Bastian Schweinsteiger can choose whether to leave Bayern Munich

   

 Pep Guardiola says ‘he must decide alone’ 
• Manchester United linked with 30-year-old midfielder

Bastian Schweinsteiger will be given the choice of whether to stay or leave Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola has said.

The 30-year-old Germany midfielder has been linked with a move to Manchester United where the World Cup winner would be reunited with Louis van Gaal, the manager who moved him from being a wide player to having a central role during his time at Bayern.

“If Schweinsteiger wants to stay here then that’s perfect. He’s a top player,” Guardiola, the Bayern coach, said. “Of course I am planning to work with Basti next season. Basti has to decide.

“Basti has managed a great career. He must decide what he does alone. I told him, the future depends on you.“

Schweinsteiger came through the youth ranks at Bayern and has spent 13 seasons with the German champions, winning the Bundesliga title eight times.

José Mourinho supports decision to sell Petr Cech to Arsenal

Mourinho wanted Cech to stay but understood his desire to leave 
• Chelsea manager hails goalkeeper as a ‘great servant’

José Mourinho has said he supports Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell Petr Cech to Arsenal. Cech spent 10 years as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper but completed a move across the capital on Monday after falling behind the Belgian Thibaut Courtois at Stamford Bridge.

The Portuguese would have preferred Cech to stay, rather than strengthen a rival, but respected Abramovich’s decision to allow a distinguished servant to choose his next destination, and Cech chose to remain in London.

“I support the owner’s decision to honour the player in this way,” Mourinho said on the club’s website. “Petr has been a great servant for Chelsea for 11 years and helped this club to win almost everything there is to win. I always said I wanted him to stay but I understand Petr needed to move on to play first-team football every week.

“Sometimes you have to respect the wishes of someone who has earned so much respect with his service and actions for your club. It is very rare in football to make a decision like this and for that reason I am proud of my club for making it. There are not many clubs in the world big enough to be able to make that decision. Petr’s success at this club will always to be remembered and we thank him for everything he did.”