Bayern Munich's financial position could thwart a move for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, but the club are hopeful Jamal Musiala will pen a new contract soon.

That is according to Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen, who discussed the club's squad-building plans in an interview with German outlet Abendzeitung.

Wirtz has attracted interest from a host of Europe's biggest clubs after helping Leverkusen to an unbeaten title triumph in 2023-24, winning the Bundesliga's Player of the Season award after scoring 11 goals and providing 11 assists in the competition.

Wirtz has four goals and two assists in the league so far this term, while only Alex Grimaldo (35) and Kevin Stoger (33) have bettered his 26 chances created in the Bundesliga and his figure of 3.9 expected assists (xA) puts him second to Grimaldo (4.22).

Bayern's tendency to swoop for Germany's brightest and best has led to them being linked with Wirtz, but Dreesen says finances will dictate their ability to make a move.

"It must always be in Bayern's interest to have the best German players with them," he said. 

"But it is also true that Uli Hoeness always said Bayern must act in an economically sensible way. He would not agree with us if we did not observe both of his fundamental pillars."

Since the start of last season, Wirtz leads all players in the Bundesliga for successful dribbles, with 112. Second by that metric by Musiala, who has completed 109 for Bayern in that time.

Bayern are set to open talks over a new deal with the attacking midfielder, whose current deal with the Bavarian giants expires in 2026.

"It's no news that we naturally want to extend with one of the top players in the world who is in our ranks," Dreesen said.

"Jamal Musiala has developed excellently with us, he is a player who inspires the crowd, who creates a spectacle due to his individual class, who can turn a game around. 

"I very much hope that these first really good talks that Max Eberl and Christoph Freund have with Jamal will ultimately lead to an extension. 

"I don't want to put this in a corset in terms of time. The important thing is that it comes to that, even if it doesn't happen by the end of the year. Jamal Musiala is one of the faces of the future for FC Bayern."

Dreesen is also keen to see Joshua Kimmich put pen to paper on a new contract, with the midfielder having less than a year to run on his current deal.

"Joshua, who has a high degree of sporting ambition, knows which club he is in and what goals he can achieve here together with us," Dreesen said. 

"He feels comfortable in Munich and is a very important player in this team.

"We have already said publicly that we now want to start talks with him about a contract extension quickly."

Xabi Alonso offered a blunt assessment of Bayer Leverkusen's performance after the Bundesliga champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Bochum.

Koji Miyoshi produced an 89th-minute leveller to snatch struggling Bochum a point on Saturday.

Patrik Schick had put Leverkusen, who were hammered 4-0 by Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek, ahead in the 18th minute.

Leverkusen only had 11 shots to Bochum's 15, though Alonso's team did finish with a higher expected goals total (1.24 to 0.7).

But Alonso was left frustrated by sloppiness in both boxes from his team, and he compared the result to a 2-2 draw against Holstein Kiel, in which they squandered a lead, in October.

"It is the same feeling as against Kiel," Alonso told reporters, with Leverkusen having now drawn five of their last six Bundesliga outings.

"We again could not finish the game with a win and conceded before the end an equaliser. We have to do that better. We have to keep working on that and learn to handle it and secure the three points.

"Bochum were disciplined at the back and we did not do well in the last third of the pitch. We just were not good enough."

Leverkusen will aim to get back on track when they face Heidenheim at home after the international break.

Koji Miyoshi produced an 89th-minute leveller to snatch struggling Bochum a 1-1 draw against champions Bayer Leverkusen in Saturday's Bundesliga clash.

Patrik Schick fired Leverkusen into an 18th-minute lead after he was sent through by Florian Wirtz's superb ball before threading through Patrick Drewes' legs, with his strike hitting the post and rolling in.

Bochum, with new head coach Dieter Hecking on the bench, were by no means overrun, working hard in defence to shut down spaces but lacked more clinical finish up front.

Those profligate struggles ended late on as Miyoshi slammed home from close range to salvage a draw for the hosts.

