Chelsea will reportedly make a run at signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic at the end of the season after a troubling campaign for the Blues in front of goal.

Through 24 Premier League fixtures, Chelsea have only scored 23 goals, ranking them 14th overall and the lowest total of any side in the top 11.

Lacking a true number nine, and with it remaining unlikely that Romelu Lukaku returns from his Inter loan next season, Chelsea have been keeping a close eye on Vlahovic.

The 23-year-old, who arrived in Turin for a €70million fee in January 2022, has had an injury-interrupted first full season in Italy, with eight goals in 15 Serie A appearances.

While Massimiliano Allegri's side would likely prefer to persist with the tall frontman, who already has 10 senior international goals for Serbia in 19 appearances, the club's financial position could force their hand.

 

TOP STORY – VLAHOVIC EMERGES AS POTENTIAL ANSWER TO CHELSEA'S STRIKER DILEMMA

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are "desperate" to add a true striker, and view Vlahovic as one of three desirable Serie A targets.

They are also supposedly weighing up the possibility of bringing Roma's Tammy Abraham back to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea will also test the availability of Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who is thought to be an unrealistic option.

The report adds that Vlahovic is one of the players Juventus may make available at the end of the season as they work to recover from financial uncertainty.

 

ROUND-UP

– The Times reports that Chelsea have reignited their interest in 21-year-old RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, who they are hoping to land for a fee cheaper than the £97m (€110m) release clause that will become active in 2024.

– According to Express, 24-year-old Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has decided to snub Manchester United and will instead join Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer when his contract expires in July.

Real Madrid are monitoring 25-year-old Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, although the Brazilian insists he is content with his current situation, per Mundo Deportivo.

– Sport reports that Madrid will be joined by rivals Barcelona in the pursuit of 28-year-old Manchester City centre-back Aymeric Laporte.

– According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are considered the frontrunners to land 24-year-old Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount if he decides to not sign a long-term extension.

Declan Rice's West Ham contract is due to expire next year and he has rejected fresh terms, prompting interest from rival English clubs.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been linked with the 24-year-old England international midfielder.

But the Hammers have rated Rice at £100million, which would be close to a British-record transfer fee.

TOP STORY – CITY TAKE POLE POSITION FOR RICE

Manchester City are leading the pursuit to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, reports TEAMtalk.

The report claims City have come into contention with a probable trio of off-season departures paving the way for the English champions to afford the move.

Kalvin Phillips, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are all potentially on the way out at Etihad Stadium as City contemplate a midfield overhaul.

 

ROUND-UP

– Fichajes claims Manchester City have placed an €80m (£71m) price tag on Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva, with Barcelona interested in securing his services. However, the report claims that valuation will likely price out the Blaugrana.

Bayern Munich are set to hand Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting an improved contract from €5m a year to €10m including bonuses a year as part of an extension until 2024, reports Bild. The Cameroonian had been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham previously, and the deal may put to bed Bayern links with Spurs forward Harry Kane.

Barcelona have been linked with Manchester City's Julian Alvarez lately, but Football Insider claims Real Madrid are also keeping tabs on the Argentinian forward as they look for depth behind Karim Benzema.

– Mundo Deportivo reports Real Madrid are tracking Benfica's 19-year-old defender Antonio Silva, although he is contracted with the Portuguese club until 2027.

Manchester United and Atletico Madrid will battle it out to sign Roma forward Paulo Dybala, who has a €12m (£10.6m) release clause in his contract, according to Fichajes.

– Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has declined Manchester United's advances and opted to sign with Eintracht Frankfurt, claims the Daily Express.

Napoli are looking to secure Chelsea and Newcastle United target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to a new deal until 2028 to ward off interest, reports Gazzetta dello Sport.

Josko Gvardiol is hot property around Europe and he boosted his stocks with the equaliser in RB Leipzig's 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old centre-back is contracted with Leipzig until 2027, although he reportedly has an exit clause in his deal, worth €110 million.

