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Javi Martinez has stepped up his Bayern Munich comeback efforts following knee surgery this month.
The former Athletic Bilbao star was ruled out for four weeks after an operation to correct a knee problem.
Martinez, who did not travel with the rest of Pep Guardiola's squad for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Juventus in Turin, completed a 20-minute running session with fitness coach Thomas Wilhelmi.
"I am very happy," he told the club's official website. "I feel quite good again. I have no more pain."
It is hoped Martinez will be available for the return leg at the Allianz Arena on March 16.
Bayern would only sell Muller if we needed the money - Sammer
22 February 2016 15:27
Matthias Sammer has made it clear Bayern Munich would only be open to cashing in on Thomas Muller if they were in financial trouble.
The Germany international recently revealed that he received offers from a number of other clubs before signing a contract renewal until June 2021 back in December, with Manchester United believed to be among his admirers.
Muller added that he is keen to stay at Bayern until the end of his career, though, and Sammer is determined to hold on to the 26-year-old so long as the Allianz Arena side's financial situation permits it.
"Muller came through the ranks of our youth academy and is one of the leaders of our team. He is priceless," Sammer was quoted as saying by AZ.
"You cannot put a price on someone who is such an important part of the puzzle. You cannot replace a player like Muller.
"You simply do not sell him, unless we desperately needed the money."
The Germany international has netted 17 goals in 22 Bundesliga appearances in 2015-16
Bayern Munich attacker Arjen Robben is adamant he is not worried about his lack of goals in recent months as the Bundesliga champions prepare to take on Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The Netherlands international last found the net for his club on November 7 in the 4-0 Bundesliga win over Stuttgart and has since gone eight games without scoring.
Robben got a number of chances to end his drought in the 3-1 win over Darmstadt at the weekend, but failed to do so as his dry spell continued.
"I am not worried about the lack of goals. I am playing pretty well, I am feeling good, but the ball just does not seem to want to go in," the 32-year-old told Bild.
"But it does not help to think about the chances I missed.
"I will just keep going. The goals will come again at some point."
Robben saw fellow winger Franck Ribery return to action on Saturday after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury and the Dutchman was delighted to see his colleague back on the pitch.
"It was a wonderful moment. For Franck, for me, for all of us really," he added. "Robbery [Robben and Ribery] is still alive!
"We have been playing together for so long, things are going smoothly again right away."
Bayern travel to Turin having not lost to Juve since 2005.
Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos will miss the second leg of the Europa League round-of-32 tie against Porto and the Bundesliga clash with Bayern Munich due to an adductor injury.
The Greek centre-back picked up the injury during Dortmund's 1-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday and was replaced 13 minutes from time at the BayArena.
Tests on Monday confirmed the 27-year-old will be out for up to three weeks and will miss Dortmund's clash with Porto in Portugal.
Thomas Tuchel's side lead 2-0 from the first leg but the Dortmund boss will also be without Sokratis for several Bundesliga matches, including the visit of leaders Bayern Munich on March 5.
Dortmund trail the holders by eight points and defeat at Signal Iduna Park will all but seal Bayern's fourth successive league title.
Sokratis is also set to miss games against Hoffenheim, Darmstadt and Mainz over the coming weeks, with Neven Subotic likely to replace him.
Xabi Alonso has rejected claims from a state prosecutor that he defrauded the Spanish tax office to the tune of €3million.
Prosecutor Jose Javier Polo asked a judge to investigate the tax affairs of Bayern Munich midfielder Alonso on Friday, claiming that his office had uncovered evidence of fraudulent activity between 2009 and 2011, while Alonso played for Real Madrid.
Alonso responded with a lengthy statement published on his official Facebook profile, with the most salient point being: "[Alonso] reiterates with absolute clarity that he has always fulfilled and continues to meet with each and every one of his tax obligations."
Last month, Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano, a former team-mate of Alonso at Liverpool, was convicted of failing to declare earnings totalling €1.5m in 2011 and 2012.
Mascherano reached a financial settlement with Spanish authorities.
Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich: Flu-hit hosts aim to shackle scourge Lewandowski
25 February 2016
Wolfsburg host Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga on Saturday, with Dieter Hecking's squad badly struggling with flu ahead of the impending visit of their nemesis Robert Lewandowski.
