Dante reveals Neymar interest

Bayern Munich centre-back Dante has admitted he has spoken with Santos striker Neymar regarding a move to the Allianz Arena.

The highly-rated forward has been linked with a move to the Bundesliga frontrunners, along with the likes of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Whilst on international duty with Brazil, Dante has revealed he spoke to Neymar regarding a move to Bayern, as the defender hopes his Samba Boys team-mate will join the Bavarian outfit.

He told Sky Sports: "I told Neymar there is nothing better than Bayern Munich.

"I said it would be a great club for him."

Thursday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Chelsea target Neymar could follow Pep Guardiola to Bayern Munich, according to reports in Spain.



- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed the club are ready to battle Manchester United for Crystal Palace prodigy Wilfried Zaha.



- Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal are prepared to spend big this transfer window – and has expressed an interest in Napoli’s Edinson Cavani.



- Everton have lodged an £8.5m bid for Toulouse midfielder Etienne Capoue, according to sources in France.



- QPR’s hopes of adding Real Madrid defender Ricardo Carvalho to their growing squad have been hit by the Spanish club’s injury list.



- Galatasaray have revealed the size of the offer accepted by Inter Milan for Wesley Sneijder, with £6.2million the going rate.



- Newcastle United and Sunderland target Moussa Sissoko will today decide whether or not to accept an offer from Marseille.



- Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has cooled talk of a move for Leeds striker Luciano Becchio.



- Wigan have signed goalkeeper Joel Robles on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season.



- Wigan midfielder Shaun Maloney has signed a new two-and-a-half year contract at the DW Stadium, the Barclays Premier League club have announced.



- Sunderland have made a bid for Swansea City's Danny Graham



- Manchester United have suffered a transfer snub after Pescara star Juan Fernando Quintero revealed his intention to move to Inter Milan.



- Manchester United's Federico Macheda could be about to join Stuttgart on loan, with an option to make the move permanent.



- Manchester United are considering a bid for Real Madrid midfielder Angel Di Maria as a possible replacement for Nani, according to Fichajes.net.



- Man Utd have once again sent scouts to watch Benfica defender Ezequiel Garay in action, according to the Daily Mail.



- Reading striker Gozie Ugwu has agreed to join League One strugglers Plymouth on a one-month loan deal.



- Southampton winger Jason Puncheon has revealed he hopes to win a new deal at St Mary's.



- Stoke boss Tony Pulis would not be drawn on the future of striker Kenwyne Jones after confirming that midfielder Maurice Edu will spend the rest of the season on loan with Bursapor.



- Victor Valdes' representatives have told Barcelona he will not consider extending his stay at the club.



- AC Milan have admitted to being in talks with Real Madrid regarding the possibility of taking Kaka back to Italy on loan.



- Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini has stated that his club are nearing closure on a deal for veteran Chievo shot stopper Stefano Sorrentino.



- USA international Graham Zusi admits he is still waiting to hear from West Ham if he will be handed a permanent contract at Upton Park.



- Pascal Chimbonda could follow in the footsteps of Thierry Henry, David Beckham and Robbie Keane and become the next Premier League export to move to the MLS.



- Christian Eriksen, who has been linked with Liverpool and Tottenham, looks unlikely to leave Ajax this month, according to his agent.



- Ajax outcast Miralem Sulejmani is finally ready to leave the club and move to Benfica - having failed to earn a dream move to England.



- Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea, could be on his way to Valencia, according toCadena Ser.



- Schalke general manager Horst Heldt has not ruled out selling players this month amid talk Lewis Holtby could make his move to Tottenham during the current transfer window rather than in the summer.



- Marseille are desperate to find a replacement for new QPR man Loic Remy - and they have set their sights on West Ham striker Modibo Maiga.



- Lyon have rubbished speculation linking playmaker Yoann Gourcuff with a move to Arsenal.



- Celtic have signed midfielder Tomas Rogic on a four-and-a-half-year contract from Central Coast Mariners.



