Tag Archives: Bayern Munich

RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich – Champions League Last 16 predictions

The Champions League last 16 fixtures are finally upon us after a two month break since the group stages.

One of the ties kicking off this week will see Austrian outfit RB Salzburg take on 2020 winners and German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

Lets take a look at the tie in more detail and make our predictions to see who will progress into the last eight of Europe’s most prestigious cup competition.



Route to the last 16

Salzburg made it through to the knockout stages after making sure they took their opportunity to progress through the weakest group we’ve seen in a long time.

With three wins and one draw from their six group games, Salzburg found themselves finishing ahead of top seeds Sevilla and behind only Lille by one solitary point.

Bayern Munich made routine work of their group which included both Barcelona and Benfica too, winning six out of six games and conceding just three goals in the process.

They scored a competition high 22 goals in those games and have been marked as one of the favourites to win the whole thing again under Julien Nagelsmann.

Team news

The Austrian outfit will be without six regular first-teamers through injury for the game and that’s a huge blow to them.

Brenden Aaronson and Karim Adeyemi are the star attackers in the team and both are fit and expected to start, and they’re arguably coming up against Bayern at the perfect time.

The Germans are without Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies and Leon Goretzka for the game and are coming off the back of a 4-2 thumping by Bochum at the weekend.

That means Theo Hernandez will likely keep his place at left-back, while Sven Ulreich will start in goal. Frenchman Corentin Tolisso should start in midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich, after Nagelsmann’s failed experiment of using a lone holding midfielder.

Karim Adeyemi of FC Salzburg reacts during the UEFA Champions League group G match between VfL Wolfsburg and RB Salzburg at Volkswagen Arena on...

Breakdown and Prediction

Salzburg usually use a 4-3-1-2 formation with a very narrow midfield and pace up front to try and cause damage to the opposition defence on the counter attack.

When they come up against Bayern Munich though, they will need to be at their absolute best and more to get something over two legs.

Bayern better them in quality all over the park and even without some first-choice players, they have more depth on their bench to choose from as well.

Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Muenchen celebrates during the UEFA Champions League group E football match between SL Benfica and FC Bayern Muenchen at...

Salzburg will give it a good try for sure and without Neuer between the sticks they might be able to snatch a goal, but I’d seriously consider finding a betting market that offers you odds on Robert Lewandowski to outscore Salzburg across the tie because it’s probably going to come in.

RB Salzburg 1-3 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich 4-0 RB Salzburg
(Bayern Munich to qualify 7-1 on aggregate)

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Full redrawn Champions League Last 16 draw – Fixtures and dates

The UEFA Champions League last 16 draw has been re-drawn after a botched attempt on Monday morning, and has thrown up some cracking ties.

At the second attempt of trying, Manchester United were drawn with Spanish champions Atletico Madrid while Real Madrid will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the tie of the round.

Manchester City will face Sporting CP, while Liverpool take on Inter Milan. Chelsea were the winners of the redraw, keeping their original opponents in Ligue 1’s Lille.



The original draw saw Manchester United once again set to face off against Paris Saint-Germain, with Cristiano Ronaldo to go head-to-head with Lionel Messi once again in the tie of the round.

Atletico Madrid were scheduled to take on Bayern Munich in the other mega tie, while the other English sides would have been happy with their draws as Liverpool faced Salzburg, Man City faced Villarreal.

However UEFA accidentally put Manchester United into the pot to be drawn against Villarreal and then they were selected, despite being ineligible to do so having come from the same group.

United then weren’t put into the pot for the potential opponents of Atletico amid the confusion, meaning they could never have been drawn against each other.

The draw will now be re-done at 14:00 UK time after several complaints that the botched draw affected the integrity of the competition going forward.

The fixtures will take place in February, with the first legs taking place on February 15/16 or 22/23 with the second legs taking place on March 8/9 or 15/16. Group winners will play their home game in the second leg.