The draw leaves Leverkusen, who lost 4-0 at Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek, in fourth place on 17 points, nine behind leaders Bayern Munich. 

Data Debrief: Familiar issue for Leverkusen

Leverkusen seemed on course for a battling away victory, until Miyoshi's last-gasp leveller proved pivotal for Bochum.

Alonso's side have now dropped 11 points from winning positions in the Bundesliga this season, no team has lost more.

That is in stark contrast to last season when Leverkusen became just the second team in Bundesliga history to not drop a single point from a winning position over an entire campaign.

Bayer Leverkusen must show consistency and focus upon their return to Bundesliga action after their Champions League hammering against Liverpool. 

Those were the words of Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who endured a miserable return to Anfield as the German champions were beaten 4-0 on Tuesday. 

Luis Diaz's second-half hat-trick and Cody Gakpo's header compounded Leverkusen to defeat, though that result had been coming according to Alonso. 

Die Werkself have managed just one win from their last five Bundesliga outings, dropping them to fourth having taken 16 points from their nine league games this term. 

Alonso's side are nine points worse off compared to last year, with the last reigning champion to start a campaign so poorly being Borussia Dortmund in 2012-13 (15 points).

"We have to become consistent in the game with our concentration and mentality," coach Xabi Alonso told a press conference on Friday.

"That's what we need to improve most. We want to be consistent in our way of playing but also our mentality and our focus. Every moment is important.

"It is not enough to play well over 80 minutes. We need it over the entire time with 100% presence on the pitch.

"If not then we make mistakes and mistakes at this high level are costly."

Leverkusen make the trip to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion to face bottom club Bochum, who have managed just one point from their nine games so far this season.

Only Greuther Furth (2021-22) and 1. FC Saarbrucken (inaugural 1963-64 Bundesliga season) have started off worse than Bochum in the league. 

But considering Bochum's -20 goal difference, they have recorded the worst start ever by a Bundesliga team, resulting in Peter Zeidler's dismissal last month. 

Dieter Hecking was announced as the club's new head coach earlier this week, and Alonso is expecting a tricky encounter this weekend.

"We want to be consistent. We can do it better and tomorrow it is important to play well. We are prepared for all situations," Alonso said.

"We know what to expect," Alonso said. "The intensity in Bochum, a new coach. They want to change the mood and mindset. But we are prepared. We know what to expect.

"We have to know it is very important for us. Tomorrow there are no excuses for not playing well. We face a good opponent, but we have to be prepared." 

Arne Slot insisted he will continue to look at "one game at a time" after leading Liverpool to a 4-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Luis Diaz's second-half hat-trick along with Cody Gakpo's 63rd-minute strike spoiled Xabi Alonso's Anfield return, moving the Reds top of the 36-team standings. 

Liverpool have now won all four of their Champions League games under Slot. It’s only the second time that they have won all four opening games in a single season. 

The Reds are now top of both the Premier League and Champions League, though Slot was keen to focus on the next task, which comes in the shape of Aston Villa on Saturday.

"I don't know if it was that much to do with intensity, but we took more risk," Slot said. 

"They overloaded the midfield a lot, and we adjusted at half-time and took the risk to play one v one all over. We had better chances in the first half and they weren't a goal threat.

"As much as this time, how good they are in Europe, sometimes a strong target man is better than someone a bit faster.

"Curtis Jones did an incredible pass, and then you have someone with the pace of Lucho to finish it off. The pass was as good as the goal, in my opinion.

"You don't look ahead as a manager in the next three months. You're always one game at a time. We've got Aston Villa on Saturday, another tough game."

Diaz's treble saw him become only the second Colombian player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League, after Faustino Asprilla for Newcastle against Barcelona in 1997. 

And he insisted that things have started brightly for Slot at Anfield, but said his team-mates must continue to perform to have something to show for it at the end of the season.

"The most important thing is the three points in this edition of the Champions League so we can keep progressing in the competition," Diaz said. 

"Things have gone so well with the new manager, it wasn't easy for him to come in and fill Jurgen Klopp's shoes.

