There may still be three months of the 2021-22 campaign to play, but Manchester United will already have one eye on next season.

Not only is there a question mark over who will be in charge, but United must also freshen up a squad that has once again underperformed this time around.

If reports are accurate, it may well be that two of United's long-term targets end up reuniting at Old Trafford.
 

TOP STORY – POCHETTINO WANTS KANE TO JOIN HIM AT UNITED

Mauricio Pochettino has long been considered the favourite to take over from Ralf Rangnick should the interim manager, as expected, step aside at the end of the season.

According to the Telegraph, Pochettino wants assurances that he will be financially backed if he leaves Paris Saint-Germain, with Tottenham striker Harry Kane reported to be on his radar.

Kane and Pochettino previously worked together for five and a half years at Tottenham and are said to still remain in contact.

However, Spurs resisted big-money interest from Manchester City for their star player last year and are not expected to budge too much on their valuation in the next window.

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- Gareth Bale looks increasingly likely to leave Real Madrid when his contract expires later this year. According to one report, from Tuttomercatoweb, the Wales international has reached an agreement to return to Tottenham, where he spent last season on loan.

- Sport claims that Frenkie de Jong has no intention of leaving Barcelona in the next transfer window. The Ajax academy product is rumoured to be a target for Liverpool and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

- Real Madrid have added Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney to their list of transfer targets, Spanish outlet El Espanol reports. Los Blancos are seeking a replacement for Marcelo, who turns 34 in May and is soon to become a free agent.

- According to transfer expert Ekrem Konur, Brazilian side Flamengo remain in talks to sign Neto from Barcelona on a free contract. The once-capped Brazil international has played second-fiddle to Marc-Andre ter Stegen for the past three seasons.

- Inter midfielder Arturo Vidal is a man in demand ahead of becoming a free agent in July. Calciomercato suggests that Premier League sides Aston Villa and Tottenham, as well as Marseille and Galatasaray, are set to battle it out for his signature.

Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann has no favourite for Super Bowl LVI and may well not be awake to take it in regardless.

The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in California, though it will be beyond midnight in Germany by the time the game starts.

This week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Germany would stage four NFL games over the next four seasons, starting from the 2022 campaign.

Indeed, it will be Bayern's Allianz Arena that hosts the first NFL regular-season game to be played in mainland Europe, with Frankfurt the other venue.

With the Super Bowl dominating headlines in the lead-up to this weekend, Nagelsmann was quizzed on his preference ahead of the Rams-Bengals clash.

"I don't have a favourite. My favourites have all been eliminated," Nagelsmann explained in a news conference on Friday.

"I don't have one favourite team. I have a connection to the Kansas City Chiefs, but I also find the Green Bay Packers interesting."

He then quipped: "Most of the time, when I watch the Super Bowl I fall asleep at halftime because I have a [lot of] work to do."

Asked if he is excited by the prospect of the NFL coming to Germany, following its success of staging games in London over recent years, Nagelsmann joked: "The anticipation in Germany is very great... when I get tickets!"

In total, five NFL regular-season games will be played outside the United States next season.

Three will take place in London, one in Munich and one in Mexico.

Things have not quite gone to plan for Cristiano Ronaldo in his second coming at Manchester United.

The Red Devils are out of both domestic cup competitions and sit well off the pace of Premier League leaders Manchester City, making an unlikely Champions League triumph their remaining hope for silverware this season.

Ronaldo is enduring a five-game goal drought and, according to a report, he could choose to end his second United spell after only one season.

TOP STORY – RONALDO WANTS MENDES TALKS OVER FUTURE

Cristiano Ronaldo will speak with his agent after growing disillusioned with life at Manchester United, according to the Daily Star.

The forward is hoping to speak with Jorge Mendes when he is back in Portugal for March's World Cup play-off against Turkey about his options after the end of the season.