Leipzig head coach Marco Rose was adamant after Wednesday's game that Gvardiol will remain with the club next season.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL KEEN ON LEIPZIG STAR GVARDIOL

Liverpool will look to bolster their defensive options with a move for Gvardiol, claims Fabrizio Romano.

The Croatia international has been targetted by Chelsea and he only enhanced his reputation during the 2022 World Cup. He has also been linked with City and Real Madrid.

Gvardiol has previously indicated he would be love to join the Reds, potentially offering Jurgen Klopp's side an edge in the race to sign him. 

 

ROUND-UP

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are all keeping tabs on Kylian Mbappe's situation at Paris Saint-Germain, claims Football Insider. Speculation continues to swirl that Mbappe, who is contracted through the end of the 2024-25 season, is unhappy at PSG.

Chelsea are interested in a move for Dinamo Moscow 19-year-old midfielder Arsen Zakharyan, according to CaughtOffside.

– Fichajes say Juventus are considering a move to sign Real Betis forward Borja Iglesias amid worries Dusan Vlahovic could depart at the end of the season.

Napoli will challenge PSG in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani, reports CalcioMercato.

Manchester United are plotting a double swoop for Leicester City midfield duo James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, according to Football Transfers.

Raphael Guerreiro is set to exit Borussia Dortmund at the end of this season as a free agent, reports Nicolo Schira.

Luciano Spalletti warned Napoli cannot think they have already reached the Champions League quarter-finals despite a dominant victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Serie A leaders cruised to a 2-0 victory at Deutsche Bank Park as Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo netted against Eintracht, who had Randal Kolo Muani sent off in the second half.

Napoli have never made it to the Champions League last eight but are in control of their last-16 tie ahead of the return meeting in Naples on March 15.

Spalletti refused to rest on his laurels, though, as he insisted nothing has been achieved just yet.

Asked if Napoli and Real Madrid, who smashed Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield in Tuesday's other clash, were favourites, Spalletti responded: "Will we be able to repeat it?

"We have to, let's see if we stay on track, remain in command. We cannot think we are automatically through."

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia saw Kevin Trapp save his penalty four minutes before Osimhen's first-half opener, with Napoli's poor spot-kick record continuing in the Champions League.

The Partenopei have scored just three of their six penalties taken in this year's competition, with only Monaco and Sevilla (in the 2016-17 term) missing as many in a single campaign, excluding shoot-outs, since Opta data began in the 2003-04 season.

Kvaratskhelia bounced back to tee up Di Lorenzo's calm finish, his 13th assist across all competitions this term – no Serie A player has managed more.

Spalletti referenced the resilience of Napoli being a key factor for their success.

"This thing should be highlighted here, the team didn't give up after the penalty kick, but scored immediately, insisted because we wanted to win," he added. 

"Thinking correctly, behaving like this, and wanting to win the match. We want to win them all, the matches pass so we don't come back again.

"We dreamed of this game here as children, we can't fail it. At 2-0, there was the possibility of scoring the third goal, we did some things well, others a little less, we could have tried more."

Victory marked Napoli's first away win in the Champions League knockout rounds, having lost their previous three, as they chase Serie A and European glory.

Napoli took a significant step towards their first Champions League quarter-final after a 2-0 victory over 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday.

Victor Osimhen's 40th-minute opener at Deutsche Bank Park set Napoli on their way in the first leg of their last-16 clash after Kevin Trapp saved a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia penalty.

Randal Kolo Muani's red card after 58 minutes only served to further Napoli's cause before Giovanni Di Lorenzo netted to secure a comfortable lead in the tie.

Eintracht will have the chance to fight back in Naples on March 15, though it appears little can stop Luciano Spalletti's Serie A leaders at present.

Kolo Muani blasted an early warning shot wide after a smart flick past Amir Rrahmani, but Napoli soon began to dominate.

Their pressure told as Aurelio Buta needlessly felled Osimhen inside the area after Hirving Lozano struck the right post, only for Trapp to dive to his right to save Kvaratskhelia's poor penalty.