Full draw and fixture dates:

FC Salzburg vs Bayern Munich – February 16th 2022
Bayern Munich vs FC Salzburg – March 8th 2022

Sporting CP vs Manchester City – February 15th 2022
Manchester City vs Sporting CP – March 9th 2022

SL Benfica vs Ajax – February 23rd 2022
Ajax vs SL Benfica – March 15th 2022

Chelsea vs Lille – February 22nd 2022
Lille vs Chelsea – March 16th 2022

Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United – February 23rd 2022
Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid – March 15th 2022

Villarreal vs Juventus – February 22nd 2022
Juventus vs Villarreal – March 16th 2022

Inter Milan vs Liverpool – February 16th 2022
Liverpool vs Inter Milan – March 8th 2022

Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid – February 15th 2022
Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain – March 9th 2022

Lionel Messi wins record seventh Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or for the seventh time in his career, extending his record as the player to win it the most times.

The Argentine captain capped off a wonderful year for himself by pipping Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho to the award, making him the first Ligue 1 player to win the honour since Jean-Pierre Papin in 1991.

Messi had previously won each of his six awards with FC Barcelona, the club he played his entire career for before a summer move to Paris Saint-Germain.



The award was met with a mixed response from fans, with many believing Bayern Munich and Poland striker Lewandowski deserved the honour.

But in the end, Messi’s victory in the Copa America and Copa Del Rey as well as finishing as the top goalscorer in both tournaments and La Liga was enough to secure him the record breaking achievement.

Lewandowski finished second while Chelsea’s Jorginho rounded off the podium in third, having helped his club win the Champions League and led Italy to winning Euro 2020 in the summer.

Karim Benzema finished fourth, while N’Golo Kante finished fifth. The Premier League continued to dominate the top ten as Cristiano Ronaldo finished sixth, Mohamed Salah finished seventh and Kevin De Bruyne finished eighth, while PSG stars Kylian Mbappe and Gianluigi Donnarumma completed the top ten.

FIFA ensured that Lewandowski didn’t go home empty handed however, as the inaugral “Striker of the Year” award was given to the man who scored 64 goals in 54 games last season en route to yet another Bundesliga title.

Chelsea were crowned the inaugral “Club of the Year” winners, while Pedri was confirmed as the Kopa Trophy winner -given to the best Under-21 player in the world.

Messi’s victory moves him two clear of Ronaldo in the record hunt, as the Portuguese legend finished outside of the top three for the first time since 2010.

Remembering Greatness: Oliver Kahn

During my lifetime, when you talk about the greatest goalkeepers to play the game it’s often the same handful of names that crop up in conversation.

Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon, Manuel Neuer, Peter Schmeichel and Petr Cech in particular are the guys that tend to be brought up the most, but there are always a couple of names missing. In my eyes, none are more overlooked than the big German shot stopper Oliver Kahn.

A Bayern Munich legend, Kahn ensured his name was written in stone when he won every trophy possible with the Bavarian club but was also successful with his national team.

After starting his career with Karlsruher, Kahn earned himself a move to Bayern in 1994 for a then-record of around €2.5m. He was immediately installed as the starting goalkeeper after some great performances for his previous side, including helping the side to get through to a UEFA Cup semi-final after battering a Valencia side 7-0 during the tournament.

He suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his knee which saw him miss six months of action in the campaign but still managed to make 30 appearances for the club and earned himself a call up to the German national team for his debut.

His first trophy came at the end of his second season, as despite finishing second in the Bundesliga they were able to beat Bordeaux in the UEFA Cup final 5-1 on aggregate with Kahn keeping a clean sheet in the first leg.

His third campaign was mightily successful, as he won his first Bundesliga title with a string of top performances earning him 14 clean sheets and the goalkeeper of the year award. In between the two campaigns Kahn was called up the German national team as part of the squad that won Euro 96, although he made no appearances his mentality was praised by first choice goalkeeper Andreas Köpke for keeping him on his toes throughout.

Fantastic performances and standards continued with Bayern Munich as they won the title again in 98/99, while also reaching the UEFA Champions League final. During that European campaign, Kahn played in all 13 fixtures and conceded ten goals before the final which was famously lost because of two injury time Manchester United goals.

Kahn was famously distraught after the game, laying on the ground in tears surrounded by his defenders, but it was his famed mental strength that helped him to get back up again and continue to succeed in his career. Later that year he was named as the World’s Best Goalkeeper by the IFFHS.

