KOMPANY'S MASTERCLASS: RESTED HARRY KANE SHATTERS GERD MüLLER RECORD WITH 10TH HAT-TRICK

Harry Kane needed only 76 games for his 10th hat-trick, smashing Gerd Müller's record. His second-half heroics validated Kompany's decision to prioritise player freshness.

Kompany's Masterclass: Rested Harry Kane Shatters Gerd Müller Record With 10th Hat-trick
Kane scored a Hat-trick In 30 Mins

To keep his players fresh during Bayern Munich's busy schedule, Vincent Kompany switched up his starting lineup against VfB Stuttgart. His changes in the second half, plus a great showing from Harry Kane, helped Bayern win.

Stuttgart had won all five of their home games in the league before this one. Bayern knew how good they were at home, so Kompany came up with a plan that worked out well.

He made six changes from the team that beat Union Berlin in the cup game, surprisingly putting players like Manuel Neuer and Kane on the bench. Kompany explained why after the game: We play four games in 11 days. If we're tired against Stuttgart, they'll score, because they are dangerous.

I felt it was right to bring Harry on when I did, as there was more space for him. Then, he did what he does best.

Kane scored three goals in a little over 30 minutes. It was his 10th league hat-trick, breaking another record. It only took him 76 games to reach that number, beating Gerd Müller's previous record of 161 games by a long way. After the game, Kane said he was happy with the result.

I'm happy with today's game. The team was great. Stuttgart made it tough in the first half. The coach brought on some fresh players, and we could help, he said. Besides Kane's hat trick, Josip Stanišić, also a second-half sub, scored.

Kompany said that games against Stuttgart are intense and require high energy. Konrad Laimer, who always plays hard, scored the first goal with a clever backheel, beating Stuttgart's goalie Alexander Nübel.

Bayern ran five kilometres more than Stuttgart (124.5 to 119.2) and had almost 30 more sprints (189 to 164). That was all because of those fresh legs. The fact that some key players got to rest was a plus. That rest might be useful against Sporting CP on Tuesday.

BAYERN MUNICH RULE OUT MARCUS RASHFORD MOVE REGARDLESS OF ANTHONY GORDON OUTCOME

Marcus Rashford is not a target for Bayern Munich this summer, as the club focuses entirely on signing Gordon from Newcastle.

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Bayern Munich excluded Marcus Rashford from their summer plans - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Bayern Munich aren’t considering a move for Marcus Rashford this summer, no matter what happens with Anthony Gordon. That’s according to a German reporter who’s close to the story.

Right now, Rashford is wrapping up his loan at Barcelona. He’s set to return to Manchester United at the end of the season. Barcelona have an option to make the deal permanent for €30 million (£26 million) in the summer. Both Rashford and Barcelona want him to stay, but here’s the catch: the club doesn’t want to pay the full €30 million.

Barcelona would rather keep Rashford on loan for another year or get him for a lower fee. Manchester United’s not having it. They want the full price, so Barcelona are starting to look at other players.

Rashford hasn’t made a secret of where he wants to be. Earlier in the season, he told Sport, one of the local Barcelona papers, about how much he wants to stay, saying, “Of course, what I want is to stay at Barca. It’s the ultimate goal.” He talked about the pressure and expectations at the club, saying they keep him motivated and that he feels like he’s in the perfect environment to grow and win trophies. For now, though, it’s all up in the air until next summer.

Last year, Bayern Munich actually showed some interest in Rashford before he went to Barcelona. But now, they’re focused on signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for the left wing. The problem is, Gordon’s interested, but Newcastle’s price is ridiculous, reportedly around £80 million (€92.6 million). That’s much higher than what Bayern’s willing to pay. They’re thinking closer to £60 million (€69.4 million), and maybe with add-ons or an instalment plan. If Newcastle won’t budge, it probably isn’t happening.

Christian Falk, a trusted journalist from Bild, says Bayern aren’t considering Rashford as a backup if they can’t land Gordon. Bayern’s got a short list of players for the left wing, and Rashford isn’t on it. Gordon’s their main focus, but even if that deal falls through, Rashford’s not the next in line.

So at this stage, Bayern and Rashford won’t be coming together this summer, even if Gordon stays at Newcastle. That’s just not in the plans.

BAYERN MUNICH IDENTIFY ARSENAL’S KAI HAVERTZ AS TOP TARGET FOR SUMMER WINDOW

From North London to Munich? Kai Havertz emerges as the leading candidate to join Bayern’s elite Premier League-built attack.

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Kai Havertz emerges as Bayern replacement for Jackson following Chelsea deal collapse - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Bayern Munich still have their eye on an Arsenal star, hoping to bring more Premier League experience up front, especially after plans with Chelsea fell apart.

Right now, Bayern are among the best teams in Europe. It really depends on how you rank PSG, but Bayern’s up there, no question. Vincent Kompany deserves a lot of credit for getting them to this level. Still, you can’t ignore their recruitment. They keep picking top-flight Premier League attackers, and it works.

With Luis Diaz, Harry Kane, and Michael Olise, Bayern’s attack is lethal. Those three have already scored 100 goals this season. Defenders in the Bundesliga just can’t cope, and you can tell their time in England’s toughest league has paid off.

Bayern have another Premier League forward in the mix right now, but he’s not sticking around.

Chelsea deal off, Bayern looking at Arsenal.

On Wednesday, Fabrizio Romano made it official that X: Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson will head back to Stamford Bridge this summer because Bayern aren’t activating his €65m buy option. Bayern’s director, Max Eberl, confirmed it, so that the backup spot behind Kane opens again when Jackson leaves.

James Benge reports that Kai Havertz’s name is coming up as a possible replacement. He said on the Inside Arsenal podcast that Bayern are definitely interested, “but nothing concrete yet.” Havertz could be the squad player who covers for Musiala and Kane.

Honestly, signing a German for Germany’s top club makes sense. Arsenal won’t just roll over, though, if Bayern come calling. Even after picking up Viktor Gyokeres last summer, Mikel Arteta still prefers Havertz up front. When Arsenal played Manchester City in their biggest game this season, Arteta benched Gyokeres and started Havertz.

Havertz has had injury issues this year. Heading into summer, he’ll still have two years left on his contract. If Bayern make a strong offer, Arsenal could think about selling.

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