Newcastle have turned down a 15million euros bid from Bayern Munich for full-back Kieran Trippier.

The England international was the subject of a rejected loan offer from the Bundesliga giants at the weekend, but have returned with a cash bid which amounts to around £13million for the 33-year-old.

However, the PA news agency understands the Magpies have no intention of selling Trippier, who joined the club in a £12million switch from Atletico Madrid in January 2022, during the current transfer window.

They have also rebuffed an approach from Atletico for striker Callum Wilson on loan and signalled that they want to keep him at St James’ Park for at least the remainder of the season as well.

Al-Shabab – not one of the four clubs in which Saudia Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which holds an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle, has a controlling interest – are also chasing Paraguay frontman Miguel Almiron, but are yet to reach a point where his current employers would even have cause to think about a deal.

The knowledge that the Tyneside club is close to its spending limit after a £400million-plus, two-year recruitment drive appears to have prompted suitors to test the water this month.

While chief executive Darren Eales has admitted that player trading is something the club will have to do in the longer term, there is no great willingness to start now with injuries continuing to deplete head coach Eddie Howe’s squad, and none of the players in question are agitating for a move.

Bayern, who have other targets, now face a decision over whether or not to consider their pursuit of Trippier before the February 1 deadline, knowing that they may have to go significantly higher than their valuation if they are to spark a rethink.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel knows it will not be easy to ‘flip the switch’ and get their Bundesliga campaign back on track.

Tuchel faced more questions over the direction of his side following the 1-0 home loss to Werder Bremen on Sunday, which left Bayern seven points behind unbeaten leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who have played one match more.

Union Berlin head to the Allianz Arena for Wednesday night’s rearranged game – with Bayern fans demanding an immediate response.

“It is not a case of simply flipping a switch. It is not easy,” Tuchel told a press conference.

“We are very aware of the state of play. It is our job and my responsibility to influence it. We are actually very positive, but we are falling well short of our expectations in matches.

“We will continue to demand it until it works, and we are ready to show the desire that will also spark the fans – we are below our expectations.

“We can do a lot better. There is a lot of room for improvement. The explanation in terms of passion, bite, tackling and enthusiasm remains the same.

“It is the foundation for all tactical things. We have not shown that and we will try to do so tomorrow.”

Tuchel maintains he is not feeling any extra pressure from the Bayern boardroom.

“I also have a very good relationship with (chief executive) Jan-Christian Dreesen. There have been no concrete exchanges,” Tuchel said.

“Christoph Freund is with us every day as sporting director. He has expressed his opinion – and he is right to do so.”

Tuchel reported no fresh injury concerns, but remains without defenders Kim Min-Jae and Noussair Mazraoui, who are on international duty.

Union Berlin head coach Nenad Bjelica is expecting Bayern to come out “with anger in their stomachs”, but challenged his side to make the most of their own opportunities.

 

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“Bayern are one of the most difficult opponents you can face in the Bundesliga, but like Werder Bremen, we are hoping to take our chances and capitalise on them to come home with one or more points,” Bjelica said at a press conference.

“Munich will certainly go into the game with anger in their stomachs, which is why we want to go into the clash with maximum discipline, aggression and courage.”

Union Berlin, whose last match against Mainz was postponed because of freezing conditions, have strengthened the squad with the signing of forward Chris Bedia from Swiss club Servette.

Rani Khedira and Josip Juranovic remain unavailable because of injury, while Aissa Laidouni is away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Jude Bellingham inspired Real Madrid with a goal and an assist as they came from two goals down to earn a last-gasp 3-2 win over rock-bottom Almeria in LaLiga.

The visitors hit the front inside a minute through Largie Ramazani and doubled their lead at the end of the first half when Edgar Gonzalez slammed a shot into the top corner from outside the area.

Bellingham kick-started Madrid’s comeback from the penalty spot in the 57th minute and they were on level terms 10 minutes later when Vinicius Junior nudged home from inside the area.

The game looked to be heading for a draw, but Madrid snatched the points nine minutes into stoppage time when Bellingham nodded across for Dani Carvajal, who poked home at the back post.