The Poland striker made Bundesliga history in the reverse fixture in September, coming off the bench at half-time with Bayern trailing 1-0.
What happened next was scarcely believable, as Lewandowski netted five goals in an astonishing nine-minute spell to set Bayern on their way to a stunning 5-1 success.
The teams met again a month later in the DFB-Pokal, but this time it was Thomas Muller who did the damage with a brace in a 3-1 victory at the Volkswagen Arena.
Lewandowski and Muller have combined for 39 Bundesliga goals this season - seven more than Wolfsburg have managed in total as Bayern look well set for an inexorable charge to a fourth successive title.
The pair have scored all of Bayern's 10 league goals since the season's resumption, Lewandowski registering nine in his last seven matches across all competitions.
As if Wolfsburg's task was not difficult enough, Hecking's men have been badly struck down by the flu this week, with 11 players missing training earlier this week due to the virus and other injury concerns.
Koen Casteels (bursitis), Nicklas Bendtner (flu) and Bruno Henrique (bronchitis) all missed sessions, while Wolfsburg are hopeful that Andre Schurrle, Daniel Caligiuri and Josuha Guilavogui will all be in contention against Bayern.
"The staffing situation is very tense," said Hecking, who himself has been struggling with illness.
"We have to work beyond the normal level [against Bayern]. The 1-5 and 1-3 [defeats], they were clear. This time we want to make it better."
"The 11 that will be on the pitch on Saturday must give their all," added Wolfsburg defender Dante, formerly of Bayern.
"There is no point in complaining about the number of absentees. You've also got to enjoy games like this, get stuck into every challenge and ensure every pass arrives at its destination."
Wolfsburg at least have the advantage of an extra three days' rest after Bayern drew 2-2 at Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday, having thrown away a two-goal lead.
And Hecking's men can take consolation from the corresponding fixture last season, when they thumped the champions 4-1 in a scintillating display.
For Bayern, who lead second-placed Borussia Dortmund by eight points, Rafinha is suspended after picking up his fifth booking in the 3-1 win over Darmstadt last weekend.
Key Opta stats:
- 77 per cent (24/31) of Wolfsburg's points have come at home this season - a league-high proportion.
- Wolfsburg have scored in each of their last 41 Bundesliga home matches and would set a new a club record with a goal against Bayern Munich this weekend.
- Bayern have won all six of their Bundesliga games immediately following a Champions League outing this term (scoring 20 and only conceding one - during the 5-1 win over Borussia Dortmund).
- Bayern turn 116 years old on the day of the match. They crowned their 115th birthday with a 4-1 win over Cologne last year.
Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim: Nagelsmann hopeful despite formidable test
26 February 2016
Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann insists his team are not going to Borussia Dortmund just to make up the numbers on Sunday.
The Bundesliga strugglers, led by their 28-year-old head coach, won for only the third time in the league this season when they beat Mainz 3-2 last week and moved to within two points of Werder Bremen in the relegation play-off spot.
But Hoffenheim are up against a Dortmund team in magnificent form. Thomas Tuchel's men have won 13 of their last 14 home Bundesliga matches, drawing the other - their longest unbeaten run at home for just over four years.
Dortmund also have the league's best defensive record in 2016 having conceded just once in five games. They have kept four Bundesliga clean sheets on the bounce for the first time since 2009 and another this weekend would equal their club record.
Defenders Lukasz Piszczek (muscle injury) and Mats Hummels (hip) are hopeful of being fit for the hosts to bolster their chances of reaching that milestone, but Sokratis Papastathopoulos (adductor) is still out.
Dortmund come into the game on the back of a Europa League win over Porto that set up a last-16 tie against Tottenham, and they will now look to reduce advantage held by Bayern Munich - who have a tricky trip to Wolfsburg on Saturday - at the top of the table.
But despite Dortmund's fine form, Nagelsmann is hopeful that his underdogs will be capable of picking up a result at Signal Iduna Park.
"It will be a tough game in front of an incredible crowd," he told Hoffenheim's official website. "The stadium is always sold out. Dortmund play a versatile game and we will have to be focused.
"In any case, we expect to be able to take something from the game. We are not just travelling there to concede as few goals as possible.
