Bayern Munich were willing sellers in the summer, but they struggled to complete deals for players who were not part of their long-term plans. Courtesy of the Bavarian club’s failure to arrange transfers for players, Leon Goretzka has found himself in an awkward position. As things stand, Leon Goretzka may regret the decision to stay at Bayern Munich this season.
Goretzka was not part of the matchday squad against Holstein Kiel. The German international was unused substituted against Wolfsburg, and played only one minute against Freiburg. Courtesy of next-to-nothing game time this season, Goretzka is finding it difficult to find a place in Julian Nagelsmann’s plans for the German national team.
The 29-year-old midfielder hoped to earn a place in the squad like he did under Thomas Tuchel last season. However, this season is even trickier for Goretzka due to the signing of João Palhinha and the growing prominence of Aleksandar Pavlović. Goretzka is obviously working hard in training, but it does look like the pecking order in the midfield is set in stone under Kompany.
Kompany and Max Eberl have insisted that Goretzka has been a thorough professional in the training, but the competition is intense at Bayern. The German midfielder was made aware of his position in the squad in the summer, but he decided to stay in Munich.
Eberl on Goretzka's situation: "I told him clearly that it would be difficult for him. That's our job. He's behaving well, I really respect him as a person. Sometimes things can change. The best example is Serge Gnabry. He took on the fight and is now a regular starter" pic.twitter.com/jt2YQRe9MU
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) September 15, 2024
Winter transfer for Goretzka looks inevitable
Atletico Madrid and Napoli were loosely linked with Goretzka in the summer. However, Bayern didn’t receive any concrete offers for Goretzka. The high salary of the German midfielder is also one of the contributing factors behind the lack of interest from top clubs.
However, Goretzka will have to soften his stance in the winter transfer window if he doesn’t get adequate playing time. Bayern may allow him to go out on loan, provided the interested club covers the majority of his salary. A productive loan spell may attract suitors in the summer before he enters the final 12 months of his contract in Munich.
Goretzka will be part of the squad against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Tuesday since Sacha Boey suffered a serious injury on Sunday. However, the German international may not get on the pitch since other midfielders are fit and available. As things stand, it will take an injury crisis for Goretzka to get valuable game time in midfield.
It is an unfortunate situation considering Goretzka’s vital contributions at Bayern over the last six years. However, every party has contributed to the situation. It will be harsh to pin the blame on Bayern.