- New Blackburn boss Michael Appleton has warned West Ham they will have to up the ante if they are serious about signing defender Martin Olsson.



- Walsall have rejected a bid from Bradford for captain Andy Butler.



- Crystal Palace boss Ian Holloway has confirmed his interest in DJ Campbell, but he faces competition for the QPR striker.



- Leeds United youngster Dominic Poleon has signed a new deal with the club.



- Nottingham Forest have sacked long-term boardroom members Mark Arthur, Frank Clark and Keith Burt.



- Nottingham Forest are lining up a move for Millwall striker Darius Henderson.



- Huddersfield Town are leading the race to sign Bradford City's exciting young striker Nahki Wells.



- Port Vale have announced that the club have signed former Sheffield Wednesday left-back Daniel Jones following his release from Hillsborough.



- Flamengo announced their fourth signing of the 2013 season in the shape of former Corinthians centre-back Wallace on a four year-contract.

Guardiola will be Bayern coach

Pep Guardiola will become Bayern Munich manager in July, having agreed a three-year deal with the Bundesliga giants.



Former Barcelona coach Guardiola was confirmed as Bayern's next coach on Wednesday.



Current Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes remains in his post until the end of this season, when 41-year-old Guardiola will take over on a contract until summer 2016.



Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "Pep Guardiola is one of the most successful coaches in the world and we are sure that he can make not just Bayern, but all of German football shine."



Guardiola will take over at the German giants on July 1, with Heynckes' contract running out on June 30.



The Spaniard announced last April he would be leaving Barca when his contract ran out at the end of the 2011/12 season and would be taking a year-long sabbatical from the game.



A host of clubs had been linked with the Spaniard since he left Barca, including Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea in England, Italian giants AC Milan and big-spending Paris Saint-Germain.



However, Bayern recently emerged as favourites to capture Guardiola's services and confirmed on Wednesday afternoon they had got their man.



Guardiola replaced Frank Rijkaard at Barca in 2008 and during his four years at the Nou Camp he led the Catalan giants to 13 trophies, making him the most successful coach in the club's history.

Bayern Munich announce Kirchhoff signing

Bayern Munich have secured the services of Jan Kirchhoff from Mainz on a free transfer at the end of the 2012-13 season.



The centre-back has an expiring contract with his current club, and will sign a deal with the Bavarians until June 2016.



"We are very pleased that such a young and talented Under-21 international has made the decision to join Bayern," chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Bild.



The 22-year-old had also caught the attention of Borussia Dortmund and Schalke, but has opted to continue his career at the Allianz Arena instead.



"Kirchhoff is a rough diamond. I am very happy that he comes to Bayern and has opted to accept the challenge," sporting director Matthias Sammer added.



Kirchhoff came through the ranks of the Eintracht Frankfurt youth academy, before joining Mainz in 2007.

Klopp hopes to trouble Bayern Munich

Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp believes his side can cause Bayern Munich problems when the teams meet on Saturday.



The clash between the Bundesliga heavyweights in Munich could prove an important turning point in the season.



Dortmund are third on the table, 11 points behind league leaders Bayern, who have lost their past five league matches against Klopp's men.



"We have the possibility to cause some trouble for Bayern," Klopp said.



"We have beaten them five times in a row in the league but we lost in the Super Cup.



"There, we really felt how different Bayern are this year. We tried to play our game in that match but on the other side the players were so aggressive.



"But if we can put all our quality on the pitch, then there are not many clubs in the Bundesliga that are as difficult to play as us.



"That is our task for this game, there is no guarantee for a good result for another team.



"Of course Bayern are favourites. They play at home, they have 11 points more.



"It looks like they play their own season but nevertheless it's our duty to go there and make it difficult for them to win."



Klopp, who has guided Dortmund to the past two Bundesliga titles, said he expected Bayern to always challenge for the crown.



"I guess it is not a big effort for (Bayern manager) Jupp Heynckes to motivate and focus them on their goals," he said.



