World Cup-winning coach Joachim Löw is convinced that Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann is considering asking Manuel Neuer to reverse his international retirement.
The Bayern Munich stopper quit the national team in 2024 after a series of injury problems, but the 39-year-old is back in fine form as Germany deal with another injury absence.
Neuer’s heir apparent was Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen, but he has been hampered by a slew of fitness setbacks meaning Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann is now first choice.
Nagelsmann said in the week that he had chatted to Neuer but that “as of now” he was not returning to the Germany fold. Neuer, who won the 2014 World Cup under Löw, has also sounded less than thrilled by the idea but his old coach thinks there is more to it.
“If Manuel continues to play at the very highest level, as we have seen recently and have known for many years, I am sure Julian Nagelsmann will take that into account,” Löw told the Sunday edition of the Bild newspaper.
The decision must not be “one of nostalgia but purely a sporting one. I am sure Julian is considering bringing Manuel back.”
There is a chance ter Stegen is unable to play much before June’s World Cup, either through injury or because of a complicated fall-out with Barcelona.
Germany play Northern Ireland in Belfast on Monday in their latest World Cup qualifier.
