Manchester United may be all but assured of a place in the Champions League final, but Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer stole most of the headlines after their first semi-final date.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson led the praise on the 25-year-old Germany goalkeeper who made a catalogue of astonishing saves before finally being beaten by Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney in Schalke’s 2-0 first leg home defeat on Tuesday.
“That was one of the best performances from a goalie I’ve ever seen against us,” said Sir Alex.
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United were linked in the past with Neuer to replace retirement-bound Edwin van der Sar (who had a quiet evening on the other end), but most recently everything points in the direction that he will leave for Bayern Munich, either after the season or next year. “We know he’s going to Bayern, he was absolutely fantastic,” said Ferguson.
But some British papers including The Independent on Wednesday wondered whether United should not perhaps reconsider.
“The suspicion that Bayern have all but tied up a deal to take him to the Allianz Arena for next season has seen Neuer recede from the debate about who should succeed Edwin van der Sar when he retires but the evidence that a move for Neuer might be the right choice was there before Ferguson’s very eyes,” said the daily. Neuer said recently that he will not extend his Schalke contract which runs until 2012 because he wants to play at the top level, the Champions League, on a regular basis. Schalke are in mid-table and could only be in the Europa League next season, provided they win the German cup final against second division Duisburg next month.
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The Gelsenkirchen-born Neuer joined Schalke as a boy and has risen steadily through the ranks in two decades. Before his days as a pro he was also a regular in the stands.
Munich have been after him for years, but some of their die-hard fans have in public objected such a move, saying Neuer is too close to the Schalke fans.
That would eventually not stop Munich from a transfer, and the terrain will be further tested on Saturday when Schalke visit Bayern.
Whether or not talks between the clubs will be held around the game is unclear. However, Tuesday’s performance in front of a worldwide TV audience will considerably raise the asking price.
While Bayern were expected to have to pay in the range of 15-20 million euros ( $21.9-29.1 million), the figure of 25 million euros was mentioned on Wednesday by the German media for a summer transfer.
“I believe that we have the best goalkeeper in the world ... His market value was never low. But you also sit there and wonder why, in God’s name, you should let this player go,” said Schalke sports director Horst Heldt.