Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany reported that the 38-year-old goalie and Bayern Munich had agreed to a new contract that will last until the end of the 2025–2026 campaign.
The source also added that Neuer remains determined and highly motivated to play at the highest level. That will undoubtedly be required. The goalie is one of the highest paid players at the Munich club, after all.
When questioned about the contract negotiations with his goalie, the director of sport stated during a news conference on Thursday that “both sides will be happy when it’s done.” “I’m not sure when exactly yet. The discussions are headed in the correct direction, and the final details need to be clarified.
The amount of money Bayern will spend on their goalie is probably one of those specifics. With an annual pay of €21 million ($21.7 million), Neuer is the second-highest paid player at the Rekordmeister, after Harry Kane, according to Capology.
It must be questioned if Neuer is worthy of receiving that kind of compensation in the future. Even though they are occasionally still at the top, there have been some obvious indications of a deterioration, particularly in important games.
Last season, a mistake against Real Madrid cost Bayern Munich the Champions League final. This season, Neuer was sent off in the round of 16 clash against Bayer Leverkusen after he mistimed his run to intercept Jeremie Frimpong. Bayern eventually lost that game.
To make matters worse, Neuer also injured himself in that game. The 38-year-old will now be out in Friday’s must-win clash against RB Leipzig.
Hence, the contract renewal could be a decision that could backfire for Bayern. Although his footballing abilities are still second to none, there has also been a notable statistical decline. As pointed out in a piece by Gegenpressing, Neuer is among the worst shot stoppers in the Bundesliga this season.
Therefore, the question must be asked: Could the salary invested in the new Neuer contract be spent better elsewhere? The Bayern squad has shown some noticeable holes this season, with the attack, in particular, lacking depth.
New signings, however, aren’t on the horizon. “The priority is on ‘internal transfers’, which means contract extensions,” Eberl said. “When everyone is fit again, we will have even more options. We are extremely happy with the squad.”
Indeed, Bayern is not only in prolonged talks with Neuer but also Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala. Musiala is expected to sign a deal that will make him the best paid player in club history.
In other words, could the resources allocated to Neuer be better spent on another goalkeeper? Indeed, according to Capology, Bayern currently pays backup keeper Daniel Peretz €1.5 million ($1.55 million). Bayern is also on the hook for a significant part of Alexander Nübel’s salary at Stuttgart.
In other words, would it make more sense to move on from Neuer and strengthen other areas? The numbers certainly suggest that this is the case.