He even managed to redeem himself just two seasons later when Bayern made it to another final, this time against Valencia. In a game decided by penalties during the game and after it, a 1-1 draw led to a shootout where Khan stood victorious by saving three Valencia penalties to win the game for his side.

Remembering his defeat in 99, the iconic image of Khan consoling a distraught Santiago Canizares while his teammates celebrated on the pitch to this day shows the magnitude of the man that the German was.

‘Der Titan’ perfectly summed up his style and persona too, as he won eight Bundesliga titles throughout his career and six DFB-Pokal cups to go with his Champions League title.

Oliver Kahn of Germany wins the adidas Golden Ball award during the 2002 FIFA World Player Gala at the Palacio de Congresos on 17th December 2002 in...

His aggressive approach demanded quality and focus at all time and Khan was well known for letting his defenders know his feelings if things didn’t go as they were supposed to. But it was that clamour for perfection that made him the first and only goalkeeper to be crowned UEFA’s Best Goalkeeper for four consecutive years.

His international career as a starter never quite hit the heights of winning a tournament, but he was still absolutely influential in the success Germany did have.

At the 2002 World Cup, Khan was captain and a starter in every game conceding just one goal en route to the final. Coming up against R9’s Brazil, Kahn demanded to play in the final despite having torn ligaments in his finger. His error led to Ronaldo’s opening goal, as he fumbled a Rivaldo shot into the striker’s path as Brazil won the final 2-0.

Despite that, Kahn refused to blame the injury and his performances earned him the honour of being the first and only goalkeeper in history to win the Golden Ball – ahead of Ronaldo. In 2001 and 2002 he finished in third place of the Ballon d’Or too and was named in the FIFA 100 list by Pele back in 2004, such was his standing in the game.

Tremendous reflexes, great power, a great throw to start counter-attacks, unrivalled leadership and mentality and one of the most commanding goalkeepers of all-time. The next time there is a conversation about the best goalkeepers ever, remember Oliver Kahn’s greatness.

Julien Nagelsmann agrees to take charge at Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich’s chase for a new manager for next season is complete as they have agreed terms with Julien Nagelsmann to take over.

The Bundesliga champions officially announced the deal on Tuesday morning, after current boss Hansi Flick confirmed in a recent press conference that he wanted to leave the club at the end of the season – with many believing he will take the role of German national team coach after Euro 2020.

Bayern were interested in bringing Nagelsmann to the club as a replacement and it now they have got their man ahead of the end of the season.

According to BILD, the Bavarian giants have agreed a deal that will see Nagelsmann become their next manager after he led RB Leipzig to a second placed finish in the Bundesliga. They have agreed a compensation package with Leipzig, with a fee of around €25million agreed upon including bonuses.

Nagelsmann has been highly rated for a long time, taking over as Hoffenheim coach as a 28-year-old and guiding them to safety before a fourth-placed finish in his first full season with the team.

In June 2019 he took over at RB Leipzig at the end of his Hoffenheim contract and led them to a Champions League semi-final in his first season, before a last 16 exit this season to Liverpool. This season he has led them to currently sit in second place in the Bundesliga table behind Bayern Munich, seven points behind top spot with just three games to play.

His attacking style of football, taste in player and attitude towards young players have seen him attract the attention of some of the top teams in the world in the past but he has turned them down in order to continue his own development.

It was reported that he turned down a move to Real Madrid after Zinedine Zidane left the first time around, while Tottenham Hotspur were said to have made him their top target to replace Jose Mourinho this summer too.

Bayern’s stranglehold on Germany continues into next season now, as they look set to win their ninth successive Bundesliga title this season.

They have developed a reputation for poaching their rivals’ biggest assets with the likes of Manuel Neuer, Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, Nicklas Sule, Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry all part of their current squad signed from rivals while the likes of Mario Gotze have also made the move in the past.

RB Leipzig v Tottenham Hotspur - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg : News Photo

RB Leipzig central defender Dayot Upamecano has already agreed to join the club this summer in a deal announced earlier this year and they have now snapped up his current manager too.

Nagelsmann is one of the best young coaches in the world and Bayern are undoubtedly making the best appointment for their club, but it’s a real shame to see the monopoly they have on their domestic league.