"Hopefully, we'll have something to show for it at the end of the season.

"We have top-quality players all over the pitch and I really enjoyed playing in that position today. I'm just happy to be on the pitch.

"I need to go and find that ball now because I need to keep it somewhere special at home."

For Alonso and Leverkusen, meanwhile, it marked a first Champions League defeat since 2022, while also conceding four or more goals in an away match in the competition since 2013 against Manchester United.

"It's painful the result more than the performance, probably," Alonso told Amazon Prime.

"But this is the Champions League, this is the highest level, and today it wasn't enough for us."

"It's too early to tell, but I can see that Liverpool have a very good balance, a very complete team.

"They work with 11 players, and they have the power to hold a clean sheet, which is important in the Champions League.

"In the Premier League, let's see. It's early to tell but it's looking good."

Alonso, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, was serenaded by the home supporters at Anfield during the contest. 

"I tried to separate the game and the pain from the result from the nice feelings to come back. I'm really happy and thankful for that reception," he added. 

Luis Diaz scored a second-half hat-trick for Liverpool in their 4-0 victory at home to Bayer Leverkusen as they maintained their 100% start to their Champions League campaign.

Arne Slot's side lead the 36-team league within Europe's main competition following the result, with only Aston Villa alongside them as the only other club to have won every game. They play Club Brugge on Wednesday in their fourth match.

Back in Liverpool, things got off to a slow start with the scores level until the 61st minute. Diaz lifted the ball over goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to get things moving before Cody Gakpo made it two just two minutes later.

Gakpo's goal was initially ruled offside by the on-field official, though was overturned following a VAR review.

Diaz then scored his second and Liverpool's third of the night in the 83rd minute after picking up Mohamed Salah's cross and slotting past Hradecky. The Colombian rounded things off deep into stoppage time with a tap in from close range.

The result leaves Leverkusen 11th in the table with seven points, having tasted their first defeat of the competition at Anfield.

Data debrief: Slot has Liverpool purring

Liverpool are now top of both the Champions League standings and the Premier League and continue to go from strength to strength under Slot.

They looked much more threatening in the second half compared to the first, registering 3.48 xG in the second period after just 0.64 in the first half.

Diaz, meanwhile, has now scored nine goals in 15 matches in all competitions.

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso hailed his former club Liverpool as "one of Europe's best" as he prepares for his Anfield return.

Alonso, who spent five successful years at Anfield and helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005, returns to his former stomping ground when Leverkusen take on the Reds on Tuesday.

Arne Slot has won 12 of his first 14 matches in charge of Liverpool, including all three in the Champions League so far.

Leverkusen have only won one of their 11 away major European matches in England (D3 L7), and have lost their last two visits to Anfield, and Alonso is under no illusion as to the scale of the task that awaits the reigning Bundesliga champions.

"For us, it is a big challenge," he said.

"Liverpool at the moment are one of the best, if not the best, in Europe, they are showing that in the Premier League and Champions League, a good squad, great coach. We're looking forward to it. Let's see what happens.

"You can play 70 minutes great but in 20 minutes it [the game] is gone, so it is mentally and emotionally we need to be ready.

"In all areas, they are really strong, so the process works really well. [Slot] has done a fantastic job in three months."

Alonso played 210 times across all competitions for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, scoring 18 goals and providing 20 assists. 

After winning the Champions League with the Reds in 2005, he helped them reach the final in 2007, though they lost to Milan on that occasion.

However, the Spaniard does not think he will have too much time for a trip down memory lane.

"Unfortunately, there is no time for tourism – maybe a little run or walk," he said.

"I know the city very well, I love it, but tomorrow I will focus on the game and only the game.

"It feels great to be back here after a few years. It's always special. You notice the development of the club; the new stand looks amazing.

"It is a big game against Liverpool, it cannot get much better than that."

The omens are not great for Leverkusen, though.

Liverpool have lost one of their last 21 European meetings with German opponents (W14 D6), albeit that one defeat came against Leverkusen in 2002. 

