Exclusive Interview with Didi Hamann

Speaking exclusively with NewBettingOffers, legendary former midfielder Didi Hamann has given his thoughts on the Premier League, Champions League, Bundesliga and more.

Hamann has discussed the future of Liverpool target Yan Diomande and what Harry Kane needs to do in the remainder of the season to ensure he wins the Ballon d’Or.

The former Germany international has also spoken on Jose Mourinho’s links to Newcastle stated and why James Milner to Wrexham could be the perfect transfer this summer.

Q: Arne Slot is set to stay at Liverpool next season, is that the right decision?

“Liverpool were fortunate against Everton with a late winner, but they steadied the ship. A few weeks ago I wasn’t too sure whether they'd finish in the top five. I didn't think they would.

“They play four more games against their rivals, and probably a couple of draws will do. I think if they get to 60, it's probably enough. I can't see any of the others getting to 60 points, so yeah, they will finish fifth, which will be enough to be in the Champions League.

“I’ve heard that Arne Slot will be there next season. I think there's a case to be made that maybe a change of manager should happen or should have happened.

“But Liverpool have always been very loyal to their managers. He won the league last season of course so I think it's a decision I can live with, and I think most fans can live with, if they have a decent finish to the season.

“Then obviously, you need to see what's happening in the summer after the World Cup with players going, obviously Andy Robertson leaving, Mohamed Salah leaving. But yeah, I think it's a decision that is understandable.”

Q: Are Liverpool fans split down the middle when it comes to Arne Slot?

“For probably the first time in a long time Liverpool fans are split, it's a very knowledgeable fan base and Liverpool doesn't usually sack managers. That's obviously changed in the last 10 or 12 years because the game has changed and managers have to leave quicker than they did 20 or 25 years ago.

“But usually when the fan base turns, it's a matter of time before the manager has to go. Now with Arne Slot, I think it's split because of what he's done last season. I think it's probably the first time in a long time that it's as split as it's ever been.

“I think both camps have a case, but the club has to make a decision. And I think there's been so much uncertainty this year. I don't think there's any guarantee a new manager will change things.

“Obviously there was a lot of talk about Xabi Alonso. I'm not sure whether he would be interested. I'm sure they would have asked him whether he would be if there was a change.

“I think the fan base is split and that shows how tricky the situation is, really, because the team is on paper an awful lot better than where they are at the moment. But obviously in football you never know what's going to happen. But I think it's a decent end to the season if they do finish in the top five and go to Champions League football next season.”

Q: Would keeping Arne Slot mean that Liverpool miss out on Xabi Alonso?

“If Liverpool keep Arne Slot they could miss out on Xabi Alonso, but I don't think as a club you can see it like this. But if he goes somewhere else and does well, he's probably occupied for the next three or four seasons and you won't be able to get him.

“The main thing is, are you convinced that Arne Slot is going to get the best out of the team next season, which he didn’t this season? In the boardroom, the answer seems to be yes.

“So, Alonso, yeah, they would have inquired about him, I'm pretty sure they would have done. But they've got to make a decision whether he's the best man to move the club forward.

“Slot did wonderful things last season. Obviously, the pressure will be on next season because, obviously, they won the first five games this season, which they probably shouldn't have done.

“But if they go through a run of bad form halfway through the season, which they did this season, then I don't think the league title from last season will help him.”

Q: Could Michael Olise be Mohamed Salah’s replacement?

“Michael Olise to Liverpool is highly unlikely. He seems to be happy. He's probably been a standout player in the Champions League this season. As we hear, he hasn't got a clause in his contract, so we're probably talking 150 million plus.

“But Bayern Munich won't like to sell him. I think they'll be reluctant to sell him unless the player comes and says, 'Well, I want to go back to England.' But he seems to be very happy and settled, plays wonderful football. I can't really see it happening.”

Q: Could Yan Diomande be Mohamed Salah’s replacement?

“Liverpool have been linked to Yan Diomande, he's outstanding. He's certainly the best player in the Bundesliga this season. It's his first season, having arrived from France. He has an interesting background, as he went to college in America before coming back to Spain with Leganes.

“I believe he even spent time in the second division. The club paid £17 million for him, which is a healthy fee, but they clearly saw something.

“He plays for the Ivory Coast and will face Germany in the World Cup. Not many people may know about him now, but I'm sure they will after the World Cup because he is an outstanding player.

