances have been, Hernandez is facing some serious competition to get back into the side. The France international is set to return to Bayern's squad for the first time on Wednesday for their DFB-Pokal match with Hoffenheim.

If Hernandez takes Davies' place once he's ready to start again, there could be scope for the youngster to move back to the wing, because Ivan Perisic is set for over a month out of action with a fractured ankle he suffered in training.  

Leroy Sane-to-Bayern Munich rumours have gone quiet for months, but the Bundesliga giants remain keen on eventually signing the Manchester City winger.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer is prepared to wait and see how Sane overcomes the anterior cruciate ligament problem that's kept him out since August:

Bayern president Herbert Hainer:

🗣 “Leroy Sane is a great player that we are interested in, which is a well-known fact.

“Now we have to see how he comes back after his injury.” pic.twitter.com/eCjbBfywOD

— GOAL (@goal) February 4, 2020

Sane was injured when City won the 2019 FA Community Shield on penalties against Liverpool. The Germany international hasn't played a single minute since, but Pep Guardiola is confident Sane will return before the end of the campaign.

Guardiola has said the player will need another two weeks to get back up to speed after returning to full training in January, per Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News.

Sane "moved really well," according to Guardiola, who also said Sane has an offer on the table to extend a contract set to expire in 2021.

Getting Sane back would be a huge boost for City, since the 24-year-old's acceleration, trickery and eye for goal are key assets. Sane's partnership with fellow wide forward Raheem Sterling helped the Citizens win back-to-back Premier League titles, but the attack hasn't been quite as potent with Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva in the lineup more often.

Leroy Sané in 2018-19:
• the only player to dribble past Virgil van Dijk
• the only player to dribble past Aaron Wan-Bissaka twice

Living up to those gold boots. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/dyGQCQjE89

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 26, 2019

Leroy Sane: Has registered more assists (25) than any other player since the start of the 2017/18 Premier League season

For more player stats -- https://t.co/XiMMgviAbm pic.twitter.com/I1CPxuZONZ

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) July 31, 2019

His natural talent is why Bayern have maintained their interest in Sane. Club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told German journalist Manuel Bonke (h/t Alex Smith of the Daily Mirror) he does "not rule out" still being keen on Sane.

Rummenigge also emphasised the need to make City aware of the interest and keep any talks on a friendly basis. Smith noted how then-Bayern manager Niko Kovac angered City last summer when he publicly expressed his confidence about signing Sane, with the Croatian apologising for his remarks soon after.

As well as thawing relations with City, Bayern would also need to find an obvious place in the lineup for Sane. It wouldn't be easy in a squad loaded on the flanks.

Former Arsenal man Serge Gnabry has consistently delivered pace, power and goals from wide areas:

You never have to wait too long for @SergeGnabry to deliver ⚽🅰️ pic.twitter.com/DihtjSQgKu

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) February 4, 2020

Meanwhile, Inter Milan loanee Ivan Perisic has made a positive impression by scoring five goals and providing six assists in all competitions. However, Perisic now faces a spell on the treatment table:

Bad news for Bayern 😟

Ivan Perisic will be out for at least four weeks after suffering an ankle fracture in training 🤕

The injury came after a tackle from new signing Alvaro Odriozola 🤦‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/O25NjGCy2i

— GOAL (@goal) February 4, 2020

Kingsley Coman is another gifted winger beset by injuries. The Frenchman has been dealing with calf problems and a torn joint capsule this season. Add in 19-year-old Alphonso Davies and Bayern have an enviable contingent of options to play out wide.

Even so, none of these players can match a fit-again Sane's ability to create and score goals, nor his obvious potential to become a world-class star in the next few years.

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:

#FCBayern have signed @alvaroodriozola on loan until the end of the season ✍️#MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/BDPRkTDLSi

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) January 22, 2020

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:

Great move for Alvaro Odriozola. Top player and should never have moved to Real Madrid in the first place, there should always have been some form of loan back to Real Sociedad involved in that initial purchase. Hoping for a Theo-esque improvement with consistent minutes.

— Simon Harrison (@simonhfootball) January 22, 2020

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:

Bayern Munich's interim boss Hans Flick has defended his request for "one or two" additions to his squad, despite criticism from sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic...https://t.co/tB99pssg1I

— AS USA (@English_AS) January 10, 2020

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:

The Bundesliga is back and it's all to play for 💪 pic.twitter.com/sfKzBmPGSd

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 17, 2020

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:

• 17 matches
• 18 goals
• Six assists

Table-topping Timo Werner is taking the Bundesliga by storm this season!

🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Z43kt5Kcky

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 8, 2020

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:

Real Madrid want to sign Timo Werner from RB Leipzig this summer, according to Sky Germany 💰 pic.twitter.com/o7qbrxkJBp

— GOAL (@goal) January 14, 2020

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. 

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:

Thomas Muller is the first player to ever record 1️⃣1️⃣ assists in the first 1️⃣7️⃣ games of a Bundesliga season 🙌 pic.twitter.com/v30u4RwRKL

— GOAL (@goal) December 21, 2019

StatsBomb offered further insight into his performance:

Thomas Muller, Bayern Munich radar, final 3rd passes, and key passes.

In the hands of the right coach, he remains an exceptional talent. pic.twitter.com/6UGsAA2MQk

— Hudl Statsbomb (@Statsbomb) January 9, 2020

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:

Salihamidzic: Sané will not join Bayern Munich in the winter transfer periode. #fcbayern #sané @SPORTBILD @BILD_Bayern

— Tobi Altschäffl (@altobelli13) January 9, 2020

Sport Witness couldn't help itself:

Nice of Bayern Munich to exclude the transfer of a player who doesn't belong to them. https://t.co/d13Dcop3CV

— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) January 9, 2020

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:

🗣️ #Salihamidžić continued: "Hansi and I are in constant talks. We're considering every option, but strengthening the squad during the winter break is difficult."

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) January 9, 2020

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."

👤 Joshua Zirkzee

This kid's just had a big say in the Bundesliga title race 🔊 pic.twitter.com/vkM9HzWAOU

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 18, 2019

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.