Ronaldo, whose contract runs until the end of 2022-23, wants to see who will be appointed as United's next permanent manager – but he is not in favour of giving the job to interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

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- Paul Pogba is also looking to leave Manchester United this year when his contract expires, but he will have to accept a pay cut to get a move abroad that he wants, the Mirror says.

- A possible replacement for Pogba could be Youri Tielemans. Het Nieuwsblad reports Leicester City have dropped their asking price for the midfielder, who is wanted by United and Arsenal.

- Real Madrid rejected the idea of signing Dusan Vlahovic, now at Juventus, because they are putting everything into getting Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe, says Cadena Ser.

- However, AS reports Madrid are still seriously interested in Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, which could scupper Robert Lewandowski's hopes of moving to the Spanish capital.

- Juve defender Matthijs de Ligt is flattered by interest from Chelsea and Barcelona, Sport Mediaset claims.

- Barca are also desperate to sign Haaland and will therefore prioritise cut-price deals for defenders, says ESPN. Chelsea trio Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso are on their shortlist.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard was thrilled by the performances of Philippe Coutinho and Jacob Ramsey in Wednesday's draw with Leeds United, convinced the latter will be an England international before long.

Villa played out a gripping 3-3 draw with Leeds at Villa Park, the visitors fighting back despite finding themselves 3-1 down at half-time.

Coutinho and Ramsey were crucial to Villa's lead – the Brazilian cancelled out Daniel James' early opener with a well-placed finish before setting up each of Ramsey's goals, both of which were well-weighted throughballs for the surging youngster.

It was the first time Coutinho has had a hand in at least three goals in a single game since August 2020, when he helped Bayern Munich to their remarkable 8-2 demolition of his parent club Barcelona in the Champions League – you have to go back to December 2019 for the last such instance that occurred in a league match.

Coutinho's struggles since leaving Liverpool have been well-documented, with the talented attacking midfielder struggling to find his niche at Barca and Bayern, but Gerrard is enjoying watching his old team-mate again.

He said: "Looking at Philippe's performance tonight, not just his goal and assists, if you don't love watching that you shouldn't be watching football.

"That was absolutely beautiful, some of the stuff he has done.

"It was vintage Philippe Coutinho tonight. He's certainly getting back close to where he was when the whole world was speaking about him.

"He's still got improvements to do from a physical point of view but in terms of his technical ability, you don't play for Brazil that many times or become a global superstar without that talent.

"He will get better and better. He is a joy to work with."

Ramsey, 20, is still waiting for recognition at international level with England, though Gerrard – who represented the Three Lions 114 times – is adamant the gifted midfielder is on the cusp of a call-up.

Gerrard did not want any comparisons made between himself and Ramsey, though he reckons the Villa academy product "is right up there" in terms of the standard of players he featured alongside.

"Listen he's not following in anyone's footsteps, Jacob Ramsey is Jacob Ramsey," Gerrard continued.

"He's going to be a terrific player and it won't be too long before the whole country are watching him, I'm sure, because he's in a top place.

"I know the level of the England players, I've been around it, and have enough experience to know it's only a matter of time but let's all be sensible and keep calm about it.

"I want him to make his own headlines with his football. He is a top talent, I'm loving every moment of working with him. He is getting stronger with each game because we're giving him the platform to express himself. He is in a wonderful place."

Erling Haaland's future remains in the balance after Borussia Dortmund head coach Marco Rose declared "everything is on the table".

The prolific striker's reported €75million release clause kicks in at the end of this season, putting a host of Europe's leading clubs on high alert.

With the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all credited with interest in the Norway international, Rose knows Dortmund have a battle on their hands to keep hold of their star man.

But the 21-year-old is yet to declare his intentions and Rose has not given up hope of retaining Haaland's services.

"I'm in contact with Erling every day and also have a feeling for this player and this person," he told Bild.

"Everything is on the table internally, everyone is honest with each other. He'll make a decision at some point and the club will prepare well for it.

"We all want him to stay for sure."

Haaland is one of the most sought-after talents in world football after scoring 80 goals in 79 appearances for Dortmund since joining the club in January 2020.