“He plays off the left or the right, he's two-footed, with pace and trickery. He's a wonderful player, not only to watch but also very efficient and effective. I'm sure the big clubs will come calling for him, and if he hasn't got a clause in his contract, he won't be cheap.

“He took to the Bundesliga like a duck to water, obviously stepping up from the second division in Spain. He's been the best player; every time he plays, you feel something is going to happen when he gets the ball. If he keeps his feet on the ground, I think the world is at his feet. He's an outstanding talent.

“I know football is different in England and some players have had problems this season, but with the pace he has, he's very hard to catch. I wouldn't think it's too early for him.”

Q: Could Yan Diomande excite the Liverpool fans?

“I think you need to get the fans behind you and Yan Diomande could do that. There was a lot of hype last season, and a lot of football is down to expectations.

“With the season they played last season, and the signings they made, everybody thought, 'Well, we might not be beatable for the next three or four years.' Now, as it happens, they scrape into the Champions League, hopefully just in fifth place.

“So, I think you need to get the punters behind them because I think they're pretty disillusioned. Isak has been a disappointment, he's been injured and didn't play an awful lot.

“Wirtz has been disappointing throughout the season. Now, the most prolific player, probably the only one who really did what was expected, Eikitike, he's out for an awful long time, so we probably won't see him in this calendar year. And then there's always a question mark, because it's about that injury, the Achilles tendon.

“So, I think they need a signing like Diomande to really make the punters look forward to the new season again.”

Q: Will Trent Alexander-Arnold come good at Real Madrid?

“It's not been an easy start to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid career. He had an injury which kept him out for quite a few weeks. I think his comeback has been good.

“The way he set the goal up against Bayern Munich for Kylian Mbappe, the ball he played, I don't think there are too many fullbacks, if any fullbacks, capable of playing a ball like that.

“I think what he doesn't do defensively, he more than gives back offensively. I still think he can be, or will be, a success in Madrid.

“A lot of turmoil with a managerial change early in the season certainly didn't help. A lot of big players, big egos, who probably put themselves ahead of the club, even though they played two decent games against Bayern Munich.

“I think in the end, where they fell short was that they haven't really got that togetherness that Munich had last season and look to have again this season.

“So, I don't think it was an easy season for him to go there and play in Madrid. I think he'll stay. I think he's settled there. I don't think he has any intention to leave the club.

“I think next season we'll probably see a better trend. Hopefully, the new manager, because a new manager will come, hopefully gets the best out of him. But I'm pretty confident.”

Q: Would Jurgen Klopp going to Real Madrid be a dream for Trent Alexander-Arnold?

“Jurgen Klopp to Real Madrid? There is talk about him taking over the Germany national team, even though Nagelsmann extended his contract for two more years until the next European Championships.

“He kind of said he is not going to manage a club again. If he comes back, it's probably more likely to be a national team. But, you know, he can never rule it out if Madrid comes calling.

“I think he said in an interview a few weeks ago that there's a lot of talk and a lot has been written about Real Madrid. He said, ‘They've never approached me. They might do, and if they do, who knows.’

“But obviously Trent would be rather happy, I'd say, if Klopp were to come because he had his best years under him.”

Q: Was loaning out Nicolas Jackson a big mistake at Chelsea?

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing. With that in mind, they probably should have kept Nicolas Jackson because Cole Palmer is probably the most effective player, or he was, he's not at the moment.

“He seemed to link up well with him. What people, I don't think, give him credit for, because people in Munich say he's not good enough. Obviously, he doesn't play the minutes he has to for the option to click in.

“Bayern Munich need to buy him so they won't buy him. But when he did play, he played his part because he played one of the best games away to Atalanta where Harry Kane was out injured. And what he does, he makes space for the players because he always occupies defenders. He stretches games with his pace.

“I think this is where he doesn't get enough credit for. Sometimes players link up better with certain players. Palmer and Jackson are certainly the case.”

Q: Is Anthony Gordon the right player for Bayern Munich?

"I think Anthony Gordon is one of the best, if not the best, winger England have got. He also plays up top at times. He's versatile, I think he's an excellent player. But there's talk about him coming in as a back-up for Luis Diaz, and I think he's just too good and too expensive for that.

“I was a bit surprised when I read it. Can I see Bayern Munich being interested? Yes, I can. But at the same time, as a back-up? I think he's just too good.