"How much we can take from the game will depend on how bold we are, how we play on the day and how fit BVB are after their Europa League game in Porto.
"We are travelling there knowing that it's hard to win but we still want to - just as in every other game."
Key Opta stats:
- Dortmund are unbeaten in six competitive games against Hoffenheim (W3, D3), whose last win in this fixture dates back to the final weekend of the 2013-14 season – their 2-1 triumph in Dortmund saw them end the campaign in the relegation play-off spot.
- Dortmund dropped their first points of the campaign in the reverse fixture (1-1, previously W5).
- In the first half of 2007-08, Julian Nagelsmann played under Thomas Tuchel in the reserves at Augsburg and later worked as a scout for the current BVB boss.
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted his 50th Bundesliga goal for Dortmund last weekend, in what his 86th appearance. Only one BVB player managed the feat in a shorter period of time - it took Lothar Emmerich just 80 games.
Leverkusen's Kampl breaks leg and will miss rest of the season
By Jon Fisher
Feb 29, 2016 19:31:57
The former Dortmund man will definitely be out for the rest of the Bundesliga season after coming off injured against his ex-club earlier in the month
Bayer Leverkusen's hopes of clinching a Champions League spot have been dealt a major blow with the news midfielder Kevin Kampl will miss the remainder of the campaign with a broken leg.
Slovenia international Kampl was initially thought to have torn a calf muscle when he was taken off against former club Borussia Dortmund on February 21, but further tests revealed a broken left tibia.
The 25-year-old joined Leverkusen for a second time in August 2015 after a disappointing eight-month spell at Dortmund and has been one of the club's best performers this season.
Roger Schmidt's men are sixth in the Bundesliga, just a point behind fourth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach.
The Bavarians' former president woke up a free man on Monday after being released halfway through his prison sentence for tax evasion
Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness was released from prison on parole on Monday midway through a three-and-a-half-year sentence for tax evasion, the Bavarian Ministry of Justice has confirmed.
Hoeness was released the night before the scheduled February 29 date to spare the 64-year-old the attention of the media.
The 1974 World Cup-winner was convicted in March 2014 and sent to prison the following June having evaded €28.5million in taxes - a figure finally acknowledged by his legal team after Hoeness was initially charged with attempting to evade €3.5m.
It remains to be seen if he will return to Bayern and, if so, in what capacity.
Having made over 300 appearances as a player for the club, he served as sporting director for 30 years before assuming the role of president in 2009.
He has worked in Bayern's youth department since early 2015 on day release.
Wolfsburg forward Andre Schurrle felt his impressive display in Tuesday's 4-0 win against Hannover served as an answer to those who have criticised his form since returning to the Bundesliga.
The former Chelsea attacker has struggled for consistency since returning to Germany from the Premier League in February 2015 but scored a hat-trick in a convincing success at the HDI-Arena.
Julian Draxler was also on target but Schurrle's display stole the headlines as the World Cup-winning forward showed signs of getting back to his best.
While the 25-year-old acknowledged the importance of the result, Schurrle was pleased to offer a reminder to his critics.
"A lot has been written and a lot has been said - I think that was a clear answer on my behalf," he said afterwards.
"That really does me good, but it's more important that we took all three points away from home.
"We want to see that as the start of something really good. But it's just the start – we must continue in that vein.
"We must pick up where we left off with this good performance and continue to work hard, in order for more such games to follow."
Dieter Hecking's men sit eighth in the Bundesliga - a point off the final European place - and lead their Champions League last-16 tie with Gent 3-2 ahead of next week's second leg.
Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs has condemned an incident that saw a flare thrown from a section of Wolfsburg fans and hit Hannover's dugout.
It happened ahead of Tuesday's Bundesliga clash at the HDI-Arena and it was reported that a Hannover team doctor, physio and reserve goalkeeper were in the dugout at the time, but all escaped injury.
"We condemn the scene shortly before kick-off. We do not want such things," said Allofs.
"It is clear there are usually no problems with supporters who attend our games. I do not know what happened.
"I apologise to the Hanoverians that they have been put at risk."
On the night Wolfsburg were too strong for relegation-threatened Hannover, with Andre Schurrle's hat-trick and Julian Draxler's goal sealing a 4-0 win.
