Vincent Kompany counting on Leon Goretzka for Bayern Munich this season

It was a mixed summer transfer window for Bayern Munich. They have added quality in three crucial positions in the squad. Along with signing new players, Bayern wanted to part ways with several senior players in the squad to trim the wage bill. They found it difficult to shift players from the squad to fund further signings.

Leon Goretzka was one of the players who were put on the transfer market at Bayern. The German midfielder was left out of the squad against SSV Ulm in mid-August. Die Roten had applied pressure on Goretzka to look for a solution in the transfer market, but he was determined to stay in Munich.

Atletico Madrid and Napoli were loosely linked with Goretzka, but no club-to-club talks took place regarding a transfer. Goretzka was included back in the squad for the first matchday of the Bundesliga on August 25. The German midfielder remained an unused substitute for the first league game.

Goretzka finally got his first Bundesliga minutes of the season on Sunday against Freiburg. The German midfielder will be staying in Munich at least until January as the summer transfer window ended on August 30. While talking to RAN on Sunday, Kompany admitted that he is counting on Goretzka to play an important role in Bayern’s season.

"The transfer window is now over. What's important for me is that we've already given minutes to almost the whole team after two games. Only Leroy is still out because he's not 100% fit. That means we're doing this together - and Leon is of course part of that."

- Vincent Kompany on Leon Goretzka

Goretzka is not new to the current situation

After two matchdays in the Bundesliga, it is evident that Goretzka is not Kompany’s first-choice option in the midfield. João Palhinha and Aleksandar Pavlović are ahead of Goretzka in the number six position, while there are several other options in the number eight and number ten roles.

This is not the first instance for Goretzka during his time at Bayern when he will have to fight for game time. He was not Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice midfielder at the start of last season, but he still managed to make more than 40 appearances across all competitions. Goretzka waited for his chances under Tuchel and eventually made the most of them.

The German international will continue to work hard and patiently wait for starts under Vincent Kompany. He will certainly give his best on the pitch. Will it be good enough for Bayern, it remains to be seen. For now, Goretzka will buckle down and make an impact on the pitch whenever he is called upon. If he fails to get consistent playing time until January, the German international may look for a solution in the transfer market.