Osasuna made it back-to-back wins with a 3-2 victory over Getafe.

David Garcia edged the hosts in front inside 10 minutes with a close-range finish and they doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark through Iker Munoz.

Getafe fought back to level terms with two goals in four second-half minutes, Borja Mayoral bringing the visitors back into the contest and Nemanja Maksimovic making it 2-2, but Jesus Areso’s intended cross from near the corner flag ended up in the back of the net via a post to give Osasuna all three points.

In Germany, Bayern Munich slipped to a shock 1-0 home defeat to Werder Bremen to lose further ground to Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

The visitors, who had Justin Njinmah’s strike ruled out in the 25th minute after a VAR check, were not to be denied when Mitchell Weiser cut in from the left and fired into the roof of the net to give them a deserved lead.

Goalkeeper Michael Zetterer denied Leroy Sane and Mathys Tel late on to earn Werder a first league win over Munich since 2008.

Augsburg came from a goal down to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 at Borussia Park.

Jordan Pefok bundled home from close range to give the hosts a lead, but Augsburg hit back in the second half.

Phillip Tietz brought Augsburg level with a neat header two minutes into the half and the winner came four minutes later as Arne Engels found the bottom corner from inside the box to help Augsburg move above their opponents in the table.

In Serie A, Szymon Zurkowski scored a hat-trick to help Empoli move within two points of safety with a 3-0 win over Monza.

Zurkowski put the hosts in front in superb fashion with a spectacular volley and doubled their lead with a header seven minutes before the break before he rounded off his treble with a right-footed tap-in after the break.

Frosinone came from behind to end a run of five straight defeats with a 3-1 win over Cagliari.

Sulemana bagged his first Serie A goal to give Cagliari a half-time lead, but Frosinone scored three times after the break.

Luca Mazzitelli’s pinpoint header brought them level before Matias Soule found the top corner from a free-kick and Kaio Jorge added a third in stoppage time.

Bottom side Salernitana slipped to their 13th league defeat of the season as they lost 2-1 to Genoa.

Salernitana edged in front in the second minute thanks to Agustin Martegani, but they were not ahead for long as Mateo Retegui equalised 10 minutes later and Albert Gudmundsson’s penalty secured Genoa’s comeback victory.

Bayern Munich slipped to their first home league defeat of the season as Mitchell Weiser’s second-half goal earned Werder Bremen a shock 1-0 win at the Allianz Arena.

The visitors, who had Justin Njinmah’s strike ruled out in the 25th minute after a VAR check, looked relatively comfortable for much of the first half against a Bayern side who were looking to close the seven-point deficit to leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Bremen took the lead just before the hour mark when former Bayern man Weiser cut in from the right and unleashed a fierce left-footed shot into the roof of the net.

Ole Werner’s team had Michael Zetterer to thank for preserving their advantage, the goalkeeper producing several superb saves to ensure the away team took home all three points.

Bayern had the better of the early stages, Leroy Sane firing the game’s first shot on target straight into the grasp of Zetterer.

But the away side, who headed into the match unbeaten in four, soon began to grow in confidence.

Jens Stage forced a save from Manuel Neuer, and Weiser’s deflected effort looked to be heading in before the Germany goalkeeper superbly touched behind for a corner.

They thought they had the opener in the 25th minute when Njinmah was set clear on goal and slotted home, but it was ruled out after a VAR check adjudged Jamal Musiala had been fouled in the build-up.

The hosts then almost took the lead themselves when Dayot Upamecano found himself one one one with Zetterer, but he directed his effort straight at the keeper.

Harry Kane had his first real glimpse of goal at the start of the second half when the ball fell kindly to him on the edge of the box but he powered over the bar.

Bremen took the lead just before the hour when Weiser crashed into the roof of the net from close range.

Bayern pushed for an equaliser, with no-one on hand to tap home after England captain Kane headed a corner back across goal from the back post.

It turned into wave after wave of home attack in the closing stages and they were denied again when Sane’s goal-bound shot was tipped behind by Zetterer.

