Is there a price tag yet?
Bayern coach Tuchel counts Goretzka
07/17/2023 10:49 am
Leon Goretzka has a difficult time at FC Bayern after last season. Coach Thomas Tuchel attests the national player “room for improvement”. It is not yet certain whether he will stay. According to a report, the German record champions have already set a minimum fee internally.
Thomas Tuchel has demanded an increase in performance from Leon Goretzka at FC Bayern Munich and has not made it clear that the national soccer player will still be in his squad at the end of the transfer period. “I wouldn’t confirm that for any player, the transfer time is far too early for that and far too many things are happening,” said the 49-year-old Bayern coach. The contract of Goretzkas, who was committed in the summer of 2018, runs until June 30, 2026.
“Leon had an unsatisfactory last phase of the season,” said Tuchel in the training camp at Tegernsee. There he made a clear demand right at the beginning of the preparation: more must come from the national player. “In terms of his status, his contract, his age, he’s someone we expect a lot from. That he bears responsibility, that he carries the team. There’s room for improvement,” said Tuchel. “Our job is to help him.”
Nevertheless, the Munich company is said to have already set a price tag internally. According to “Sky”, FC Bayern would give Goretzka “if there is a serious offer of 40 to 50 million euros on the table”. According to the TV channel, the central midfielder is still in Manchester United’s sights. In addition, “two to three other top clubs” should monitor the situation very closely. “Sky” does not name specific names in this context.
Formerly a “heart and soul”
In midfield, Munich have a wide range. After his loan to Manchester United, Marcel Sabitzer is again considered a candidate for change. Ryan Gravenberch is unhappy with his playing time. “Ryan is in the challenger role. He has to get the best out of this role and accept it that way,” Tuchel clarified. He hinted that a lot can still happen in the warm-up to the season.
“There can always be a situation where players have other plans. I haven’t heard that from Leon. But it’s the beginning of preparation,” explained Tuchel. “There’s a lot of competition. All the players who are here want to see what the coach is planning, if they’re comfortable.”
Goretzka has not yet shown any ambitions that he would like to leave the German soccer champions. As reported by Sky and “Kicker”, the national player would like to stay in Munich. Accordingly, he should have advocates in the club. When he extended his contract in September 2021, Goretzka and midfield colleague Joshua Kimmich were described as the “heart and soul” of the team, saying he was “a source of energy on and off the pitch”. Again and again, the midfielder was slowed down by injuries.
The Bundesliga final was particularly bitter for Goretzka. In the master freestyle in Cologne, Goretzka came on as a substitute in the 71st minute when the score was 1-0 and had to leave the field in the 85th minute for striker Mathys Tel after a hand penalty by Cologne’s Dejan Ljubicic to make it 1-1 (81st). In the end, Bayern won with a goal in the penultimate minute by Jamal Musiala, who also came on as a substitute in the 85th minute, and became champions for the eleventh time in a row.