Any time a team becomes a credible threat, they get picked apart with Bayern at the head of the queue and the challenge fades away as they become even stronger. It’s a shame for the neutral who’d like to see them challenged, but you can’t blame them when there are obvious upgrades that are seen as easy pickings for them.

For Nagelsmann, it’s a chance for him to now step up to the biggest stage and continue the fine work he has done throughout his career up to this point.

What’s happening between Hansi Flick and Bayern Munich?

It’s not often that we say it, but Bayern Munich might be having a bit of an internal crisis right now.

After crashing out of the UEFA Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, it emerged over the weekend that manager Hansi Flick has informed the club that he wants to leave in the summer.

After winning everything there is to win in his season-and-a-half in charge of the club, you could maybe understand if he just wanted a new challenge but it seems there is something more to the situation.

Despite beating PSG in Paris their European Cup defence came to an end but they bounced back at the weekend with a 3-2 win over Wolfsburg. What nobody saw coming was in the press conference after the game when Flick confirmed to the press that he wanted to leave the club at the end of the season.

It had been rumoured that Flick was the number one target for the German national team after it was announced that Joachim Löw will leave his role after the completion of the Euro 2020 tournament this summer.

While he has admitted that the national team role is of interest to him, it isn’t the reason he wants to leave the Bundesliga champions.

According to reports in Germany, there is an internal struggle happening in Bavaria. It is well known that the club is run in such a way that the manager of the club is responsible only for the coaching of the football team.

The board and executives run the club off the pitch and former midfielder Hasan Salihamidzic is the man in charge of things like transfers. That is the start of issues.

Flick and Salihamidzic have been at loggerheads of the future of the playing squad, with the Bosnian confirming that Jerome Boateng would not be offered a new contract for the new season regardless of his performances in the run-in.

What made it worse was the fact that he was informed of the decision on the morning of the first-leg against Paris Saint-Germain. Add to that the fact the club have refused to agree a new deal with David Alaba, forcing the Austrian to confirm his exit from the club in advance on a free transfer.

FC Bayern Muenchen - Training Session : News Photo

Bayern have since commented on Flick’s announcement only to discount it, stating that they will continue to hold talks with the manager up to and at the end of the season to discuss the future. While it’s highly unlikely that anything will change, this is just Bayern’s way of controlling the narrative.

Reports suggest they have already begun the search for a new manager, with Julian Nagelsmann top of their shortlist. While it will be incredibly difficult to take the highly rated boss away from Leipzig, the Bundesliga is essentially Bayern Munich’s playground and they can pretty much do what they want.

If for some reason that doesn’t happen, they have plenty of options elsewhere. Flick was brought up from their coaching staff, while top names like Max Allegri and Jose Mourinho are also available immediately.

Bayern are a superbly run club, everyone knows that. But now their internal power struggle is going to cost them a supremely talented coach and potentially effect who they bring in to replace him.

Paris Saint-Germain avenge Champions League final loss thanks to Neymar monsterclass

Paris Saint-Germain avenged their 2020 Champions League final defeat by beating Bayern Munich on away goals to progress into the semi-finals, thanks in part to a brilliant Neymar performance.

PSG held a 3-2 lead from the first leg, where Kylian Mbappe put Bayern to the sword with a brace to give the French giants three away goals. Those proved crucial as despite a 1-0 defeat on the night, the Parisians progressed 3-3 on aggregate thanks to those away goals.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s header in the first half sent shivers up French fans backs, but they were dangerous throughout and in the end were able to hold out for a big win.

The game started as a more cagey affair than the first leg, but PSG continued to be a threat on the counter in a similar manner against the Bundesliga side’s high line.

Mbappe threatened in behind on occasion but was called offside, but everything that Mauricio Pochettino’s side did went through the enigmatic Brazilian. It was his passing that opened up the Bayern defence and the only thing that let him down on the night was his finishing.

He hit the crossbar with a beautiful curling effort from the edge of the box after losing Kingsley Coman with a chop, and then hit the post when put through one on one after a brilliant move. He also saw a previous effort saved by Manuel Neuer after being rolled a square pass by Mbappe, he was instrumental.

