Huge boost for Man United as they prepare to battle West Ham for £25m January swoop for Bayern Star Midfielder after blockbuster statement

Huge boost for Man United as they prepare to battle West Ham for £25m January swoop for Bayern Star Midfielder after blockbuster statement

Under Vincent Kompany, the midfielder for Bayern Munich has been frozen out. Following Bayern Munich’s admission that highly regarded midfield player Leon Goretzka is “unhappy” with his role with the Bundesliga giants, West Ham has been placed on “red alert.”

After Joao Palhinha moved to Fulham, the 29-year-old German international has had difficulty getting into the starting lineup under Vincent Kompany this season.

The former Cottagers player ultimately completed a £47 million move this year, but he came close to joining Bayern Munich last summer.

Goretzka had 42 appearances in all competitions last season, but he hasn’t played a minute this season.

The footballer has a deal with Bayern Munich through 2026, but according to The Sun, he plans to press for a January departure.

The outlet names the Hammers and Manchester United as two ‘long-term admirers’ of the player and says the clubs are on ‘red alert’ as the potential for a winter swoop emerges. It is added that a ‘host of other top flight clubs would also be keen’ in hashing out a deal for Goretzka at the halfway point in the season.

Bayern Munich Director of Sport Max Eberl spoke this week about the player’s happiness. He said: “We communicated very clearly from the start.

“Leon knew that we were relying on Pavlo [Aleksandar Pavlovic], and that we would bring in with Palhinha and that Josh [Kimmich] would play more in the centre again.

“We’ve also said that when Leon is there and ready to face the situation, he’ll be treated completely normally. Leon’s a great guy. I like him a lot, even though he’s obviously upset at the moment. I understand that too. But that’s part of life in football.”

A January sale could allow Bayern Munich to command a higher fee for Goretzka, who joined the club from Schalke 04 in 2018, rather than waiting until next summer when he has just 12 months left on his deal – he is valued by Transfermarkt at £25 million. The Sun reports that the player has a weekly wage of £273,000, which could prove complicated come negotiations