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Bayern Munich, under the leadership of Vincent Kompany, are looking to start a new era in Bavaria with multiple new players. The Bavarians have already added Jonathan Tah and Tom Bischof to their roster after signing them on free transfers and will hope to welcome more players this summer.
The German champions have already seen Thomas Muller and Leroy Sane leave the club, and there are expectations of a few more players leaving Bavaria. So it is indeed the start of a new era.
But the Bavarians remain fixated on one position - Manuel Neuer's spot in between the sticks. The veteran German custodian will continue with Bayern for at least another season despite his recent injury concerns. His current contract runs until June 2026.
However, Bayern Munich legend Oliver Kahn shared his perspective about Neuer's future. Kahn gave a warning to the 39-year-old and also to Bayern regarding his health challenges and workload.
"He's more injury prone. Manuel can still show his qualities. But at this age, playing a whole season in three competitions is a huge challenge for the body. At some point, you reach your natural limits. You have to weigh things up: Do I go to the coach and take some time off to recover? He doesn't have to prove anything to anyone anymore. His job is to deliver top performances in the big games," Kahn told Sport BILD.
"Manuel is experienced enough to assess things himself. I don't know what drives him. I watched Cristiano Ronaldo in the Nations League and asked myself: What's his motivation at this age? Does he want more wins and records? Everyone has to decide that for themselves."
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Will Manuel Neuer continue as Bayern Munich's favoured first-choice goalkeeper?
Neuer extended his contract in February, which was all set to expire at the end of this season. He has signed a one-year extension with Bayern Munich and will continue with the club for the upcoming season.
"I'm still hungry and am looking forward to another year at this special club," Neuer stated after putting pen to paper whilst being accompanied by 20 of his goalkeeping kits, establishing his longevity at Bayern.
He moved to the club in 2011 from Schalke, and since then, he has become a household name of this generation. He has won two Champions League crowns, along with a whopping 12 Bundesliga titles, amongst other titles.
However, in recent years, there has been a lot of scrutiny of his performances. With age, his reflexes aren't the same, and some errors have crept into his game.
However, he suffered a calf injury in March in the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern expected him to return soon, but they faced a massive setback when his recovery was delayed and he missed the remainder of the last season
Germany U-21 custodian Jonas Urbig took over the reins and showed some glimpses of his brilliance. The youngster is the future for Bayern Munich, and with Neuer ageing, we could see more of Urbig in the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal games while Neuer primarily features in the Champions League.
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