Bayern Munich make Manuel Neuer contract decision as veteran goalkeeper mulls over retirement

The 39-year-old has managed to retain his place in the starting lineup under head coach Vincent Kompany, proving week in week out that he is still among the best in the business despite having entered the twilight of his career long ago. Despite his horror blunder in the 2-2 draw against Union Berlin last weekend, which saw Bayern's 16-game win streak come to an end, there are no doubts Neuer is still the man for the No.1 spot. Neuer has played in 14 of the 17 games the Bavarian giants have played this season.

But Neuer will not stay at Bayern forever. The legendary goalkeeper is set to turn 40 in March next year and is into the final seven months of his deal. According to a report from BILD, Bayern have reached a decision over the future of their iconic player. The report claims that the club are keen on extending Neuer's contract by another year, until June 2027. 

Bayern are determined to ensure Neuer stays at the club beyond next summer, with contract talks set to intensify sometime in December. The club are extremely happy, not only with his performances, but also with the significant changes he has incorporated into his daily routine to prevent further injury setbacks. BILD mention that Neuer consults the physiotherapist everyday and undergoes weight training ahead of every team training session. What's more, his main workout sessions are followed by an extra 30-minute weight lifting sessions twice a week. 

With Neuer walking the extra mile with respect to his fitness, it may seem like he aims to prolong his career. However, the Gelsenkirchen-born goalkeeper is not spending any time pondering over his future, preferring to take it one day at a time instead. 

"I’m totally relaxed about it. The most important thing is what we do with our team," Neuer told reporters ahead of the Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. "I already hinted at this in the mixed zone, that my well-being will also be important. I'm taking my time and being totally relaxed, at least over the winter. Many factors come into play. It's a question of health, fitness, and motivation. But also, what happens with the club next season. I can't answer that myself because it's still far too early. Then, of course, we can always talk. Everything plays a role."

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There's belief at Bayern that they will reach an agreement with Neuer to extend his contract. At the same time, they are also relaxed about the future of second-choice goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, who has made just 15 appearances since joining Bayern from Cologne in January earlier this year. Per BILD, Neuer is motivated by his heir apparent; he understands that his colleague is a highly-promising goalkeeper and hence, he is not taking his current status as the undisputed first-choice for granted at all. 

Urbig, for his part, is embracing the experience of learning from experienced goalkeepers like Neuer and Sven Ulreich. He is not paying attention to whether Neuer extends, he says. “These are things I don't really concern myself with,” he told Rundschau recently. “Because it's not my place to comment on the decisions Manu makes, or the club makes. I concentrate on the day-to-day work with Manu, the goalkeeping team, and the squad. Our relationship is good; we work well together. It’s important to me to emphasise that we have a good relationship within the entire goalkeeping team. Manuel and Sven simply have an incredible amount of experience, which I can learn a lot from.”

Still only 22, Bayern believe Urbig can further develop behind Neuer in the 2026-27 season, should the latter potentially opt against retiring.

Whether Neuer retires or not also probably hinges on whether he comes out of international retirement. Reports over the past few months have mentioned that Germany could urge Neuer to consider re-joining the national team in light of the uncertainty faced by Marc-Andre ter Stegen at Barcelona. 

Speculation also suggests that authoritative figures within the German Football Federation (DFB) are trying to persuade head coach Julian Nagelsmann to allow Neuer to return. However, the final decision will rest with the former RB Leipzig and Bayern head coach. 

BILD also mentioned that DFB sporting director Rudi Voller reportedly held conversations with Neuer to ask him if he was willing to return to the national team, with the World Cup set to take place next summer.