Bayern went within inches of an equaliser with three minutes to go when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s cross found Mathys Tel, but the Frenchman’s header was tipped onto the post by Zetterer as the visitors held on.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has backed planned demonstrations against right-wing extremism in Germany as he prepares his players for their Bundesliga clash with Werder Bremen.

The club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness made a statement against Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party during a memorial ceremony for the nation’s football great Franz Beckenbauer on Friday, while Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso and Freiburg counterpart Christian Streich have also spoken out.

Asked about the protests at his pre-match press conference, Tuchel said: “We can’t stand up enough.

“There’s no doubt about fighting against all forms of extremism, but obviously also against right-wing extremism in particular given the discussion and our history. There can be no doubt there.”

Tuchel’s comments came a day after Germany paid an emotional tribute to Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup both as a player and a manager.

He said: “Franz was in the same league as Pele and Diego Maradona – you can’t get bigger than that.

“It was a nice, respectful and dignified service. The speeches were very powerful.”

Bayern returned to action after the league’s winter break with a 3-0 victory over Hoffenheim last Saturday and head into Sunday’s fixture sitting in second place behind Bayer Leverkusen with a game in hand.

Tuchel, who confirmed loan signing Eric Dier will be in the squad, said: “It’s obviously a classic fixture that had a huge allure when I was a kid.

“There’s always a special energy and lots of goals. Bremen have a special way of playing, always looking to attack.

“It’s about three points. We’ll adjust everything for what’s best for us to get the three points.”

Bremen head coach Ole Werner, who will be without suspended duo Marvin Ducksch and Leonardo Bittencourt, knows his team will have to be at their best to extend a four-game unbeaten run.

Werner told a press conference: “We need to be on our A game throughout the full 90 and hope that Bayern aren’t at their absolute best. That being said, we’re preparing for the challenge with what we have available to us.

“We’ll have to mentally adapt to having less possession than we usually would. In the moments where we do have the ball, we have to make the most of our chances.

“We could dwell forever on the fact that Bayern are the league front-runners, but it’s important that we just focus on ourselves.”

Franz Beckenbauer was described as a “role model for many generations” as Bayern Munich paid an emotional final farewell to their club great in a memorial service at the Allianz Arena on Friday.

Former West Germany captain and manager Beckenbauer died on January 7 at the age of 78, prompting tributes throughout the world of football for the man known as ‘Der Kaiser’ – The Emperor.

Munich-born Beckenbauer captained Bayern to three successive European Cup triumphs from 1974, and is one of only three men to have won the World Cup as both player and manager, lifting the trophy in 1974 and 1990.

Comfortable as an attacking sweeper or dominant midfielder, Beckenbauer was widely recognised as one of the best players in the history of the game and won the Ballon d’Or in 1972 and 1976.

Beckenbauer had been laid to rest alongside his parents at the Perlacher Forest cemetery in Munich.

Around 20,000 fans attended Friday’s memorial service, along with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and national team coach Julian Nagelsmann.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin were also among the guests, while leading European clubs were represented by the likes of Barcelona’s Joan Laporta, Paris St Germain’s Nasser Al-Khelaifi as well as Real Madrid’s honorary president Jose Martinez Pirri.

Alex Stepney fronted Manchester United’s delegation, having earlier visited Manchesterplatz in Trudering-Riem, the site of the 1958 Munich Air Disaster, to lay a wreath for his former team-mate Sir Bobby Charlton and their great on-pitch rival Beckenbauer.

Wreaths, including from Barcelona and Liverpool, were laid around a black-and-white picture of Beckenbauer in the centre circle at Bayern’s Allianz Arena home.

Lothar Matthaeus, captain of the 1990 World Cup-winning squad, Paul Breitner and Berti Vogts, team-mates from 1974, were among the players who paid their respects on the pitch, along with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the former Bayern chief executive and close friend of Beckenbauer.

Tenor Jonas Kaufmann sang the Italian version of “Time to Say Goodbye” before Bayern president Herbert Hainer addressed the crowd.