His 80 strikes have come from an expected goals (xG) return of 64, meaning he has scored 16 goals more than expected given the likelihood of the shot going in.

No player from the Bundesliga, Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A or Ligue 1 boasts such a large xG differential.

Bayern Munich have announced that midfielder Jamal Musiala has tested positive for coronavirus.

The 18-year-old was absent from training on Tuesday and it was confirmed by Bayern on Wednesday he has contracted the virus.

Musiala will serve a period of self-isolation and is set to sit out Saturday's Bundesliga trip to Bochum, as well as next week's Champions League last-16 first leg with Salzburg.

That is a blow for Julian Nagelsmann as Musiala has played in 27 of Bayern's 30 matches in all competitions this season – only five others have featured more regularly.

The Germany international has been directly involved in 10 goals – six of his own and four assists – which is the sixth-most of any Bayern player in 2021-22.

Musiala's 53 dribbles completed this season, meanwhile, is behind only Leroy Sane (71) and Alphonso Davies (83).

Nagelsmann is well accustomed to dealing with player absentees through COVID-19, however, having had to make do without nine first-teamers at the start of the year.

Bayern Munich chairman Herbert Hainer has questioned Niklas Sule's decision to leave the club at the end of his contract to join Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund announced on Monday a pre-agreement is in place with the Germany defender, who will join the club from Bayern at the end of the season.

The 26-year-old has agreed to a four-year deal at Signal Iduna Park, having decided against extending his Bayern contract, which expires at the end of 2021-22.

However, Hainer has questioned Sule's decision to choose Bundesliga rivals rather than potentially more lucrative offers from the Premier League and LaLiga.

"He was already being discussed at Dortmund and there was speculation – in addition to Real Madrid, Manchester City and a few others – but I hadn't thought that it would be his first choice," Hainer told Bild.

"It will be exciting to see him on the other side. But it's not new to us either. We also gave Mats Hummels to Dortmund.

"I don't know what salary Niklas Sule gets at Borussia Dortmund. But I don't think it's a sporting climb.

"Niklas is a very good player who has become a regular in the national team in the last five years. I'm assuming that he'll really give it his all over the next three months so that he can still clinch the titles that we have ahead of us."

Sule joined Bayern from Hoffenheim in 2017 and has made 159 appearances for the club, winning four Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokal crowns, as well as the 2019-20 Champions League.

However, when it emerged he would not be signing a new contract, former Bayern star and chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed the centre-back "never really asserted himself in his position" while at the club.

Sule's agent, Volker Struth, recently said his client "didn’t feel fully valued" by the German champions.

"I can only speak of myself and the people I am with every day," Hainer said in response to those comments.

"We all appreciated him and know what we had and still have in him. You have to ask him yourself what exactly he means by that."

Karim Benzema leads the LaLiga scoring charts this term with 17 goals.

But Real Madrid are set to revamp their attacking options if transfer speculation is true.

Benzema turned 34 in December and is contracted until 2023.

TOP STORY – BENZEMA CONCERN ON MADRID FUTURE

Madrid top scorer Benzema has requested a meeting with president Florentino Perez over concerns on his future with Erling Haaland's potential addition, reports Onze.

Los Blancos are set to be bolstered by forwardKylian Mbappe's arrival in the off-season to form an attacking trio alongside Benzema and Vinicius Junior.

But Haaland's potential move from Borussia Dortmund has left Benzema fearing he may lose his spot.

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- Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger is being lined up by Bayern Munich as their ideal replacement for Niklas Sule, claims Fichajes. Sule has confirmed his exit to Borussia Dortmund for next season.

- Juventus have a new plan ahead of fresh contract talks with Paulo Dybala, according to Calciomercato. Dybala is unsigned beyond this season.

- Manchester United and Brazilian giants Flamengo have agreed to a £12m fee for the permanent sale of Andreas Pereira, reports Universo.