Napoli did reap their rewards four minutes later, though, as Osimhen turned in Lozano's right-wing cross, with the same combination then denied a swift second by an offside flag.

Trapp parried away a swerving Lozano attempt after the interval before Kvaratskhelia wasted a glorious chance with a chip straight at the onrushing Eintracht goalkeeper, but matters went from bad to worse for Eintracht soon enough.

Kolo Muani was shown a straight red for a lunge on Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Napoli capitalised as a smart Kvaratskhelia backheel found Di Lorenzo, who curled low into the bottom-left corner to secure a two-goal cushion.

What does it mean? Business as usual for in-form Napoli

Eintracht had lost only two of 19 matches in Europe under Oliver Glasner – and just one in nine on home soil – but Napoli present an entirely different challenge this season.

Although Spalletti's in-form side, who have won 20 of 23 Serie A games this term, were slow to get going, Eintracht had no answer once they found their feet.

Napoli have never progressed past this round in the Champions League, but it will take something special to stop the rampant Partenopei this time.

Unstoppable Osimhen

Osimhen's remarkable form has led to speculation around a move to Manchester United or Chelsea, but his focus for now is on Napoli's dual bid for Serie A and Champions League glory.

The Nigeria international certainly did not appear distracted as he scored in a sixth successive match – his best streak for Napoli. 

Error compounds Eintracht misery

Kolo Muani embodied Eintracht's early promise, with his nimble footwork and pace causing repeated problems down the right flank.

But hopes of a positive outcome in this first leg – and perhaps in the tie, too – were erased after a reckless tackle was rightly punished.

What's next?

Napoli return to action in Serie A with a Saturday trip to Empoli, while Eintracht travel to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on the same day.

Napoli should be considered favourites to win the Champions League after dominating Serie A this season, according to Milan great Ruud Gullit.

Luciano Spalletti's dynamic Napoli side have been one of the stories of the European season, boasting a 15-point lead at the Serie A summit after losing just once in their first 23 league games. 

The Partenopei have also excelled in the Champions League, top-scoring in the group stage with 20 goals to finish above Liverpool and tee up a last-16 tie with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Napoli's trip to Germany for the first leg of that tie, Gullit suggested Europe's elite clubs may struggle to match Spalletti's men. 

"In a television broadcast I said that they are the favourites to win the Champions League. I haven't changed my mind," the former Netherlands international said of Napoli.

"They play a style of football that we all like to see; fast, rapid and vertical. 

"The English clubs are strong, the same for Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid are capable of crazy feats, but this Napoli team are totally different." 

Napoli's last Scudetto came in the 1989-90 season, when Diego Maradona inspired them to edge a hard-fought title race against a legendary Milan side featuring Gullit.

Asked about the differences between Napoli teams past and present, Gullit said: "That team depended on Diego. This is a complete team, which expresses total football. They can win the Scudetto and go far in Europe."

Gullit's former employers Milan are also looking to mount a challenge in Europe, having beaten Tottenham 1-0 in the first leg of their own round-of-16 tie.

Having recently endured a seven-game winless run, Milan sit fourth in Serie A and trail Napoli by 18 points, but Gullit refuses to write the Rossoneri off. 

"They are fighting and suffering," he said of Stefano Pioli's men. "Up to now, everything hasn't been as easy as it was last year. 

"In this first part of the season things have been more difficult than everyone expected, but in football you never know. In the Champions League they won the first leg of the round of 16 against Tottenham. Let's see how it ends."

In a rematch of the 2022 Champions League final Real Madrid will travel to Anfield on Tuesday on a mission to inflict more pain on Liverpool in the round of 16.

Madrid got their hands on the famous trophy in Paris last May, but while the Reds have struggled in the Premier League this campaign, their European form would suggest they should provide a tough test for a side who have had their number in recent years.

Meanwhile, reigning Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt will look to continue their sparkling European form when runaway Serie A leaders Napoli roll into town.

