Jerome Boateng could end up staying at Bayern Munich after delivering a strong performance against Real Madrid.
Bayern Munich took a ruthless approach this summer to improve the spine of the squad. The German club decided to release numerous senior players at the end of the last season. Die Roten is also ready to listen to offers for some of the fringe players of the squad.
Jerome Boateng is one of these fringe players that will struggle to get regular gametime in Bavaria next season. At the end of last season, Uli Hoeness advised Boateng to find a new club. The German defender insisted that he is still good enough to play for Bayern and ready to fight for his place in the starting lineup.
After the departure of Mats Hummels, the reports in Germany kept on insisting that Boateng will be the next defender to leave Bayern. Speaking to media on Saturday (via Sport1), Manuel Neuer praised his teammate for his impressive performance in the 3-1 win over Real Madrid at the NRG Stadium in Texas.
"“Jérôme is a pro who has prepared well and if you follow the stories he has posted, you know how he prepared himself.”“Therefore I expected this performance from him.”"
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Niko Kovac and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had words of praise for the German defender. They hailed Boateng’s desire to prove himself at Bayern but refused to completely rule out a transfer before the deadline day. There are no concrete offers for Boateng yet, despite being loosely linked with a move to Italy.
Boateng was close to joining Paris Saint Germain last summer. He had set his heart to a move to Paris, but the two clubs failed to reach an agreement over the transfer fee. The French club was expected to return with a better offer this summer, but the arrival of Abdou Diallo in Paris from Borussia Dortmund might spell the end to their interest in Boateng.
Bayern has three young center-backs in the current squad. Lucas Hernandez is still recovering from a knee injury while Benjamin Pavard might take time to adapt to the demands of a top club like Bayern. Boateng’s experience could be pivotal next season as these French defenders slowly ease into the starting lineup. If Boateng is ready to accept the role of a squad player, then retaining him for one more season is not exactly a bad idea.
Boateng is set to leave the squad midway through the pre-season tour and head back to Munich. The German club announced that his sudden return is due to personal reasons. Boateng is expected to train individually at Sabner Strasse during his time in Munich. Bayern meanwhile will play their final game in the United States against AC Milan on Wednesday.