In the second half he used his experience and know how to slow the game right down. He was being fouled regularly and just took the bumps, constantly asking for the ball with his back to goal knowing he’d get a kick from behind.

A few dazzling runs resulted in chances and one ended in a pass to Mbappe, who crossed for Angel Di Maria. The Argentine brought the ball down and beat the defender with skill before rolling the ball across the goal, but Neymar slid in and just couldn’t reach meaning Bayern survived again.

But aside from anything inside the 18-yard box, Neymar showed that right now he is the best player on the planet bar none.

PSG seemed to have a chip on their shoulder in this game after the final last year and the team now look like they’re ready to go one step further this year and actually win the tournament.

They’ve shown an ability to dig deep when they need to to grind out a result defensively, but they also have the exceptional quality in attack to trouble any defence in world football.

A semi-final now awaits against the winner of the Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund tie, but whoever gets through will know that they have a true European heavyweight in their way that go by the name of Paris Saint-Germain.

Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain – Champions League quarter-final predictions

The UEFA Champions League is back with some absolutely mouth watering ties as we enter the quarter-final stage of the competition.

In a rematch of last seasons final, Bundesliga champions and current holders Bayern Munich will take on Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain in arguably the most star-studded clash of the round.

Hansi Flick’s men cruised the the most comfortable last 16 tie there was, with wins both home and away against Serie A side Lazio to waltz to a 6-2 aggregate win, while Paris Saint-Germain were able to smash through Barcelona at the Camp Nou meaning the draw at the Parc des Princes wasn’t a downer with a 5-2 progression on aggregate.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern are on the verge of securing a ninth successive league title as they currently sit seven points clear at the top with just seven games to play. Paris Saint-Germain on the other hand look like they could miss out on a fourth successive title and an eighth in nine years after flailing under both Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino this season.

With seven games to go, PSG currently sit three points behind Lille having been defeated by their rivals in the most recent game at the weekend. They have lost eight league games so far this season, the most since the 2010/11 season and as many as each of the last two seasons combined.

One positive for Pochettino’s side is that even despite their poor league form, they have looked fantastic in Europe. After a shaky start in the group stages they were able to come through as the winners of the group of death ahead of RB Leipzig and Manchester United.

Under Pochettino they have attempted to play a possession based game, with good pressing and incisive attacking patterns to help Kylian Mbappe and Neymar thrive. The Brazilian missed both games against Barcelona but is fit once again, although he was sent off at the weekend.

Bayern have maintained their excellent form from last season and overcame their first blip under Flick earlier in the season to get back on track. Their high press, high line in defence and dominance in midfield allows them to control every game they’re in and their lethal attack led by Robert Lewandowski means they punish any mistakes.

The issue for them in this tie comes from the fact that they will be without the legendary Polish striker after he picked up a knee injury on international duty. That means the likelihood is that Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting will lead the line up front as he did this past weekend, although Thomas Muller could also start as the furthest man forward.

Serge Gnabry is a doubt for the first leg after missing training but PSG are also struggling with injuries. Marco Verratti and Alessandro Florenzi have both tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the games, while Leandro Paredes is suspended for the first leg.

Both teams are weakened but PSG will feel as though they have a great chance of exacting their revenge with their first choice attack on the pitch. The one-legged final last year was a very close game in which PSG missed a host of chances before former academy star Kingsley Coman was able to head in the winner in the second half.

With Bayern not look as solid defensively this season and the game being played over two legs rather than one, it seems unlikely Flick’s team will be able to stop PSG from scoring yet again. Without Lewandowski in the team, the German side’s chances of scoring goals diminish hugely despite the quality they possess and if Mbappe and Neymar are fit and raring to go then this could be enough to see the Parisians come through with a win.

It’s quite easily the most closely contested tie of the round and I think PSG will be able to earn some revenge this year.


PREDICTION

Bayern Munich 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Bayern Munich
(Paris Saint-Germain to progress 3-1 on aggregate)

Champions League last 16 predictions: Lazio vs Bayern Munich

It’s Champions League time once again as the last 16 is back and the second round of fixtures commences.