"They have made some huge transfers. That is quite unique in Europe.



"Everywhere money is short but not in Munich. They have extended their squad in quality.



"Their offence for example is very good. You can change five, six or seven players and you still have a top European team.



"We have to admit that, and it's fine. Everybody has the right to do what they can within their limits."

Champions League: Valencia v Bayern Munich

Mauricio Pellegrini’s side set themselves up for this tie in perfect fashion with a 2-1 win over Espanyol at the weekend and they could qualify for the knockout stages at group leaders with a win on Tuesday night at Mestalla.

Bayern failed to beat Nurnberg in their weekend fixture but they did rest French winger Frank Ribery and even without the injured Arjen Robben, the Germans are a force to be reckoned with.



Valencia will be without Fernando Gago who suffered an injury during the build-up of Argentina’s recent friendly but Jonathan Viera who scored against Espanyol will be hoping to keep his place.



Pellegrino once again has to choose between Brazilian keeper Diego Alves and Spaniard Vicente Guaita.



Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes is likely make changes with Ribery coming in and Thomas Muller will be hoping to start the game ahead of Toni Kroos.



Anatoliy Tymoshchuk is unlikely to feature following a poor performance against Nurnberg, whilst Brazilian tough tackler Luis Gustavo will return.



Valencia: Alves, Pereira, Ricardo Costa, Rami, Cissokho, Viera, Costa, Feghouli, Jonas, Guardado, Soldado



Bayern: Neuer, Lahm, Badstuber, Dante, Alaba , Gustavo, Schweinsteiger, Shaqiri, Muller, Ribery, Pizarro

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Arjen Robben Wants To Stay At Bayern Munich For Rest Of His Career

Arjen Robben hopes to remain with Bayern Munich for the rest of his career.



The flying Dutch winger is a popular figure at the Allianz Arena and has a contract until 2015, by which time he will be 31 years old.



And with the former Chelsea star unlikely to be ready to hang up his boots by that time, another deal with the Bavarians could be on the agenda, health permitting – and that could line Robben up to finish his career at Bayern Munich.



It is something he would certainly welcome.



"Do I see myself here for the rest of my career? Yes, of course, I see that for me", the Holland international told TZ.



"Of course, it depends on my health and my performances on the pitch, but I hope it happens.



"I have a contract until 2015, we will see."



The Dutchman, who landed at Bayern Munich in 2009 for a fee of around €25M, also revealed he is loving life in Munich, which he sees as a superb place to live.



"Munich is a great city."



"I have lived in many European cities, but I have never felt so at home anywhere else."



Robben has featured for Bayern Munich five times in the Bundesliga this season and twice in the Champions League.



He turned out for Holland against Germany in the dour 0-0 draw between the two countries last night.

Ribery believes in Bayern

Franck Ribery says he now has no desire to move to La Liga as he believes Bayern Munich are the equals of Real Madrid and Barcelona.



There had been a time when Ribery appeared determined to move to Spain, with everything from climate to finance to silverware having seemingly contributed to the France international's publicly stated wish to leave Bavaria.



A deal had looked inevitable at some stage, with Madrid having confirmed during the summer of 2009, when they twice broke the world transfer record in moves for Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, that they were pursuing a deal for the winger.



However, the 29-year-old has since played in two Champions League finals with Bayern, defeating Madrid in last season's semi-final, and he feels there would now be little sense in seeking a move.



"There was a time when I was certainly drawn towards Madrid and Barcelona, but that's over," he told Sport Bild. "Bayern are on an equal footing in a sporting sense and, in terms of the whole package, I think that Bayern as a club is even better than Barcelona or Real.



"I can imagine that I will end my career with FC Bayern. I am confident that I am happier here than I would be elsewhere."



Despite Ribery's confidence in the club's quality, it is now two years since Bayern won any silverware, with Borussia Dortmund winning back-to-back league titles.



"We are the team with the greatest potential in Germany, so we have to be clear that winning the Bundesliga this season is a must," Ribery said. "Borussia Dortmund certainly have a good team and we have to treat them as serious rivals, but I believe we are better."

