Bayern Munich chief insists lockdown will not affect Manuel Neuer contract talks

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Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has insisted that the coronavirus shutdown will not have an impact on contract talks at the club.

A number of major European teams including Barcelona and Juventus have already confirmed pay cuts for their players after the outbreak of COVID-19 brought football to a halt and severely affected the finances of clubs.

Bayern have a number of key players, including Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, David Alaba and Thiago Alcantara, who are out of contract in 2021, but Rummenigge has confirmed that extension offers which have already been made will not be affected by the pandemic.

"For Manuel, the same applies as for all the players whose contracts expire in the summer of 2021," Rummenigge told Merkur and TZ.

"We had already submitted offers before the coronavirus crisis, and we don't want to take advantage of the crisis now in order to push these well-deserving players down in price.

"I think that all these players know that they have a very solid and very reliable employer in FC Bayern who deals with them very fairly."

Neuer has been linked with a move to Chelsea this summer, with Bayern having already agreed a deal to sign Alexander Nubel and been linked with Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Alaba is another player who has been tipped to leave the Allianz Arena when the transfer window reopens, with Barcelona and Real Madrid interested in his services.