Harry Kane Says Bayern Contract Extension Is Close as Konrad Laimer Injury Disrupts Austria Squad
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Harry Kane said his contract extension talks with Bayern Munich are "pretty close" and that an announcement "won't be much longer," with his current deal running to 2027. Reports including Fussballdaten indicate the main outstanding point is contract length, with Bayern reportedly pushing for terms to 2029 and Kane said to prefer running through 2030, alongside a possible new exit clause; no signing has yet been confirmed.
Bayern midfielder Konrad Laimer has been ruled out of Austria's opening two Nations League matches, against Israel on 24 September and Kosovo on 27 September, after suffering a left adductor injury, the Austrian football association confirmed. His availability for subsequent fixtures against Ireland on 1 October and Kosovo on 4 October remains open, according to Sport.de.
Alexander Blessin won his first match in charge of Borussia Monchengladbach, beating fourth-division Sportfreunde Siegen 3-0 in a friendly on 24 September, with Robin Hack scoring in the 18th minute and Shuto Machino adding a second-half brace. Blessin had been presented as head coach the previous day, succeeding Eugen Polanski.
The DFB-Pokal second-round draw, held on 5 September at the German Football Museum in Dortmund, paired Bayern Munich with second-division Magdeburg at home and sent Borussia Dortmund to face Werder Bremen, with both ties scheduled for 27-28 October.
Transfer and squad notes
Eintracht Frankfurt have completed the signing of goalkeeper Noah Atubolu on a one-year loan from Freiburg, with an initial fee of €1m and an obligation to buy worth €12.5m next summer, according to Kicker.
Hoffenheim midfielder Dennis Geiger is finalising a permanent departure to Dutch side NEC Nijmegen, while Mainz forward William Boving is expected to join second-division club 1. FC Nurnberg.
What it means for the league
Kane's contract situation remains one of the few unresolved threads at Bayern heading into the rest of the season, even as the club otherwise sits well clear at the top domestically. Laimer's injury adds to a run of squad disruptions during the international break, while Blessin's winning start, albeit in a friendly, gives Gladbach a small positive signal after one of the worst opening months in the club's history.