- Bayern Munich made a right-back a key priority but are cooling off Trippier
- Newcastle have rejected three bids and he is content staying with the club
- Come home, Harry! Bayern are struggling and Kane might be jealous of what Spurs are doing – It’s All Kicking Off
Bayern Munich say their pursuit of Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier is over.
Sporting director Christoph Freund said: ‘That’s over. We only do what we are 100 per cent convinced of.
‘All parameters have to fit for the player, for us and for the selling club and that wasn’t the case. The Trippier topic is over.’
Bayern had wanted to shore up their squad as they look to slash the seven-point gap to Bundesliga pace-setters Bayer Leverkusen, with a right-back a key priority.
They have already brought in Eric Dier on loan from Tottenham, despite the fact he has only played four games this season.
Bayern Munich have dropped their pursuit of Kieran Trippier after three failed bids
Newcastle rejected a £12.8m bid on Tuesday night and Trippier is happy to stay at the club
Their moves for Trippier came as one of this transfer window’s surprises and Newcastle have been resolute in holding on to the 33-year-old.
While he was flattered by the advances and open to leaving, Trippier has not agitated to go and is happy playing under Eddie Howe.
Trippier has a strong relationship with the club’s owners and told them that he will respect their wishes if they want him to stay.
He is one of Newcastle’s key figures, taking up the vice-captain role, and losing him would be a big blow, especially when you take into account their injury crisis.
Bayern have been aware that Newcastle are at their financial fair play limit and the Magpies have hinted that they would offload a major player to keep in line with FFP regulations.
Elsewhere at Newcastle, Besiktas maintain an interest in Jamaal Lascelles while Al Shabab still want Miguel Almiron.
Failure to ensnare a right-back – one of the key positions they are targeting – would be a significant let-down for Bayern this January.
Thomas Tuchel is reportedly fighting for his job after the club’s hierarchy were unimpressed with his negativity in the wake of their 1-0 loss to Werder Bremen.
Tuchel launched an explosive rant against his players after the defeat left them languishing seven points behind Xabi Alonson’s Leverkusen.
Bayern lost the German Super Cup, are already out of the DFB-Pokal, and are in danger of missing out on the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2011-12, having won it for 11 consecutive seasons.
In any case, club legend Lothar Matthaus did not rate the signing of Dier or the interest in Trippier.
Thomas Tuchel wanted a right-back and is reportedly fighting for his job with Bayern Munich seven points off league leaders Bayer Leverkusen
Club legend Lothar Matthaus did not back the pursuit of Trippier anyway – nor their loan signing of Eric Dier
He said: ‘Bayern need more depth and reinforcements, but are these players reinforcements? Eric Dier wasn’t necessarily a key player at Tottenham recently.
‘I remember Uli Hoeness (Bayern’s honorary president) once saying that, ‘We won’t be bringing in any more players who are sitting on the bench at other clubs’. The latest transfer looks different.
‘Kieran Trippier would be a similar case. That’s not Bayern Munich for me. Bayern should focus on reinforcements or on the young players.’