“Franz was a friend to everyone, from his heart. That’s what made him this unique personality. He would have been pleased that so many people have come today,” Hainer said in his speech.

“A Munich child who became a world citizen. He was taught from a young age that every person is equal. He exemplified that value – always and everywhere.

“A role model for many generations. Wherever he went, Franz treated everyone the same way. Always a nice word, always an open ear – that was his gift.”

Hainer added: “This is FC Bayern’s home and this will always be Franz’s home, too. FC Bayern will always remain the Kaiser’s empire.

“Dear Franz, we’re immeasurably grateful for everything. You’ll remain in our hearts and in our play for all time.”

Bayern’s honorary president Uli Hoeness paid an emotional tribute to his old friend as the ceremony was brought to a close.

“We played together for many years, we won a huge amount and lost the odd game too,” he said.

“If I didn’t know what to do with the ball, I knew it was safe with Franz.”

Hoeness added: “If you had a problem, you went to Franz. That was one of his most important characteristics.

“You could learn a lot from Franz not just on the pitch, but a lot off it too.”

Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt has suffered a knee injury at the club’s training camp in Faro, Portugal.

It is unknown how long De Ligt will be out of action but Bayern confirmed he will not be able to train with the squad as they prepare for their match with Werder Bremen on Sunday.

A club statement read: “Matthijs de Ligt has suffered a capsular injury in his left knee during the training camp in Faro, Portugal. The diagnosis was confirmed by FC Bayern’s medical department following an MRI scan.”

The Dutchman missed the training session on Tuesday alongside fellow defenders Dayot Upamecano and new signing Eric Dier, who left the camp ahead of the birth of his first child.

Bayern will continue preparations in Portugal before returning to Germany for the weekend’s fixture as they look to close the gap on league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Harry Kane equalled Robert Lewandowski’s half-season Bundesliga goalscoring record with a late strike but it was Jamal Musiala who provided the real cutting edge in Bayern Munich’s 3-0 victory over 10-man Hoffenheim.

The England striker clipped home left-footed from 12 yards in added time for his 22nd goal in 16 games to match the man whose number nine shirt he inherited following his summer move from Tottenham. Kane now has next week’s home match against Werder Bremen to surpass Lewandowski’s tally by the halfway stage of the campaign.

But on a night when the death of Bayern great Franz Beckenbauer was marked with a number of tributes – the outside of the stadium emblazoned with the words ‘Danke Franz’ – it was the mercurial talents of the 20-year-old Germany international Musiala which lit up the Allianz Arena and moved his side within a point of leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

The first of his two goals secured a new record for the German champions, who have now scored in 65 successive home league fixtures to beat their own Bundesliga record set between 1970 and 1974.

Musiala opened the scoring in the first half with a shot from a narrow angle which goalkeeper Oliver Baumann could have dealt with better before converting a simpler 70th-minute effort to secure the result on a night of half-chances and missed opportunities.

Grischa Promel’s 74th-minute dismissal for a second yellow card ended the visitors’ hopes of staging a late comeback, although that appeared unlikely after failing to capitalise on their only good spell of the game midway through the second half when Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer marked his 500th club appearance with two good saves.

Bayern’s players all wore Beckenbauer’s number five during the warm-up, their match shirts also carried the words ‘Danke Franz’ and there was a period of silence before kick-off.

Once the game began, the hosts failed to create anything before they took the lead with their first shot in the 18th minute.

Hoffenheim were guilty of switching off as Bayern took a quick corner and that allowed Leroy Sane to picked out Musiala in space and he beat Baumann from the narrowest of angles via the far post.

It was Bayern’s 50th league goal in their 16th game and Hoffenheim’s 12th fixture without a clean sheet.

The only surprise was the home side’s failure to press home their dominance, the winter break appearing to have dulled their invention as all they could muster was a Raphael Guerreiro effort, teed up by Kane, which was comfortably turned around the post.

Hoffenheim’s best of limited opportunities saw Andrej Kramaric’s shot easily caught by Neuer.