“I think he's a player who has to play and, you know, all his team's players are having brilliant seasons. So if they come back from the World Cup without injuries, they will start next season.

“I know they've got a lot of games in Munich, but, you know, a player like Gordon, I don't think he'd be happy starting one or two games a month. So, yes, they might be interested.

“Can I see this happening? Not too sure."

Q: Should Liverpool hijack Bayern’s interest in Anthony Gordon?

“There's a place for Anthony Gordon at Liverpool. I think if you look at the wingers this season, Mohamed Salah is obviously leaving now. He hasn't been the force this season that he used to be and Cody Gakpo has been struggling.

“I think they probably need two players in that position because Florian Wirtz is playing that role on the left at times, and he hasn't done it.

“I think Gordon was a Liverpool fan as a kid. Yeah, that's a move I can really see because Liverpool need a player in that position, and I don't think there are too many better ones in the Premier League than Anthony Gordon.”

Q: Should Liverpool go after both Yan Diomande and Anthony Gordon?

“Signing Yan Diomande and Anthony Gordon would be a dream summer for Liverpool, but they’ve got to be careful. I thought last season, after the success of the season before and the signings, that there was no way they wouldn't win the league.

“They ended up being 20 points off, probably a bit more. So sometimes you've got to be careful, but certainly, if they get these two players and they stay injury-free, I think they're sorted for the next few years.”

Q: Are Bayern Munich on course for a historic treble?

“The way Bayern are going at the moment, they just roll over teams. I expect them to win the DFB Pokal to add to the league and then they obviously play the hardest team in the Champions League in PSG

“A treble? They've got a chance. Obviously, Serge Gnabry's injured, Gnabry's out for the season. It's a big blow because he really played that role behind Kane well, linked up well with him, very unselfish, and he's just come back to the form we know from a few years back.

“It's a distinct possibility, which I didn't think was happening or was possible at the start of the season. But, as I said, they probably face the toughest team left in the Champions League.

“Obviously, if they were to win, they'd go into the final as favourites, but then it's 90 minutes, as we know. Anything can happen, and yeah, I think either team, Arsenal or Atlético, can certainly give them a game, it's not out of the equation they get beat.

“But they've got a brilliant chance, and the way they're going at the moment, I think they feel they can do it because you only get so many chances to win the Champions League. You can't plan it, but now if you're in all the competitions at the end of April, you know you've done a lot of things right. But obviously, the crunch time is now.”

Q: Can Harry Kane win the Ballon d’Or without the World Cup?

“The Champions League or World Cup for Harry Kane, It needs to be one of the two because I think very rarely somebody wins it unless he's doing something outrageous if he doesn't win a big title.

“If PSG win it again, I think Vitinha might be a runner. Kane is up there, but the French lads are good.

“They're serious runners in the competition. Have they got a better chance than England? Maybe a little bit. They're both two of the favorites to win the World Cup. But if Kane wants to win it, I'd say he's got to win one of the two.”

Q: Could Thomas Tuchel consider going back to Chelsea?

“Thomas Tuchel back to Chelsea? You never know. He won the Champions League there. Stranger things have happened. The only question is, what has to happen for him to leave England?

“They probably have to get knocked out in the group stages, but that's not going to happen. Or he's going to win the World Cup. Because if he wins the World Cup, he might say, ‘Well, what more is there to do?’ Maybe he says, ‘Well, we've got a home Euros, and we'll try to do the double and then I'm off.’

“But yeah, he signed a contract. So, there won't be a decision made before the World Cup, and after the World Cup, it will be too late because if they bring a new manager in, they need him in the next six to eight weeks.

“The final is in mid-July, most teams, all the teams, are probably back to training. So, yeah, it's just not possible for him to take over Chelsea even after the World Cup. That's a nice thought, but it isn’t gonna happen.”

Q: Is Thomas Tuchel’s snubbing of Trent Alexander-Arnold strange?

“Thomas Tuchel certainly isn’t keen on Trent Alexander-Arnold, otherwise he would have picked him. He picked two squads, pretty much 35 players, for the two games, which is not a bad idea because it gave them a chance to rest, or for the likes of Kane who played an awful lot, a few days off.

“On Trent, I was surprised. I think he’s a player with amazing technical ability, I think we see at Liverpool now how much they miss him. Everybody's talking about the poor results, and I think Trent is probably the biggest miss this season for Liverpool.

