It was a disappointing week for Manuel Neuer and Bayern Munich. The Bavarian club suffered their first defeat of the season away at Arsenal in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Neuer committed an error in Arsenal’s third goal, which eventually put the game to bed at the Emirates Stadium.
Vincent Kompany defended Neuer in his press conference on Friday. The Belgian coach admitted that Neuer did the right thing to come off the line to kill the attack, but credit goes to Gabriel Martinelli to beat him and score the decisive third goal to help Arsenal win 3-1 on the night.
Neuer has been generally in good form this season. His performance in Paris earlier this month was remarkable. It helped Die Roten clinch a 2-1 win against the defending European champions with a man down for the entire second half.
Courtesy of his good form, there have been reports in Germany suggesting that Neuer will sign another one-year extension. While talking to the media after Bayern’s 3-1 win against St. Pauli (via iMiaSanMia), Neuer spoke about his future in Munich. The 39-year-old goalkeeper is in no rush to sign a new deal, and he will make a decision during the second half of the season.
"The crucial factor will be how I feel. We'll see in the second half of the season. I'll think about it more towards March during the international break."Manuel Neuer
Neuer will turn 40 during the Ruckrunde. He has not massively declined but had a rough spell of form last season. Bayern hierarchy has been supportive of Neuer and believes he still has a lot to offer on and off the pitch. The two parties will collectively take a call on his future during the Ruckrunde.
Bayern have already identified Jonas Urbig as the long-term successor of Neuer. Urbig arrived in Munich at the start of 2025. He did a good job of deputizing Neuer last season when the veteran goalkeeper was sidelined due to an injury. Urbig has been playing in the DFB Pokal this season to get minutes on the pitch. Bayern would eventually like Urbig to play more Bundesliga and Champions League games in the next 18 months.
Neuer once again rules out return to German national team
Courtesy of his good form at the club level, there have been calls in the German media and from former players for Neuer to return to the National team. The 39-year-old announced his retirement from international football after the Euros in 2024.
Neuer insisted on Saturday that he has no plans to make a U-turn on his international retirement. He decided to retire from international football to completely focus on club football.
It will take an extraordinary turn of events for Neuer to adorn the German kit in the World Cup at the end of the season. For now, the Bavarian faithful will hope Neuer continues to perform well and help Bayern win silverware this campaign.