Berlin: Chelsea and Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Germany captain Manuel Neuer, whose contract extension talks have stalled at Bayern Munich, according to magazine Kicker.
The goalkeeper’s current deal expires in June 2021 and Neuer, 34, is said to be angry that details of the renegotiations have been leaked to the German press, according to Kicker. Germany’s top-selling daily Bild claims that Neuer’s agent Thomas Kroth has asked Bayern for a salary for his client of 20 million euros ($22 million) per season. If the talks fail, club captain Neuer could be free to leave Bayern in June and attract the interest of the Premier League clubs. Kicker’s chief reporter Karlheinz Wild says the “willingness to resume negotiations” is weak on both sides between Bayern and Neuer.
“It could still take weeks, even months, before a final decision is taken. Positions have so far become too hardened.” According to Bild, Neuer reportedly wants a contract extension until 2025, but Bayern are only prepared to offer a deal until 2023 – when he will be 37 years old – with the option of an extra year.
The leaking of the details of Neuer’s demands has “seriously shaken” the trust between the player and his club, according to Kicker. Neuer, who helped Germany win the 2014 World Cup title, has been named world goalkeeper of the year four times. He has kept 191 clean sheets in 373 appearances for Bayern since joining from Schalke in 2011 and made 92 appearances for Germany.
However, he is reportedly irritated by Bayern signing Germany Under-21 goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel for next season from Schalke with a promise of at least 10 appearances per season. Nuebel, 23, has made it clear he wants to eventually become Bayern’s first-choice goalkeeper, but Neuer will not give up the shirt. “I’m not an extra, I’m an actor, I still want to play,” he has insisted. (AFP)