Pizarro happy with battle for places

Bayern Munich new boy Claudio Pizarro insists he would welcome the competition if the Bavarian giants decide to further reinforce their attack.



The 33-year-old is back at Bayern for his second spell after leaving Werder Bremen on a free transfer and he will be hoping to repeat the success of his first stint at the club, when he scored 71 goals in 174 appearances between 2001 and 2007.



He will be battling with Mario Gomez and another new signing, Mario Mandzukic, for playing time up front at the Allianz Arena, but the Peru international is not concerned about that and would even be happy to see another striker brought on board.



"We all have enough quality and I am sure that all three of us will get some of the action."



"I would find it good if a fourth striker joined us," he said. "It is a long season and unexpected things always happen. Therefore, it is important that we have enough players in every position so that we can compensate. We all have enough quality and I am sure that all three of us will get some of the action."



Pizarro has struggled with injury for much of the last 12 months, but he claims to be fitter than he has been for a long time.



"I am 33 now and I have to pay more attention to myself, but I feel like I will be playing for a long time yet," he told Munich's Tz newspaper. "Especially now I have overcome my [injury] problems, I feel quicker and sharper than for a long time."

Bayern interested in Martinez

Matthias Sammer has hinted Bayern Munich could make a move for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez in the near future.



The 23-year-old has long been linked with a move to the Bundesliga giants, and the newly appointed sporting director has admitted the Euro 2012 winner is indeed a transfer target for the Bavarians.



"I know Javi Martinez pretty well as a player, but I intend to get to know him really well. The people at Bayern who have been monitoring him are of the opinion that he is very good. Let's just wait and see what happens," Sammer told reporters.



"He has a lot of quality, but quality comes at a price. That's why he is quite expensive. One can always make some crazy signings, but nothing unreasonable. We have a certain responsibility toward the club."



Martinez has a contract with Athletic Bilbao until 2016 and Bayern would need to pay close to 40 million euros to secure his services.



Meanwhile, former Bayern midfielder Thomas Strunz has insisted that Sammer will have to guide the Allianz Arena side back to the top again if his spell at the club is to be deemed a success.



"I was quite surprised when I heard about the new set-up at Bayern. Time will tell whether the changes were any good," he said.



"The goal is to leapfrog Borussia Dortmund again and Christian Nerlinger failed to do that. Sammer will have the same difficult task at hand.



"In the end, Sammer's success will be measured by Bayern's position in the table when the season is over. You're always judged on the amount of titles you win at this club."



Bayern finished the 2011/12 campaign as runners-up in the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB Pokal.

Bremen sign Petersen on loan

Werder Bremen have signed Bayern Munich striker Nils Petersen on a one-year loan deal.



Petersen has also extended his contract at the Allianz Arena until 2015, and Bayern Munich general manager Christian Nerlinger is hopeful the regular first team football on offer at Bremen will be good for the 23-year-old's development.



"Nils is a great talent, and we want to get him some match practice - which he will be able to do with Bremen," Nerlinger told the club's official website.



"The fact that we have also extended his contract is a sign of how much we value him. We want him to have a successful future in the Bundesliga and Bayern."



Bremen have lost veteran forward Claudio Pizarro to Bayern, who also signed Mario Mandzukic to provide cover for Mario Gomez.



With the increased competition for places in Jupp Heynckes' first team, Petersen has decided to prove his Bundesliga credentials elsewhere and Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf is hoping he will be able to score heavily for his new club.



"He is a centre forward who has demonstrated his goal-scoring talent. We are delighted that he is joining us. We are sure that he'll have all the right conditions to develop here," Schaaf said.

Mario Mandzukic completes move to Bayern Munich

The transfer of Mario Mandzukic from Wolfsburg to Bayern Munich is official, according to the player's agent Ivan Cvjetkovic.