- Atletico Madrid, who are looking to replace the departed Kieran Trippier, are set to make a €30m offer for Aston Villa full-back Matty Cash, claims Mundo Deportivo.

- Calciomercato reports that Milan still have an eye on Club Brugge's Dutch talent Noa Lang.

Borussia Dortmund have announced the signing of defender Niklas Sule, who will join the club from Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

The 26-year-old has agreed to a four-year deal at Signal Iduna Park, having decided against extending his Bayern contract, which expires at the end of 2021-22.

"We're delighted that we have managed to sign Niklas Sule, a Germany international, on a free transfer and have tied the player down for four years," said Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc.

Sebastian Kehl, who will succeed Zorc later this year, added: "Niklas has shown during the course of personal talks that he is really keen on Borussia Dortmund.

"He possesses a lot of experience, composure in his build-up play and the necessary physicality to take the next step with us from this summer onwards."

Sule joined Bayern from Hoffenheim in 2017 and has made 159 appearances for the club, winning four Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokal crowns, as well as the 2019-20 Champions League.

However, when it emerged he would not be signing a new contract, former Bayern star and chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed the centre-back "never really asserted himself in his position" while at the club.

Ex-Bayern captain Stefan Effenberg accused Sule of chasing money over sporting success as interest from Chelsea and newly rich Newcastle United was reported.

Sule's agent, however, told Sport1 that the player simply wanted a new challenge.

Rising Spain star Gavi has earned plenty of admirers since bursting onto the scene last year.

Gavi has made 26 LaLiga appearances for Barcelona despite only turning 17 in August.

The teenager has also been capped by Spain, with four appearances to his name.

TOP STORY – REDS PLOT GAVI SWOOP

Liverpool are set to make an audacious swoop for Barcelona teenager Gavi amid the Blaugrana's financial issues, reports the Daily Express.

Barca have been trying to convince the 17-year-old to re-sign with the club but have not met his salary demands yet.

The Reds are hoping to capitalise on that situation, with a view to an offer in the near future.

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- Borussia Dortmund are in contract talks with outgoing Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule, claims Transfermarkt's Manuel Veth. Sule has confirmed he will leave Bayern when his contract expires at the end of this campaign and is reportedly asking for €12-15million per season.

- Former Germany national team head coach Joachim Low is being lined up as Carlo Ancelotti's successor at Real Madrid, claims El Nacional.

- Barcelona could swoop for Chelsea target Jules Kounde with the Catalans lining up an off-season move for the Sevilla defender, according to the Daily Star.

- Express reports Barcelona are also looking to seal deals for Chelsea defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen in the coming days.

- Manchester United and Chelsea will both chase West Ham United's Declan Rice in the next transfer window, reports Sky Sports.

Manuel Neuer will miss at least the first leg of Bayern Munich's Champions League last-16 clash with Salzburg after undergoing knee surgery.

Bayern said their long-serving goalkeeper would be sidelined for several weeks, with the Bundesliga leaders disclosing the unexpected news on Sunday evening.

In a statement, Bayern said: "Manuel Neuer underwent successful surgery on his right knee joint on Sunday. FC Bayern will therefore have to do without their captain for the coming weeks."

Hasan Salihamidzic, the Bayern sporting director, said: "All of us in the club and the team wish Manuel a good and speedy recovery, and we're sure he'll be back to full fitness with us soon."

Sven Ulreich has been Neuer's deputy and is expected to step in while the 35-year-old regular number one rehabilitates.

Bayern are next due in action when they face Bochum in the Bundesliga next Saturday, before they travel to Salzburg for the first leg of their European tie on the following Wednesday.

The second leg of that tie is due to take place on March 8, and it remains to be seen whether Neuer will be passed fit for that game. Neuer has already indicated he is hopeful he will be available to head coach Julian Nagelsmann by then.

Neuer wrote on Instagram: "Hey guys, I had a little surgery on my knee this afternoon. Everything went fine, so I'll be able to start rehabilitation training soon. Keep your fingers crossed that I'll be back on the pitch in a couple of weeks."