Kane thought he had teed up Sane for Bayern’s second 10 minutes after half-time but it was ruled out for offside against the England captain, who continued to look one of Bayern’s biggest threats with a shot narrowly deflected wide.

Musiala then hit the post from distance with Thomas Muller unable to turn home the rebound and Konrad Laimer and Alphonso Davies were both denied by Baumann as Bayern began to ramp up the pressure.

But they were almost made to pay for not taking their chances as Neuer was forced into two great saves, first from Maximilian Beier’s close-range header and then Kramaric as he raced through on goal.

Even when Neuer was beaten by Beier’s volley, the ball crashed against the crossbar and that was to prove even more costly.

Musiala doubled his tally by converting Sane’s return pass and Kane grabbed his customary goal late on.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel believes his side have taken a “step forward” over the winter break as they set their sights on victory against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Friday night.

Munich have three consecutive home games, starting with the visit of seventh-placed Hoffenheim, as they turn the corner for the final half of the season looking to become champions for a 12th successive season.

They currently sit second in pursuit of that goal, four points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen with a game in hand, and will be looking to keep their home unbeaten run going.

Tuchel thinks his side are improving and has set a clear goal for the remainder of the season.

He told a press conference: “We’ve got the chance on Friday to move closer to Leverkusen.

“We’ve got a very high level but still have room for improvement in the opposition half and in counter-pressing. I’ve got the impression that we’ve taken a step forward in the last week.

“We want to get on a bit of a run with the three home games. The goal is clear that we want to be champions.”

Munich will head off on a four-day training camp to Portugal following the Hoffenheim fixture.

Tuchel is confident that will further improve his squad, giving them the opportunity to train in warm weather with less risk of injury or illness.

He added: “I like training camps with warm temperatures. You can spend more time together.

“We don’t have the extreme cold so can organise the breaks differently. With the cold there’s a greater danger of illness and injuries. The conditions should be perfect to train twice a day.

“We can then continue working more on patterns in attack and defence, set pieces and much more. I’m looking forward to it. I hope we head to Portugal with a win. We can gain a few more percent from it.”

Bayern Munich are expected to confirm the signing of Eric Dier from Tottenham ahead of the game and Tuchel thinks the England international will add great versatility to his team.

The former Chelsea boss said: “Things can always go wrong at the final moment. He’s (Dier) in Munich and we’re trying to finalise the deal. He’d be a good alternative for the squad. We’ll have to wait and see with everything else, but he’s in the city.

“Eric has become a specialist at centre-back. He can play either centre-back position and in a back three. He often used to play in midfield. We’ll see whether it happens or not.

“Patience isn’t my greatest virtue. Every coach wants to have all their players from the first day, but that will never happen. I’m more patient than in the past. I know how complicated the transfer business has become.

“There are a lot of interests and it’s become very complex. Even though Eric is in the city, it’s not done yet. When he signs, we’ll be pleased. We’re always trying to make things happen – not just transfers but also other things. We have ambitious goals.”

Manchester United misfit Jadon Sancho has returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 23-year-old winger claimed on social media in September that he had been made a “scapegoat” after boss Erik ten Hag said he did not reach the “level” required to be involved in their squad at Arsenal.

United later confirmed Sancho would train away from the first-team group “pending resolution of a squad discipline issue”, but a settlement between player and manager was never reached.

The England international has been banished for the past four months and will now look to kickstart his career in familiar surroundings, having returned to Dortmund on a temporary basis.

“When I walked into the changing room today, it felt like ‘coming home’,” said Sancho, who left the Bundesliga side for United in a £73million deal in 2021.

“I know the club inside out, I’ve always been very close to the fans here and I’ve never lost contact with the people in charge.

“I can’t wait to see my team-mates again, get out on the pitch, play football with a smile on my face, get assists, score goals and help the club qualify for the Champions League.”

The PA news agency understands Dortmund are contributing an initial 3.5million euros (£3m) to take Sancho on loan without an option to buy.

That figure could reach 7.5m euros (£6.5m) dependent on appearances and team success as Sancho looks to get his career back on track.