Arne Slot has urged Liverpool to perform better with and without the ball when they face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Reds had to come from behind to beat Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, recovering from conceding an early goal thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah as they won 2-1. 

So far, Slot has only lost one game in charge of Liverpool, and boasts a perfect record in the Champions League, though they sit second in the table behind fellow Premier League side Aston Villa on goal difference. 

They are looking to win their opening four games in a single campaign of the competition for just the second time in their history, after 2021-22 under Jurgen Klopp (a run of seven), but Slot knows they need to make improvements if they want to beat the German champions. 

"Football is played in two moments, having the ball and not. And against strong teams, Leverkusen is one, you need to be good on both sides," Slot told a press conference on Monday.

"We were poor on both sides, not as good with or without [the ball] on Saturday against Brighton, so we need a second-half performance because Leverkusen are at least equal to Brighton with the ball. So we need a much better performance than the first half."

Liverpool have lost one of their last 21 European meetings with German opponents (W14 D6), though that one defeat came against Leverkusen in 2002. They are unbeaten in 13 games since then (W10 D3).

Xabi Alonso is looking to end that run as he returns to Anfield for the first time as a coach to take on his former side, who he helped win Europe's elite club competition in 2005. 

"It's difficult to say what makes him a special manager if you don't work with him, but he is, that is clear," Slot said.

"Bottom of the league when he took over, didn't spend much, bought one or two players, had that [kind of] season [where they won a domestic double having been unbeaten in the Bundesliga] - it's special.

"I haven't faced him [Alonso] or worked with him but what might be the situation is he worked with incredible managers in the past and played at the highest levels. So he knows what players feel at certain moments."

Liverpool will be able to count on defender Ibrahima Konate, who returned to training after coming off at half-time against Brighton.

"He's available to play, and I think also completely recovered, so there is no issue for him not to play because of what [happened]," Slot said.

"Then it's up to me to make the decision if he plays or not. But he's in a good place."

Xabi Alonso believes Bayer Leverkusen delivered their most complete performance in the Bundesliga despite being held to a goalless draw against Stuttgart on Friday. 

Leverkusen missed the chance to close the gap at the summit of the league table, despite dominating proceedings at the BayArena throughout. 

The hosts twice struck the woodwork in either half through Edmond Tapsoba and Victor Boniface, while Florian Wirtz was denied by a wonderful stop from Alexander Nubel late on.

Leverkusen ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.19 compared to Stuttgart's 0.28, further emphasising the superiority they had over their opponents. 

The result saw Alonso's side produce their second-highest underperformance in terms of their xG since the Spaniard took over the club in 2022, though the Leverkusen boss was happy with his side's display. 

"We are unhappy. We thought we had done enough to win it," Alonso said. "We pressed well. Our players showed a lot of energy to press a lot.

"We created a lot of chances in the first half. But we also had chances in the second half."

"Maybe the most complete performance from us even though we did not score. It was a top game.

"From Monday we focus on Liverpool. A big game, to play in Anfield," said the former Liverpool player.

But Leverkusen's struggles away from home continued. Alonso's side have now just won one of their last five league games, drawing the other four. 

They remained third in the Bundesliga table, but are now four points behind RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich, who now both have a game in hand.

"It is still early in the season," Alonso said when asked about the growing gap with the league leaders. "There are enough games. We want to keep going."

Bayer Leverkusen missed the chance to close the gap at the Bundesliga summit after a wasteful display saw them draw 0-0 with Stuttgart.

Leverkusen remain third in the standings, four points behind RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich, who play Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin respectively on Saturday.

Xabi Alonso's side dominated proceedings from the first whistle, registering 10 attempts in the first half, though only three were on Alexander Nubel's goal. 

They came closest to breaking the deadlock five minutes before the break when Edmond Tapsoba rattled the crossbar with a thumping header. 

Leverkusen struck the woodwork again shortly after the restart, this time through Victor Boniface, as the Stuttgart net continued to live a charmed life at the BayArena. 