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola said his side's shock 2-1 loss to Mainz at the Allianz Arena proves that nothing can be taken for granted in the Bundesliga.
Not even by Bayern, who are aiming for a fourth straight league crown.
The loss, coupled with Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 win away to Darmstadt, has seen their lead at the top of the table reduced to five points.
The top two meet on Saturday in a match where Dortmund could cut the margin to just two points and Guardiola said that history was against his side.
"We clearly saw tonight that nothing is easy," Guardiola said.
"No team has won the Bundesliga four times in a row and Dortmund's team is totally different from the last three years.
"We must now think of the next game."
Speaking of the performance against Mainz, Guardiola was less than impressed by what his team produced, but was not overly disappointed.
"Our performance was not good enough, but I'm not sad," he said.
"I congratulate [Mainz coach] Martin [Schmidt] on the victory."
Thomas Tuchel believes the 5-1 thrashing Borussia Dortmund suffered at the hands of Bayern Munich in October helped mould his team into Bundesliga title challengers.
Bayern were rampant in that match at Allianz Arena, dispatching their closest rivals with ease.
Since then, Dortmund have enjoyed an impressive run of form and Pep Guardiola's champions will arrive for the next 'Klassiker' clash at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday just five points clear at the top.
Tuchel said: "The reverse fixture showed that you can lose by a high margin because of small errors. But you can learn from that.
"The 5-1 loss in Munich has made us into what we are now. And we are very happy with that.
"You could see our improvements in the games against Mainz and Augsburg following that loss in Munich."
Tuchel knows that while his side can close the gap this weekend, a defeat would effectively end their title hopes.
"We have the confidence to say that we're able to win.
"But we also can read the table. Bayern can turn it around decisively - which is why [we] expect them to be at their best.
"In order to beat Bayern we need a top performance. If we win, the situation will be different."
Tuchel reiterated his admiration for Bayern counterpart Pep Guardiola, who is hoping to land another Bundesliga crown before departing for Manchester City at the end of the season.
"I have already talked a lot about Pep, he has set new limits. He knows I value his work, he is probably the best [coach].
"We want to beat Bayern but there will be periods when we have to suffer. But if we're brave enough to play to our limit we can also make Bayern suffer."
Bundesliga Review: Muller hits brace as Hamburg shock Hertha Berlin
6 March 2016 19:47
Nicolai Muller hit a brace as Hamburg pulled off a surprise 2-0 home win against high-flying Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Third-placed Hertha had won back-to-back league games, but fell behind just before the hour mark to Muller's strike, with the winger scoring again 17 minutes later to seal the points for his side.
Hamsburg's victory sees them climb two places to 10th, while Hertha stay third behind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, but just a point ahad of Schalke.
Darmstadt won a hard-fought point at Mainz to edge away from the relegation zone.
The fifth-placed hosts held on for a 0-0 draw despite playing 33 minutes with 10 men after Giulio Donati's red card.
Skripnik angry following Junuzovic´s intentional ban
6 March 2016 14:44
Viktor Skripnik was left fuming by Zlatko Junuzovic's decision to intentionally earn a yellow card so he would miss Weder Bremen's next outing against Bayern Munich through suspension.
The Austrian got a one-match ban for an accumulation of bookings when he had his name taken with five minutes of the 4-1 win over Hannover remaining on Saturday.
Junuzovic hinted after the game he set out to get carded to ensure he was back for the match against Mainz – considered a more winnable contest – on March 19, telling Sky: "It was agreed, I admit it."
Defender Clemens Fritz will also sit out the trip to the Allianz Arena next weekend after he was booked for the 10th time this season.
Ukrainian coach Skripnik says he knew nothing about Junuzovic's intention and was frustrated the match against the Bundesliga leaders had been treated as a foregone conclusion by his relegation-threatened side.
"For us, even games against a team like Bayern are important," Skripnik said.
"In such games, our team can still develop. I do not know what the players coordinate with each other, but when they decide for themselves to get a ban, I think that is wrong.
"I had quite a few critical words for Zladdi [Junuzovic] in the dressing room. It will be more difficult without two high performers, but we still want to do well."