Sancho made the last of his 82 United appearances 141 days ago against Nottingham Forest – one of just three games he has played in this season.

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said: “Jadon is an absolute difference-maker and I’m looking forward to seeing him in Black & Yellow again soon. He knows this city, Signal Iduna Park, our fans and our club.

“Even though he hasn’t played any competitive games in recent months, we’re sure that he’ll quickly settle back in with us, find his best form and help us to achieve our season objectives with his qualities.”

Tottenham centre-back Eric Dier will undergo a medical in Germany on Thursday ahead of completing a £4million euros move to Bayern Munich, the PA news agency understands.

Spurs have been willing to listen to offers for Dier since the summer and the defender has started only once under boss Ange Postecoglou this season.

Dier, who only had six months left on his current deal, will now leave England and embark on a new challenge alongside former team-mate Harry Kane at Munich.

Postecoglou made clear at the beginning of the campaign that Dier could leave Tottenham, but he remained following the summer transfer window and eventually made his first appearance in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in November.

He was handed a start in Spurs’ next fixture at Wolves, but has only made two substitute outings since and was absent from Friday’s 1-0 win over Burnley in the FA Cup.

Postecoglou insisted it was down to a minor injury, but Bayern had already registered an interest in Dier by that point and they have now reached an agreement with Tottenham over his signing.

Dier has now arrived in Munich for a medical and will leave Spurs just short of a decade’s service in N17.

It continues a busy week for Tottenham with Timo Werner joining on loan on Tuesday and Genoa centre-back Radu Dragusin expected to complete a move to the club on Thursday with Djed Spence heading in the other direction.

Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt have completed the permanent signing of Leeds defender Robin Koch.

The 27-year-old has been on loan in Germany during the first half of the season and has made 23 appearances in all competitions.

He will now stay there after signing a permanent deal until 2027.

Koch made 77 appearances for Leeds after joining in 2020 but was allowed to leave after the club’s relegation to the Championship last term.

Harry Kane produced a long-range stunner to help Bayern Munich close out 2023 with a 2-1 win at Wolfsburg.

Kane fired home from 25 yards in the 43rd minute for his 21st Bundesliga goal of the season to put Thomas Tuchel’s side in control after Jamal Musiala opened the scoring on his landmark appearance.

Wolfsburg captain Maximilian Arnold reduced the arrears on the stroke of half-time with a fine strike of his own, but Niko Kovac’s men were unable to take points off his former side Bayern, who stayed second and four points behind Bayer Leverkusen going into the mid-season break.

Tuchel could only name six substitutes at Volkswagen Arena and remained without Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich.

It was actually Wolfsburg who made the stronger start with Manuel Neuer forced to deny Mattias Svanberg early on, but it was not a sign of things to come.

Kane got his first sight of goal soon after although failed to connect sufficiently enough with his attempted volley as Bayern tried to stamp their authority on proceedings.

The visitors dominated possession and should have broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, but Thomas Muller failed to find the net with two efforts after Leroy Sane’s centre.

Muller, fresh from signing a new contract on Tuesday, headed against the crossbar minutes later before he turned provider with 33 minutes on the clock.

Bayern’s experienced attacker cut inside and produced a superb cross with his left foot that Musiala headed home to mark his 100th Bundesliga appearance in style.

A second assist followed for Muller 10 minutes later, but it was all about Kane as he curled into the top corner from range for his 25th goal in all competitions this season before he celebrated by sliding towards the corner flag.

It was not a perfect half for Tuchel though after Wolfsburg reduced the deficit in stoppage time when Arnold’s swerving effort beat Neuer from long range.

Wolfsburg pressed for a second after the break and had penalty appeals turned down when Svanberg went down in the area following contact from Kim Min-Jae, but play was waved on.

Tuchel reacted soon after with Matthijs de Ligt introduced for his first appearance since November 1 following a knee injury.

Raphael Guerreiro could have sealed the points with 16 minutes left, but his close-range shot was blocked.

Wolfsburg did fashion one late opportunity and Neuer punched away Arnold’s speculative effort.

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