Boniface was then denied by a miraculous save by Nubel in the 73rd minute, before the visiting goalkeeper denied Florian Wirtz to seal a share of the spoils for Stuttgart. 

Data Debrief: All bark, no bite

Leverkusen lacked the attacking spark that helped them romp to the Bundesliga title, and this result could prove pivotal in their attempts of reclaiming their league crown. 

The goalless draw saw the hosts underperform their expected goals (xG) value by 2.19. Only in a 0-0 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach last season have they underperformed their xG value more in a league game under Alonso (3.0). 

Boniface was arguably the biggest culprit for wasting those golden opportunities. He had four shots, with two of those on target, while he also missed three big chances. 

Xabi Alonso wants to see defensive improvements from Bayer Leverkusen, as he prepares for an "intense" game against Stuttgart.

Leverkusen, the Bundesliga champions, have already shipped 15 goals in the league this term.

They sit third, five points behind joint-leaders Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig and three ahead of eighth-placed Stuttgart ahead of Friday's clash.

Leverkusen have dropped nine points from winning positions in the Bundesliga this season, with only Wolfsburg worse off (11). They are the only team to have led in all eight of their league games this term (W4, D3, L1).

That is after Leverkusen did not squander a single point after taking the lead last season, and Alonso says there is plenty of room for improvement.

He said: "The last few games against Stuttgart have been really exciting.

"We are already feeling a good energy ahead of the game and we have prepared for the intensity that we expect. It’s a huge game.

"It's a big task for us to improve our defensive performance. We can score a lot of goals but we must not concede them.

"We hope to keep a clean sheet and we need to play well with and without the ball."

Stuttgart have not made a flying start to their Bundesliga campaign, though they have reeled off three straight wins in all competitions, including beating Juventus in the Champions League.

"There are a lot of emotions in these matches and Stuttgart are a strong team," said Alonso.

"They deserve their place in the Champions League."

Stuttgart have led in each of their five competitive games against Leverkusen under Sebastian Hoeness, but have not won any of them.

The last three meetings have seen Leverkusen score after the 88-minute mark.

Despite their iffy form this season, the defending champions have lost just one of their last 42 Bundesliga games (W32, D9).

They have picked up the most points in the league by far since the start of last term (105), followed by Bayern (92), Leipzig and Stuttgart (both 85).

Jonas Wind's extra-time winner saw Wolfsburg dump Borussia Dortmund out of the DFB-Pokal in the second round, piling more pressure on Nuri Sahin. 

With the game goalless after 90 minutes, the encounter at the Volkswagen Arena looked destined for penalties until Wind tapped home from close range in the 117th minute. 

Dortmund started strongly and almost took the lead early on when Maximilian Beier was sent through on goal, but struck the post with only Kamil Grabara to beat. 

Further chances fell to Serhou Guirassy and Beier, but the visitors were unable to take advantage of their dominant first 45 minutes. 

Wolfsburg grew into the contest after the break, and came closest in the second minute of extra-time when Tiago Thomas hit the woodwork before Wind had a header cleared off the line by Ramy Bensebaini. 

But Denmark international Wind would have the final say, netting the winner to leave Dortmund winless in their last three games in all competitions. 

It was, however, a more comfortable evening for holders Bayer Leverkusen, who swept aside second-tier Elversberg 3-0 on Tuesday. 

Patrik Schick scored a brace in the first nine minutes to put Xabi Alonso's side in control, with Aleix Garcia adding Leverkusen's third with a stunning free-kick before the break. 

Elversberg beat Leverkusen in the first round of the 2022-23 DFB-Pokal, making them the last team to beat the current holders in the competition.

RB Leipzig, the winners of back-to-back DFB-Pokal's before Leverkusen's triumph last year, also went into the hat for the next round after a 4-2 win over St. Pauli. 

Yussuf Poulsen and Christoph Baumgartner handed Marco Rose's side an early advantage before Morgan Guilavogui halved the deficit at the Red Bull Arena. 

