Bayern hope CL success can convince Alcantara, Alaba to stay

Bayern Munich are hoping Champions League success can convince Thiago Alcantara and David Alaba, who are stalling over extensions, to stay.

Bayern host Chelsea at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday in the last 16, second leg of the Champions League holding a 3-0 lead after hammering the Blues in London in February when Serge Gnabry scored twice in a gala display.

Since then, Bayern have secured an eighth straight Bundesliga title and lifted the German Cup putting them on course for the treble having won all 11 games post lockdown.

Chelsea are without wingers Christian Pulisic, who injured his hamstring in the FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal, and Pedro, who underwent shoulder surgery after being stretchered off at Wembley.

Blues skipper Cesar Azpilicueta is also expected to miss the Munich match after his hamstring injury added to Chelsea’s list of wounded.

Bayern’s personnel concerns are of a different nature as Alcantara, who has been linked to Liverpool, and Alaba, both have one year left on their contracts and are stalling over talks.

Like senior club bosses, forward Thomas Mueller hopes Champions League success can convince them to stay.

“Thiago is very safe on the ball, which does us good, and it is often underestimated how much he works to win back the ball,” Mueller told Munich-based newspaper Sueddeutche Zeitung.

“David is extremely important for controlling and building up our game.”

Mueller, a 2014 World Cup winner, says it would be “extremely bitter” if both Alcantara and Alaba left at the end of Bayern’s Champions League campaign.

Nothing is likely to be decided while Bayern are still in Europe, yet both are in great form.

Alaba, 28, who joined as a teenager in 2008, has been dubbed “the black Franz Beckenbauer” by Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for his outstanding displays at centre-back this season.

With right-back Benjamin Pavard injured, Joshua Kimmich has switched back into defence with his central midfield place going to Thiago, who was outstanding in last Friday’s 1-0 friendly win over Marseille.

Agence France-Presse