On Saturday, Neuer helped Bayern earn a 3-2 home win over Leipzig, as he matched Oliver Kahn's all-time record of 310 Bundesliga wins by a player. He achieved the first 77 wins with Schalke, before joining Bayern in 2011.

Niklas Sule already knows which club he will join when leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season, according to the defender's agent Volker Struth.

Germany international Sule confirmed to the club last week he will exit the Allianz Arena when his contract expires in four months' time, having failed to agree to a new deal.

That led to criticism from club legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who stated Sule "never really asserted himself in his position" at Bayern.

Former Bayern skipper Stefan Effenberg went one further by accusing the 26-year-old of "deciding against sporting success for more money", with newly rich Newcastle United among the sides linked.

But the player's representative has refuted those claims, insisting Sule's decision to leave Bayern is not financially motivated.

"I think I would have a problem if we were to announce in a few days that the player would move to Newcastle and I'm sitting here explaining that the money isn't the priority," Struth told Sport1.

"We never negotiated [with Bayern]. There was only a verbal approach. We met, spoke about it and I signalled at the time that the player was considering whether he wants to extend his contract. 

"It wasn't about the money at all. A conversation was planned in January. Niklas spent Christmas with his family, called me at the time and said: 'I don't want that anymore. I don't want this appointment to take place.' 

"It has nothing to do with money at all. I spoke to [sporting director] Hasan Salihamidzic about a possible renewal, that was in late autumn last year – six or seven months before the end of his contract.

"By then, Sule had already decided and told me: 'I want to do something differen.'"

Asked if Sule's next destination is already known, Struth said: "Yes, that's for sure. Niklas recently made a decision, and I would be surprised if he changes it again."

Sule joined Bayern from Hoffenheim in 2017 and has made 159 appearances for the club, winning four Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokal crowns, as well as the 2019-20 Champions League.

Sweden striker Alexander Isak's reputation continues to grow at Real Sociedad.

The 22-year-old has netted eight goals in all competitions this season after 17 strikes in LaLiga last term.

Isak is contracted with Sociedad until 2026, meaning they are under no pressure to cash him in.

However, there appears to be plenty of interest among clubs who want to test La Real's resolve to keep him.

TOP STORY – BLUES AND RED DEVILS ENTER ISAK RACE

Chelsea and Manchester United have both joined the race to sign Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak, according to The Mirror.

Arsenal have been keen on the 22-year-old Sweden international, who has a £75million buyout clause in his contract.

United are said to view Isak as an ideal replacement for veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo whose future at Old Trafford is unclear.

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- Juventus are bullish that they can beat Tottenham in the race to sign Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo, claims La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Bianconeri view Zaniolo as a replacement for Paulo Dybala, whose contract is running down.

- Manchester United and Liverpool have joined Real Madrid and Barcelona in keeping tabs on Serge Gnabry's contract situation at Bayern Munich, reports The Mirror. According to Sky Germany, Bayern and Gnabry are having a stand-off in discussions over an extension.

- Liverpool's deal to land Fulham's Fabio Carvalho is not dead, says Football Insider, with the two parties set for new talks with a view to an off-season switch. Calciomercato claims that Milan have also reached out to Carvalho's representatives.

- The Sun reports that Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea are monitoring 16-year-old Blackburn Rovers defender Ashley Phillips, with Everton and Tottenham also keeping tabs on the teenager.

Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski were on target as Bayern Munich claimed a thrilling 3-2 Bundesliga win over RB Leipzig on Saturday.

The champions' deadly duo scored either side of Andre Silva's equaliser to give them a half-time lead at the Allianz Arena, which was lit up in purple prior to kick-off to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Christopher Nkunku struck as Leipzig again pegged Bayern back only for Josko Gvardiol's unfortunate own goal to hand the home side maximum points.