Napoli have taken on all comers this season, proving to be a force in Europe while they have taken Serie A by storm.

Courtesy of Stats Perform, here are some of the key stats and facts to be aware of ahead of the ties.

Liverpool v Real Madrid

Memories of last season's Champions League final will be fresh in the minds of these two sides as Liverpool try to reverse the recent trend of Madrid dominance.

The Spanish giants lifted the top prize in European club football for a 14th time after defeating Liverpool 1-0, leaving the English side winless in their past six meetings between the clubs.

That is the longest winless streak Liverpool have suffered against any team in their Champions League history, with five losses and one draw dating back to 2009.

However, England has not been a happy hunting ground for Madrid in recent years, with only one victory – against Chelsea in 2022 – from their past seven away fixtures in the country (D2 L4).

Also in the hosts' favour is their terrific European form this season, having rattled off five consecutive wins in the competition since losing their opener against Napoli.

A key for the Reds will be figuring out how to stop Vinicius Junior, who has directly contributed to seven goals – scoring five and producing two assists – in his past eight Champions League fixtures.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah could join Chelsea legend Didier Drogba as Africa's all-time leading scorer in the competition with one more goal, which would be his 44th.

Eintracht Frankfurt v Napoli

Napoli will be dreaming of their first Champions League and Serie A double as they hit the road for their first leg against Frankfurt.

They will face a German side who have excelled in European competition under head coach Oliver Glasner, with only two losses from 19 matches (W10 D7), including a triumph in last season's Europa League final against Rangers.

Frankfurt have won their past four meetings with Italian sides since a loss to Palermo back in 2006, while Napoli have just two wins from their 12 away dates in Germany (D5 L5).

But Napoli have been a different beast this campaign, leading all teams with 20 group stage goals. They are averaging 3.3 goals per game in the competition under Luciano Spalletti.

Breakout star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is at the centre of Napoli's success, joining Dries Mertens (2017-18 season) as the only players in the history of the club to record multiple games with a goal and an assist in the same Champions League campaign. He has the potential to write his own history, as no Napoli player has done it three times.

Meanwhile, Frankfurt have a pair of in-form goalscorers. Daichi Kamada has scored in each of his side's past three Champions League matches this season, while Randal Kolo Muani has found the back of the net in their past two.

Luciano Spalletti has backed star Napoli pair Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to rise to the occasion as they prepare to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League last 16.

Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia have been two standout performers for Napoli this season, who boast a 15-point lead in Serie A and coasted through their Champions League group earlier this season.

Ahead of their first leg in Germany against the reigning Europa League holders, Spalletti heaped praise on both, as well as the club's decision-makers who brought them to Naples.

"From the point of view of maturity, we can cite Osimhen's reaction to Sassuolo [on Friday] as an example [when he asked to come off after feeling a potential injury]," he told reporters. "As soon as he realised he had a little problem he evaluated correctly, asking for a substitution.

"This is the player who knows how to evaluate things very well, these two types [Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia] they are two of those who truly have the flair, the imagination, the quality to send a message to world football. At the same time, they are two very young boys.

"[Sporting director, Cristiano] Giuntoli and [chairman, Aurelio] De Laurentiis were good at choosing them from a very large group of players, this youth still needs to be shaped, matured.

"Tomorrow night will be an event to be attacked. In my opinion they will be able to interpret it. It is not allowed to be afraid. We will see football that only those at this level can make."

The former Roma and Inter head coach also leaned into a Christmas analogy put to him by a reporter, comparing the Champions League knockout stage to Christmas morning.

"I have to give the reindeer some milk, because it's the night before, it's a party for me," he replied. "We'll see if we can unwrap the presents or not."

Spalletti will go up against opposite number Oliver Glasner, who has impressed at Eintracht since taking over in 2021.

"I know him well because I had already met him when I was coach of Zenit, there is mutual respect as regards the work of the other, for my part," the Italian said. 