The Croatia international has been holding talks with Bayern after being told by the Wolves' manager Felix Magath that he is surplus to requirements at the Lower Saxony club.



Magath last week recommended him to his former club by saying he would fit in well in Bavaria and strengthen their squad, and Cvjetkovic told Sport1 television that the move has now become reality.



"We are delighted that the transfer has gone through," he said. "It was Mario's wish to move to a top club.



"After two years in Wolfsburg, this is the logical next step for Mario."



Cvjetkovic says that his client has signed a four-year contract with Bayern Munich, where he will become the fourth striker on their books alongside Mario Gomez, Claudio Pizarro and Nils Petersen.



The latter is expected to be sent out on loan next season after failing to make the breakthrough following his arrival from Energie Cottbus last summer.



Mandzukic made his mark at Euro 2012, scoring twice in the 3-1 win over the Republic of Ireland, and also netting in the 1-1 draw with Italy.

Bayern close in on Mario Mandzukic

Croatia Euro 2012 star Mario Mandzukic appears to be on his way to Bayern Munich, according to Bild.



The Croatian striker shone at the European Championship and attracted attention from top European clubs by scoring 3 goals in 4 games at the Euro 2012.



Bild now reveals that Bayern Munich are seriously considering making a move for the Wolfsburg striker.



The Wolves are not too satisfied with Mandzukic’s performances and they believe this is the right time to cash in on the 26-year-old.



The Bundesliga side have already recruited two strikers for the upcoming season, having signed Bas Dost from Heerenveen and Ivica Olic from Bayern Munich.



The Bavarians are prepared to offer around €10 million for the Croatia international in spite of the fact Claudio Pizarro has previously agreed a switch to Alianz Arena.



Mandzukic joined Wolfsburg in a €7 million move from Dinamo Zagreb and has since scored 20 goals in 56 Bundesliga appearances.

Robben set for Bayern stay, says father

Netherlands winger Arjen Robben will not be leaving Bayern Munich in the off-season, according to his father.



The 28-year-old is currently on international duty at Euro 2012 where the Dutch have lost to Denmark and Germany, leaving them on the brink of an early exit.



The Dutchman has been linked with a move away from the German outfit after a dust-up with Franck Ribery, and his missed penalty in the Champions League final.



However, having just signed a new contract in May which should keep him at the club until 2015 his father has insisted his son is going nowhere.



Hans Robben told Sport-Bild: "Arjen is under contract with Bayern Munich. Arjen leaving Bayern is ruled out.



"He will play for Bayern Munich next season, no matter what."

Mbia blames poor luck for Marseille loss

Marseille defender Stephane Mbia rued his team's luck and believes they can overturn their 2-0 loss to Bayern Munich.



The Ligue 1 side are on the verge of exiting the Champions League at the quarter-final stage after goals from Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben condemned them to the loss at Stade Velodrome on Wednesday.



The defeat extended Marseille's winless run to nine matches in all competitions, putting more pressure on manager Didier Deschamps.



But Mbia said his side's loss to Bayern was the result of bad luck, and added they were capable of progressing to the last four.



"We were unlucky, just like the last game. I think if we scored in the first half everything would have changed. We are not lucky," Mbia said.



"I don't want to start talking about all the problems we have all over again.



"The most important thing now is to rest and go to Germany and try to get a result. I am pretty sure we can do it, seeing how we played today. I am sure we can do it."



Gomez opened the scoring in France after an error from Marseille goalkeeper Elinton Andrade, before Robben made it 2-0 with a neat finish.



Meanwhile, Marseille president Vincent Labrune said he was eager to address the concerns of the club's fans, who are becoming increasingly unhappy.



"There are a lot of problems now - the amount of games we play, the economic troubles in the city and these bad results from the last two months," Labrune said.



"It's quite difficult for them because they are not accustomed to seeing the club lose this amount of games in the last 30 years, so we can understand that.



"Tonight, we tried our best, we gave everything we had and we were close to getting a good result but still we lost. We are not angry with the supporters because they are always behind us."