Relegation-threatened Frankfurt appoint Kovac as head coach
8 March 2016 12:56
Eintracht Frankfurt have appointed Niko Kovac as head coach after dismissing Armin Veh at the weekend.
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Ingolstadt left Frankfurt a point from safety in the Bundesliga table with just nine matches remaining, prompting CEO Heribert Bruchhagen to sack Veh in a bit to stave off relegation.
Former Croatia boss Kovac has now agreed a deal which will last until the end of the 2016-17 season, though the agreement depends on Frankfurt's top-flight survival.
"It will have to be Niko Kovac's goal to stir the team into action, to release energy in order to avoid relegation," Bruchhagen told the club's official website. "We are convinced that he will achieve that."
Kovac, who won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2003, was sacked by Croatia last September following a defeat to Norway. His brother Robert will join him on the coaching staff.
Frankfurt travel to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has laughed off suggestions Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to leave the club for Real Madrid.
German daily Express claimed on Wednesday the prolific attacker has already agreed terms with the Santiago Bernabeu side over a transfer at the end of the season, with Madrid allegedly paying a fee in the region of €100million for the 26-year-old.
However, Zorc has made it clear Dortmund have not been contacted by anyone over Aubameyang.
"Absolute nonsense," the BVB director told Bild when asked about the attacker's alleged move to the Spanish capital.
"There are no offers for Aubameyang, nor are there any other approaches."
Aubameyang has been in stunning form this campaign and has already scored 32 times in 37 appearances across all competitions.
He has previously been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, but recently admitted that he dreams of a transfer to Madrid.
"My childhood dream was to play for Real Madrid," Aubameyang told L'Equipe back in February.
"I promised my grandfather, who was from Avila some 110 kilometres away from Madrid, that I would play there. I realise that it will not be easy, but is always in the back of my mind."
Aubameyang's contract with Dortmund runs until June 2020.
Bayern Munich v Werder Bremen: Rafinha wary of Pizarro threat
10 March 2016 15:40
Rafinha has warned his Bayern Munich team-mates they cannot afford to give Claudio Pizarro any space in Saturday's Bundesliga clash with Werder Bremen.
The Peruvian attacker was deemed surplus to requirements at Bayern last season, but has shown in 2015-16 that he remains a force to be reckoned with.
Pizarro has claimed 12 goals and two assists in his last 11 appearances in all competitions and is the Bundesliga's top scorer in 2016 with nine goals, one more than Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski.
The 37-year-old will be looking to add to his tally at the weekend, but Rafinha is determined to keep his former team-mate quiet at the Allianz Arena.
"Claudio's goal at the weekend goes to show yet again that goalscoring is his speciality. He's ruthless in the penalty area. You always have to keep an eye on him and you can't give him any space at all. We know Claudio well and we also know how to deal with him," Rafinha told the Bayern website.
"It's no surprise to see him play so well at the age of 37 to me personally. We played, trained and lived together at Bayern and I know what he's capable of.
"He's so experienced, he still has his legs and he still gets upset when things go wrong on the pitch. That's good. I hope he gets to play for another couple of years yet.
"We won't be friends for 90 minutes out on the pitch on Saturday, but we'll be laughing together again after the game. My hope is that he plays well - and we win."
Bayern have won just one of their last four games in all competitions, but will nonetheless be confident of prevailing against Werder.
The Bundesliga leaders have won their last 10 league games against Saturday's opponents, which is Bremen’s longest losing sequence against a particular top-flight opponent. Bayern's last defeat at the hands of Werder came in September 2008, when they were beaten 5-2 in Munich.
Bayern will still be without the injured Jerome Boateng (groin) and Holger Badstuber (ankle), but Javi Martinez is edging closer to his comeback.
The visitors, meanwhile, have reason for optimism irrespective of their poor run of form against Bayern.
They beat both Bayer Leverkusen and Hannover 4-1 to climb up to 13th place in the Bundesliga table, three points clear of the relegation play-off place.
Head coach Viktor Skripnik will have to make do without the services of suspended duo Clemens Fritz and Zlatko Junuzovic, while Philipp Bargfrede remains unavailable due to a meniscus problem.
Key Opta facts:
- This will be the 100th Bundesliga meeting between both sides, with Bayern emerging victorious on 48 occasions against Werder's 26 wins.