"I have a number of people who Napoli makes available to me and who go to see the work of the teams that manage to play good football. Since he won the Europa League we too have gone to see what Glasner is doing.

"He is modern, he knows how to make his team play very short, he knows very well how to press high and bring the team block low and start again in space. He has players who know how to use this space very well.

"We congratulate him on the football he has played, he is doing it even in the league. Precisely for this reason it will be delicate and difficult."

Napoli head coach Luciano Spalletti allayed concerns about the condition of Victor Osimhen after the in-form striker appeared to limp off during Friday's win over Sassuolo.

The Nigeria star scored Napoli's second goal in the 2-0 victory at Mapei Stadium after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring.

Osimhen's goal saw him become the first Napoli player to score in seven successive Serie A games during the three-points-for-a-win era (1995-96).

He was taken off six minutes from time and seemed to be limping as he headed for the bench, sparking some concern from supporters with a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on the horizon.

But Spalletti appeared confident his star striker has not suffered any lasting damage and will be fit on Tuesday.

"We have evaluated Osimhen's condition, but it doesn't seem like it's anything out of the ordinary," Spalletti told DAZN after the game.

"He's just a little tired because he can't stop himself. It always seems like he has to do the last two metres, then he just starts running after everyone until he's recovered the ball, so two metres becomes another 200 metres.

"Doctors are investigating, but it doesn't seem like it's anything serious."

After an entertaining first half, the game was much tighter in the second period, seemingly owing to Napoli's ability to see things out in their own manner.

But there was an intensity to their play throughout that undoubtedly contributed to Sassuolo struggling to impose themselves, particularly when they might have been desperately chasing a late lifeline.

Spalletti's post-match interview was conducted by former Napoli and Juventus great Ciro Ferrara, who likened Napoli's urgency to that of Pep Guardiola's classic Barcelona side.

The Napoli coach felt the need to pump the brakes at that comparison.

"You have to go easy on the comparisons," Spalletti said. "Then it becomes a problem. We must stay calm, very calm.

"It's true that we put a lot of determination into winning the ball back. We have the strength to go and steal it from the opponent, and we did it well today.

"But, beyond that, compared to the last few games, today it seemed to me that we were superior to our previous performances, even in small things like dribbling and [game] management.

"We were quick and assertive when moving the ball around. We suffered a couple of times because Sassuolo are a great team, trained very well.

"You can't have supremacy for 90 minutes. However, the team put in a great performance. Even though we're living a great moment, nobody is giving up on the ball. It's a good feeling."

Friday's win moved Napoli 18 points clear at the summit, though Inter can reduce the deficit back to 15 with a victory over Udinese on Saturday.

Joao Felix has had a mixed start to his loan spell at Chelsea, but the Premier League club are eager to make his stay permanent.

The 23-year-old Portugal forward joined Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid in January, getting sent off on debut before scoring on his Premier League return against West Ham on Saturday.

Felix signed for Atletico from Benfica in 2019 on a seven-year contract for a transfer fee of €126 million and extended his deal until 2027 prior to the move to Stamford Bridge.


TOP STORY – CHELSEA WANT PERMANENT JOAO FELIX STAY

Chelsea want to make Joao Felix's stay at Stamford Bridge permanent, according to Relevo.

The Portuguese is on loan with the Blues for the rest of the season from Atletico Madrid, with Chelsea willing to pay €100 million (£88.3m) for his services.

The Spaniards were originally asking for more, believed to be around €130m-140m (£115m-£124m) but may be willing to accept a reduced fee.

Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic could be heading in the opposition direction with Atletico considering a cut-price bid for Chelsea's United States international, according to Fichajes.

 

ROUND-UP

- Real Madrid are monitoring Tottenham forward Richarlison and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, reports ESPN. Los Blancos are looking for long-term replacements for 35-year-old Karim Benzema.

- Neymar's future at Paris Saint-Germain is uncertain with the French champions to place him on their transfer list in the upcoming off-season, claims Foot Mercato. PSG paid a staggering €222m for Neymar in 2017 but are set to move on.