Muller had a simple tap-in to put Bayern ahead after Peter Gulacsi had saved from Lewandowski when Corentin Tolisso forced a high turnover of possession.

Leipzig recovered to level after 27 minutes, though, Silva squeezing the ball over the line from a tight angle after Niklas Sule could not clear Konrad Laimer's cut-back.

Muller headed in a second only for VAR to disallow the goal for a foul by Lewandowski, while Leroy Sane was denied by Gulacsi.

Bayern's pressure told before the break, Lewandowski nodding Kingsley Coman's delivery back across goal and beyond the Leipzig keeper, yet they were again pegged back eight minutes into the second half. Laimer again was the provider, splitting the Bayern defence with a pass to Nkunku, who finished calmly.

This time, Leipzig were level for barely five minutes. Serge Gnabry was given too much space in the penalty area, and his drilled effort back across goal looped off Gvardiol and sailed over the helpless Gulacsi.

Emil Forsberg was denied by some last-ditch Bayern defending as Leipzig pushed for a third equaliser, but the champions held firm for their 17th win in 21 league matches in 2021-22.
 

What does it mean? Bayern stretch lead as Leipzig struggle again

Bayern's lead at the top is back to nine points, although Borussia Dortmund in second have a game in hand.

It also means Julian Nagelsmann has earned 52 points from his first 21 league games in charge of the club.

For Leipzig, this was an eighth consecutive league game against the champions without a win, while it leaves them three points outside the top four.

Muller marches on

Muller has now been directly involved in 23 goals in 21 league games this season and he would have had another had Lewandowski not been penalised for a foul.

His form has been exemplary under Nagelsmann and it shows no sign of abating.

Neuer notches famous win

Manuel Neuer, who made an important late save from Forsberg, has now reached 310 wins in 458 Bundesliga games. That puts him level with the competition record set by former Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn, who reached the same number in 557 matches.

What's next?

Bayern travel to Bochum next Saturday, while Leipzig host Cologne the day before.

Robert Lewandowski insists Erling Haaland's impressive form at Borussia Dortmund does not necessarily mean the striker will be a world-class talent in years to come.

Haaland is one of the most sought-after talents in world football after scoring 80 goals in 79 appearances for Dortmund since joining the club in January 2020.

That is a goals tally only Lewandowski can match over that period among players from Europe's top five leagues, the Bayern Munich star having notched 107 goals in 90 games.

Haaland's 80 strikes have come from an expected goals (xG) return of 64, meaning he has scored 16 goals more than expected given the likelihood of the shot going in.

No player from the Bundesliga, Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A or Ligue 1 boasts such a large xG differential, with Lewandowski (12.3) behind Luis Muriel (12.4) in third.

While there is no disputing Haaland's quality in front of goal, however, Lewandowski has questioned whether the Norway international will remain as prolific in seasons to come.

"Haaland is a great player who is fun to watch," Lewandowski told Polish magazine PilkaNozna. 

"But just because someone has great potential, it doesn't mean they will be a real star for many years."

Breaking down Haaland's goals with Dortmund further, he has scored 96 per cent of them from inside the box, compared to 84 per cent for Lewandowski over that period.

However, Haaland has scored far more goals with his left foot (80 per cent), whereas Lewandowski is predominantly right footed, netting 67 per cent of his from within 18 yards.

The duo are far from identical in terms of playing style, too, as pointed out by Lewandowski.

"I don't like comparing a 33-year-old player with a 21-year-old player because everyone has their own development," he said.

"But he's strong, fast, physical. His game is based on that. I have different qualities. And we don't know how he will develop..."

This season alone, Lewandowski has scored 10 goals more than Europe's next most prolific marksman in Karim Benzema (24 goals), with Haaland third on 23 goals.

The Poland international turns 34 in August, but in a warning to his rivals for the 2022 Ballon d'Or award, he does not believe he is yet at his peak.

"My performance tests are now giving better results than last year," he said. "As for the numbers, it seems my best time is yet to come. I feel better now than I did two years ago."