Poulsen notched his second on the half-hour mark, only for Eric Smith to score the visitors' second after the interval. 

But Leipzig's progression was sealed by Antonio Nusa, who rounded off a fine solo run with his third goal for the club in all competitions.

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said his side were made to pay for "soft" defending against Werder Bremen.

Bremen twice came from a goal down to snatch a point and leave Leverkusen with a third draw from their last four league games.

Victor Boniface, returning to action after sustaining a hand injury in a car crash last week, opened the scoring in Saturday's Bundesliga contest, yet Marvin Ducksch restored parity midway through the second half.

Felix Agu's own goal put Leverkusen back in front, but late on, Romano Schmid fired in an equaliser.

"The fact that Werder could come back was down to both sides," Alonso said. "We were too soft in defending and they used their chances.

"We can and must defend better. At the moment we are missing a bit of stability. When we win it back then we will improve.

"At the end of the day we cannot be satisfied having twice wasted a lead.

"It is not the first time this has happened to us this season. There are things we need to correct."

Leverkusen's latest slip-up in the league has left them five points off leaders RB Leipzig in third place.

They also drew 1-1 at Brest in the Champions League on Wednesday.

"This feels like crap," said central defender Jonathan Tah. "Like a defeat. We just have to keep defending until the last second.

"The goals we let in were frustrating. I feel responsible. But we will get the chance to silence those talking about us now." 

Bayer Leverkusen twice took the lead but conceded a 90th-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 at Werder Bremen.

Victor Boniface, playing with a bandaged hand, flicked in a Jeremie Frimpong cutback in the 30th minute to put the champions in the driving seat.

He had missed Wednesday's Champions League 1-1 draw at Brest after suffering minor hand and foot injuries as a passenger in a car crash on Sunday, a day after he had scored the winner in Leverkusen's victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Boniface, who has now scored six league goals this season, had a chance to add another on the hour but Bremen goalkeeper Michael Zetterer pulled off a stunning save.

Instead, it was Bremen who scored with Marvin Duksch's powerful header in the 74th to level. Their joy only lasted three minutes, though, as Felix Agu, under pressure, spectacularly miskicked for an own goal.

Bremen, however, came back again, and Romano Schmid fired in a 90th-minute equaliser to snatch a point.

Leverkusen are third on 15 points, two behind second-placed Bayern Munich, who are in action on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Ducksch comes up trumps

Duksch accumulated the second-highest expected goals (xG) total in the game (0.65) and took the most shots in the match (seven).

That tally of shots is the most by a Bremen player in a Bundesliga match this term.

Lukas Hradecky, meanwhile, was making his 200th Bundesliga appearance for Leverkusen, becoming the first non-German player to hit that milestone for the club.

Despite Bremen's late equaliser, they have now won just one of their last 15 competitive matches against Leverkusen.

Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface has recovered well after suffering minor injuries in a car crash and could make Saturday's trip to Werder Bremen, Xabi Alonso has revealed.

Nigeria international Boniface was a passenger in a car that crashed one day after he scored the winner in the Bundesliga champions' 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt last week.

The 23-year-old, who scored 14 league goals as Leverkusen won their first top-flight title last season, sustained minor injuries to his hand and foot in the collision.

But Alonso has confirmed he is in contention to be involved this weekend, saying on Friday: "We will decide after training today.

"He had a few days to put it behind him. I saw him yesterday and he said he felt better.

"We will wait. If he feels better then he will travel with us to Bremen. Today is training and the last test."

Boniface has scored five league goals so far this season, but he missed their 1-1 Champions League draw at Brest on Wednesday.

Leverkusen are currently fourth in the Bundesliga on 14 points, three off the top after only winning one of their last three matches.

They will be without midfielder Amine Adli for several months after he broke his fibula in the game against Brest, and Alonso recognises he will be a major loss.

"A big loss for us. We will miss him," Alonso said. "A very important player for the squad and always a big influence.

"It was the worst news. Now we have to wait a long time for him."