Overview
- Neuer, who turned 40 on Friday, has not announced whether he will sign a new deal or retire as his contract runs out at season’s end and he works back from a calf and muscle injury.
- Sporting director Christoph Freund said talks with the captain are ongoing and that the club will wait for Neuer to tell them his choice.
- Planning for cover is underway, with reports naming academy prospect Jonas Urbig as a potential long‑term successor even as he recovers from an injury picked up on international duty.
- External options are also being evaluated, with multiple reports linking Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann as an experienced backup, though his recent rise with Germany could shape any move to a No. 2 role.
- Italian great Gianluigi Buffon urged Neuer not to rush the call and joked he could play five more years, while former Bayern coach Felix Magath ranked him in his position alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, reflecting the legacy of the goalkeeper who popularized the high‑line “sweeper‑keeper” style.