Englishmen in position
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The future of Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka remains a much-discussed topic: Will the 30-year-old national player extend his contract at Säbener Strasse for a lower salary or will he seek his footballing fortune elsewhere after his contract expires next summer? Or will there be a surprising change in winter? According to information from journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu from the “SportsDigitale” portal, Goretzka’s management is currently talking to Tottenham Hotspur about the modalities of a possible short-term transfer.
Accordingly, the English want to get into position early if the option of signing Goretzka arises by Deadline Day. In Munich, the midfielder, whose departure has been rumored for a long time, is highly valued for his reliability and consistency. The Spanish “AS” recently reported in the wake of the rumors about interested clubs from Spain that an extension to adjusted and significantly lower salaries was not completely ruled out for both the player and the club. In addition to Goretzkas, the contracts of captain Manuel Neuer (39), Dayot Upamecano (27), Serge Gnabry (30) and Raphaël Guerreiro (31) at FC Bayern are also expiring. Sports director Max Eberl recently said: “We are having our discussions, we are conducting our negotiations. We are also on the right track in one case or another.” He didn’t give any specific names.
On the other hand, the argument continues: the record champions could only collect a transfer fee for the 67-time national player in the winter, assuming a concrete offer is made. It remains to be seen whether one of these will arrive from Tottenham on Säbener Strasse in the next few weeks. According to Sabuncuoğlu, Goretzka is also considered a sought-after solution for the central midfield at the traditional Turkish club Fenerbahce – which is coached by ex-Bundesliga coach Domenico Tedesco, under whom Goretzka played during his time at Schalke 04.
Despite all the rumors, from a player’s perspective, consideration of a theoretical short-term change should primarily depend on the perspective of regular playing time. Goretzka was in national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s starting line-up in nine out of ten international matches for the German national team in 2025. It can be considered unlikely that he will jeopardize his current standing and his chances of participating in the World Cup by transferring abroad in the winter without a regular place or guarantee of playing – as long as the professional continues to be held in high regard by Vincent Kompany.