- Chelsea's pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice could lead them to sell Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to raise funds for the deal, claims Football Insider.

- Barcelona have reached a verbal agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka for a free transfer at the end of this season, claims German journalist Christopher Michel.

- Bayern Munich want to sign Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo for a reduced fee, rather than trigger the €70 million buy option, reports 90min. The report claims a fee around €60m is more realistic.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis insists the Scudetto frontrunners do not have to sell rumoured Manchester United and Chelsea target Victor Osimhen.

Nigeria international Osimhen is reportedly a target for the Premier League pair, as well as other big names across Europe, after starring for Serie A leaders Napoli this season.

The 24-year-old has 17 goals this campaign – the joint-sixth most of any player across Europe's top five leagues – and has assisted a further three goals in his 21 appearances.

While interest in Osimhen will only intensify between now and the transfer window reopening in advance of next season, De Laurentiis has made it clear Napoli are not looking to cash in.

"Victor is not for sale," he told German outlet Bild. "Our players are in high demand, but we are not forced to sell anybody. We don't have any debts."

Osimhen scored another brace in Sunday's 3-0 win over Spezia as Napoli opened up a 13-point lead over closest challengers Inter at the top of Serie A.

He now has 53 goals in 95 league games across his past four seasons for Lille and Napoli – only Erling Haaland (87 in 87) has needed fewer games to reach the 50-goal mark.

Napoli will hope their in-form striker can make the difference when they face Eintracht Frankfurt in the last 16 of the Champions League, with the first leg taking place in two weeks' time.

Eintracht are competing in the knockout stage of the competition for the first time, but De Laurentiis says Napoli will not be taking the Bundesliga title challengers lightly.

"In the beginning, the feeling was of a non-difficult draw, but it's not exactly like this," he said of Eintracht, who beat Barcelona in the Europa League quarter-finals last season.

"It's not a coincidence they are in the race for the Bundesliga. We should not think we are a better team. Barca did it last season and we should not make the same mistake."

Napoli have won their past two away games against German sides in European competition, beating Wolfsburg 4-1 in April 2015 and RB Leipzig 2-0 in February 2018.

Life is good at Manchester United right now – and it might be about to get better.

Erik ten Hag has guided United to third in the Premier League, perhaps still in title contention, while they will face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final.

Rivals Manchester City and Liverpool are facing various crises, and United's ambitions moving forward could be boosted by a lucrative takeover.

After making only loan signings in January as the Glazer family consider selling up, the outlook at Old Trafford might be about to change entirely.

TOP STORY – QATARI-BACKED MAN UTD BID DUE IN DAYS

According to the Daily Mail, a group of Qatari investors plan to buy United and give manager Ten Hag "the financial backing to lead the club back to the top".

The Glazers set a deadline of mid-February for bids, and an offer from the group is expected in the coming days.

The report says the group are confident their bid would "blow the competition out of the water".

This interest in United follows on the back of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the investors eager to secure ownership of "the crown jewels" of the footballing world.

ROUND-UP

– The Telegraph is reporting Manchester City's pursuit of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is at risk of being torpedoed by their potential financial breaches.

– According to Mundo Deportivo, Cristiano Ronaldo's team Al Nassr have offered 34-year-old Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets a contract worth €18million per season.

Manchester United and Liverpool will both make a run at Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani, who impressed for France at the World Cup, per L'Equipe.

– Calciomercato is reporting Juventus will likely allow striker Dusan Vlahovic to leave at the end of the season if they receive a bid in the range of €90m.

– According to the Northern Echo, Newcastle United have made 26-year-old Leicester City midfielder James Maddison a key target.

Fashionista Serge Gnabry has been told to smarten up his act by Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn.

After a dressing-down from sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, the fallout continued on Saturday after Gnabry's trip to Paris Fashion Week on his recent day off.