- Pep Guardiola has a 100 per cent record against Bremen (five wins from five, scoring 23 times and conceding just twice)
- Bremen haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 28 league games.
- Bayern haven't won either of their last two league games (2-1 defeat to Mainz, 0-0 versus Borussia Dortmund), their worst run of form this term.
- Werder have taken seven points from the last nine available (after a four-game winless run). They are now 13th in the Bundesliga table, their best ranking since matchday seven.
Borussia Dortmund v Mainz: Tuchel backs Reus to keep improving
11 March 2016 17:05
Thomas Tuchel is hoping Marco Reus can build on his double against Tottenham when Borussia Dortmund welcome Mainz to Signal Iduna Park in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Reus was in impressive form as Dortmund dismantled Tottenham in the Europa League on Thursday, securing a 3-0 first-leg advantage in their last-16 tie and extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to 12 matches.
The 26-year-old added to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's opener by slamming past Hugo Lloris from close range, before adding his second with a composed finish at the end of a brilliant team move.
Injuries have once again blighted Reus' season, but Tuchel - who coached Mainz from 2009 to 2014 - believes his fitness is steadily improving and wants more of the same as Dortmund look to make it 10 Bundesliga home matches unbeaten against this weekend's opponents.
"Nothing helps quite like goals. That'll give him a boost. I'm absolutely delighted for Marco," the Dortmund coach said.
"He sets himself high standards and is striving towards a level of fitness that allows him to tackle and counter-press with absolute sharpness every three days.
"We are working on this. These two goals will help him get there."
Mainz will be no walkovers, though, having overcome league leaders Bayern Munich 2-1 at the Allianz Arena in their last away match.
However, Martin Schmidt's team could only follow that up with a 0-0 draw at home to Darmstadt, meaning they missed out on the chance to move inside the top four - though they still occupy fifth position in the Bundesliga.
And rather than being concerned by Dortmund's dominant display on Thursday, the Mainz coach felt it vindicated the way his team have been preparing for the fixture.
"My assistant coach Peter Perchtold was in Dortmund, I have seen it on television," said Schmidt.
"It was a special game, but you saw what makes Dortmund strong. The game has once again confirmed our impressions."
Tuchel has concerns over the fitness of Ilkay Gundogan (foot), while Sven Bender is struggling with a muscular injury following the Tottenham match.
Having returned to training during the week following a groin injury, Sokratis Papastathopoulos could be in line for a return to the matchday squad.
Giulio Donati's red card in Mainz's 0-0 draw with Darmstadt last weekend added to Schmidt's selection problems, with Yoshinori Muto (knee) and Pierre Bengtsson (ankle) heading up a lengthy injury list.
Key Opta Stats:
- Dortmund are the only unbeaten side this year and have a league-high 20 points to their name after eight games in 2016 – a tally which has only been higher at this point of a year on one occasion (22, 2012). Mainz have the fourth-best record since the mid-season break (16 points).
- Mainz have picked up an impressive 16 points from a possible 21 in their last seven games, losing just once (3-2 vs. Hoffenheim on Matchday 22). They have already won one more point on their travels this season (17) than in the whole of 2014-15 (16).
- Dortmund are unbeaten in 16 home Bundesliga games (W14) – their last defeat at Signal Iduna Park came against Bayern in early April 2015 (1-0). This is their longest run without losing on their own turf for four years (17, October 2011-September 2012).
- Tuchel was Mainz boss for a record 170 Bundesliga games (2009-2014). The current head coach, Schmidt, has a marginally better points-per-game average (1.53) than his predecessor (1.41).
Monchengladbach confirm Nordtveit will depart for England
14 March 2016
Borussia Monchengladbach have confirmed Havard Nordtveit will not continue with the club next season as he looks to make a move to the Premier League.
Nordtveit, 25, spent three years at Arsenal between 2007 and 2010 but failed to make a senior appearance at the Emirates.
The Norway international then signed on with Bundesliga outfit Monchengladbach, where he has gone on to make almost 180 appearances in all competitions across six seasons.
However, with the defensive midfielder's contract expiring at the end of the season, Nordtveit is intent to make a return to England.
West Ham are reportedly the front-runners to secure his signature, with both Liverpool and former club Arsenal said to be interested in his services.