Last week we saw the first eight teams compete, with some thrilling fixtures to take us through to the second leg and this week we’ll be hoping for more of the same as Serie A side Lazio take on current holders Bayern Munich.

Lazio currently sit in fifth in the table, just one point behind third placed Roma and have prepared for this game with four wins in their last six games including a 1-0 win over Sampdoria at the weekend. Bayern on the other hand currently sit top of the Bundesliga and were crowned world champions earlier this month, but have failed to win either of their last two Bundesliga fixtures.

Bayern’s style of play is well documented with a high defensive line, combative and technical holding midfielders and pace in attack behind Robert Lewandowski.

SS Lazio v Brescia Calcio - Serie A : News Photo

Lazio’s style is a little different though, with Simone Inzaghi opting for three at the back and building the entire team around the finishing ability of Ciro Immobile up front. The Italian striker has scored 19 goals so far this season after 39, 19, 41 and 26 in the previous four campaigns also – making him one of the most lethal attackers around.

The midfield of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto has creativity, steel and an eye for goal to it while Lucas Leiva’s inclusion in the holding role makes them tough to break down too.

Bayern have a few fitness problems right now, with Benjamin Pavard and Thomas Muller testing positive for COVID-19 while Douglas Costa, Serge Gnabry and Correntin Tolisso are all injured and out of the first leg. That means Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman are certain to start out wide but the formation could slightly change from their usual 4-2-3-1.

FC Bayern Muenchen v Tigres UANL - FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020 : News Photo

Despite the issues they have currently and the form they’re currently struggling in, I can’t see past Bayern Munich dominating the tie and progressing into the next round.

Defensively they’re strong enough to deal with the threat of Lazio and going forward they are still scoring goals freely. They’re still arguably the strongest team in the competition overall when everyone is fit and even if the injuries make the first leg tougher for them, the return leg is at home and they should have enough quality to progress into the last eight.

PREDICTIONS
Lazio 1-2 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich 3-0 Lazio
(Bayern Munich to progress 5-1 on aggregate)

David Alaba confirms he will leave Bayern Munich this summer

David Alaba has confirmed his 13 year stay at Bayern Munich will come to an end this summer when his contract expires with the Bundesliga side.

Alaba joined the German champions in 2008 after coming through the ranks of Austria Vienna and played for their youth and academy teams before making his first team debut in 2010. He quickly became a regular and has been ever since, despite constant interest from other top clubs across Europe.

But the 28-year-old has officially confirmed now that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season for a new challenge after mounting speculation.

Speaking in a club press conference, Alaba said;

“I have made the decision to leave FC Bayern at the end of this season and try something new. It obviously wasn’t an easy decision – I’ve been here for 13 years and the club means a lot to me.

I am looking for a new challenge. It wasn’t a financial decision. I still have six to seven years to play football and now I wanted to try something new.

“Of course I took my time, after 13 years it’s not an easy decision. I then decided for myself to try something new.”

Bayern have already moved to replace Alaba, announcing the signing of Dayot Upamecano on a five-year contract after agreeing to pay his €42.5m release clause to RB Leipzig.

With rumours rife that Alaba will be joining Real Madrid this summer, the Austria captain refused to confirm that and said that he had not decided yet where he will be playing next season.

Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta has a very good relationship with his agent Pini Zahavi and there are suggestions that the Catalan side could try to hijack the move. With that said, they would need to wait for the results of the presidential campaign which was recently postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another thing that could have a say in where Alaba ends up is the future of Sergio Ramos. The Real Madrid captain has been heavily linked with a move away from the Bernabeu at the end of his contract this summer and while this speculation isn’t new, there seems to be more to it this time than on previous occasions.

Even if Ramos stays at the club, the future of his fellow defender Raphael Varane is also up in the air.

The World Cup winner is due to enter the final two years of his contract and is reportedly considering a move elsewhere having spent ten years in the Spanish capital.

With finances tight due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Madrid are aware that they could likely get a pretty big fee for Varane in the summer and are reportedly considering cashing in. Should he leave, Alaba would come in as an immediate replacement with no money spent and it would help them to balance their books.

All of that is up in the air now, but one thing is for sure. David Alaba won’t be playing for Bayern Munich next season.