Salihamidzic branded Serge Gnabry "amateurish" after the Germany forward returned from Paris to put in a disappointing display in the Bundesliga draw against Koln on Tuesday.

Rather than spending his downtime in Paris last Sunday, Salihamidzic felt Gnabry should have been resting between games to ensure he was in his best condition to turn on the style for Bayern.

Gnabry was only a substitute for Saturday's game with Eintracht Frankfurt. It was the third game in succession where Bayern have been held 1-1, seeing their Bundesliga lead whittled down to one point.

Kahn, speaking ahead of the game, said the best way for a player to answer any critics would be to ensure their on-field performance was unimpeachable.

"If I know that it's not the best time, then I have to go on the pitch, score three goals and be the best man. That would be my answer to a topic like that," Kahn told German broadcaster Sky, addressing the Gnabry situation.

Bayern's players had plenty of time off after the World Cup, where Gnabry was a member of the Germany squad that tumbled out at the group stage.

"We now simply expect performance – and we demand it," Kahn said. "We discussed this with Serge. Hasan spoke to him and made it clear. I think he understood."

Julian Nagelsmann urged Bayern Munich to return to form swiftly after a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt extended the Bundesliga leaders' "results crisis".

Randal Kolo Muani struck in the second half to cancel out Leroy Sane's opener and extend the defending champions' winless run in the Bundesliga.

Bayern have been held to three consecutive 1-1 draws since the league resumed after the World Cup and winter break, and they sit just one point ahead of Union Berlin at the summit.

With a Champions League showdown against Paris Saint-Germain just over two weeks away, poor form is a cause of concern and Nagelsmann went as far as to dub the situation a "crisis".

"In order to be able to play big games, you have to play the small ones in such a way that you are in a good run from the psychology point of view," he said after the game.

"We don't have too much time before the big games to get into this run. So, we must start at some point - the first step is always the hardest. It's a result crisis.

"The acceleration of the game was not good at all. In all three games, the opponent defended deeply.

"We also had a lot of situations today where we can use the very good players in spaces, but we played it almost exclusively on the wing.

"The opponent can adapt well to this. We should have done a lot more. There are a lot of points we really could have done better."

Thomas Muller, captain for the draw against Frankfurt, assessed the situation similarly and declared the performances are not good enough for a club of Bayern's stature.

"Frankfurt made it difficult for us. But the situation is as it is. We have to do better," Muller told Sky.

"Drawing three times – that's not possible, we're Bayern Munich. It is clear that we are dissatisfied, that we do not win three times in a row. It's brutally annoying."

Bayern Munich were held to a third successive 1-1 Bundesliga draw after Randal Kolo Muani struck to earn Eintracht Frankfurt a point at Allianz Arena.

Julian Nagelsmann's side drew with RB Leipzig and Cologne in their first two games back after the mid-season break, but Leroy Sane's 34th-minute strike had them on course for victory on Saturday. 

That was until Kolo Muani fired home a little over 20 minutes from time to deny the reigning champions, whose lead at the top has now been cut to just one point.

Union Berlin's win over city rivals Hertha Berlin earlier in the day leaves them hot on Bayern's heels, while Leipzig and Freiburg are two and three points back respectively.

Kevin Trapp produced a double save to deny Joshua Kimmich and then Thomas Muller, but the latter pulled the ball back for Sane three minutes later to sweep home an opener.

Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano headed wide from close range and Trapp kept out Sane's next effort as the hosts pressed for a second.

But unlike on the opening day of the season, when they were five goals up by half-time in a 6-1 win over Eintracht, Bayern lacked a finishing touch.

That proved costly as, from Eintracht's first on-target attempt, Kolo Muani fired across Yann Sommer after powering past Upamecano.

Bayern brought on Serge Gnabry – among the substitutes after being criticised for attending Paris Fashion Week – but Eintracht looked the more likely to find a late winner late on as Rafael Santos Borre's deflected effort flew just wide after Evan Ndicka's close-range attempt was blocked.

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