Bayern Munich fans got to witness the brilliance of Manuel Neuer during the Champions League quarter-final games against Real Madrid. The German goalkeeper came up with big saves at Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg, which helped Bayern to get a slender advantage of 2-1 before the second leg at Allianz Arena.
Neuer made a mistake in the second leg, but recovered well to help Bayern to clinch a 6-4 victory on aggregate. The 40-year-old’s good performances against Real Madrid have sparked the debate about his returning from retirement to play for Germany in the World Cup during the summer.
Meanwhile, Neuer’s future at Bayern also needs to be addressed. As things stand, he will be a free agent in the summer. Die Roten expected Neuer to make a decision in April. However, he has postponed the decision until the end of the season.
Bayern are open to offering Neuer another contract extension, provided the 40-year-old feels he can contribute at the top level. While talking to Podcast Auf eine weiß-blaue Tasse (via iMiaSanMia), Uli Hoeness has revealed one specific condition that should be met if Neuer signs a new contract at Bayern Munich.
"Well, personally, if it were up to me, we would try to keep him Neuer for another year. We would ask him to be a mentor for Urbig. That includes being willing to sit out some games. We think very highly of Urbig. We truly believe he can be the successor. He can only achieve that if he plays. Both get along very, very well. So we hope that Manuel will stay for another year and prepare for the future in this position"Uli Hoeness
Bayern have to give more game time to Urbig next season
Hoeness is spot on about the assessment regarding the future of Manuel Neuer. Bayern chiefs have publicly backed Urbig to be the long-term replacement of Neuer. He needs to play more to gain experience and get used to pressure situations as Bayern’s number one goalkeeper.
In an ideal scenario, Neuer decides to sign a new deal. The 40-year-old remains the first-choice goalkeeper for Die Roten next season, but Urbig gets at least 15 starts in the Bundesliga. Urbig will learn a lot from Neuer and also get game time on the pitch to show his quality.
There is also another scenario that can happen in the summer at Bayern. If Die Roten win the treble this season, Neuer may consider bringing curtains down on his illustrious career at Bayern. In such a scenario, Urbig will become the number one. Bayern will look to sign an experienced number two who can provide the necessary experience in the goalkeeping department.
The summer is going to be busy for Bayern in the goalkeeping department. Along with sorting the future of Neuer, Bayern are also expected to listen to permanent offers for Alexander Nubel and Daniel Peretz. Both players are currently out on loan.
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