“And then there's his set-piece ability. His corners, his free kicks. He can score a goal from 20, 25 yards, 30 yards. It’s a quality not many players possess. I was surprised, but clearly the manager's got other ideas and, as hard as it is, he has to accept it.”

Q: Would Jose Mourinho to Newcastle be exciting for fans?

“Jose Mourinho to Newcastle? I think the fans would love it. There's also talk about Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain might be interested because they probably need a manager in the summer.

“I think it would be a fantastic story because the clubs he's had in Turkey, and obviously Benfica couldn't really give him a chance to win trophies. At Newcastle, they did it last season, certainly the cup competitions.

“They've got a chance and they've got a good squad. I think they've underperformed badly. I think in the Champions League they showed at times how good they can be. I think they were decent.

“Obviously the second leg against Barcelona was not good enough and that is the story of the season. I think Jose Mourinho to Newcastle would be a fantastic story.”

Q: If Arsenal don’t win a trophy, is it time for Mikel Arteta to leave?

“I don't think Mikel Arteta will walk. I can say that because I think he always says how much he loves the club and how much he sees it as a privilege to manage the football club.

“I don't think he'll walk away. But if they come out of the season empty-handed after people were talking about the quadruple only six or seven weeks ago, it will be disastrous.

“Questions have to be asked because he's been there a number of years now. He was close to having to go a few times. I think the only trophy they won was shortly after he arrived, the FA Cup. They spent an awful lot of money.

“I think if they were to get rid of him, it would be harsh because, even if they don't win a trophy, they've played a brilliant season.

“But at the end of the day, football and sport is about winning. And if you don't win, it doesn't really matter. So, yeah, I think questions will be asked. And if you ask me now, if they do come up empty-handed, I think it's more likely they get a new manager than not.”

Q: Is Michael Carrick the right man for Manchester United?

“Michael Carrick came in and just had to win a few games, but obviously, there were a lot of good managers in the past who couldn’t do that.

“Having said that, I don't think the team is anywhere near as good as some of the teams at the top of the Premier League.

“But Carrick deserves a shot. They just have to commit now. I think you've got a man who was a brilliant player for the club. He's got a football brain and one of the best readers of the game. So he knows what's required to have a successful team, put a successful team together.

“I think even if they do lose the first few games next season, you just have to commit and say, ‘This is our manager now for the next two or three years. We don't care what's going to happen.’

“He showed now he's capable of doing it. Having said that, it's a completely different thing being an interim, being a caretaker, or being the permanent manager, because you've got a lot more things you've got to deal with now, like pre-season and player recruitment.

“So it's a completely different story. But United fans should have every faith and belief that he's capable of achieving success.”

Q: Should Bruno Fernandes be considering his future at Manchester United?

“Bruno Fernandes might consider his future unless the club bring in more players that help him to go and win trophies.

“I've never been the biggest fan of him, I've got to say, but for a couple of seasons, in a struggling side, he's been brilliant.

“He led the way, did really well but maybe he wants to go somewhere else at some stage because you want to win trophies. Once you finish, he's got another three years, maybe four years. He will want those memories of winning the biggest trophies.

“If the memories are of being third or fourth with Manchester United, it won’t really sit well with a player of his quality and ability. If they don't give him the impression that they've got a chance in the next couple of seasons to maybe win the Premier League, which will be mighty tough because City and Arsenal are way ahead of them now, then maybe he's got to go somewhere else.

“Bayern Munich could look there, but obviously, that position is Jamal Musiala's. They've got a player coming back from injury now in Lennart Karl, so maybe not.”

Q: Could James Milner be the perfect signing for Wrexham if they go up?

“You need experienced players to bring the young ones on. And if you've got somebody who's seen it all, who can still do a job on the pitch, as James Milner does, then I think it makes perfect sense for him to join Wrexham.

“Whether he's open to do that, I'm not too sure. But if they were to go up, I'm pretty sure that his name would come up at some stage.

“Wrexham have a selling point these days. Since the new owners came in they are all the rage. People talk about it. People know about it. Not too many people outside the UK or Wales knew about Wrexham before. They do now.

“It probably doesn't do your Instagram following no harm if you play for them, which might be a selling point to some younger players these days.”

Q: What is your prediction for Man Utd vs Liverpool?

“I think it’ll be 2-2. I think it'll suit them both. The position they’re both in, a draw wouldn’t be a bad result for either.”