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Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge spoke with Bild (behind the Bild+ paywall) about several of the persistent and ongoing rumors that have been floating around Säbener Strasse for weeks — and even months — in some cases.
The 63-year-old gave his insight on many players including Bayern’s Jerome Boateng and Renato Sanches, Manchester City’s Leroy Sane, RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz.
Rummenigge was frank in discussing some players, while purposely vague about others. Regarding Sane, Rummenigge did not show many of his cards:
A transfer is always a three-party business. First the player has to decide where he sees his future.
As for Havertz, however, Rummenigge was an open book in talking about his conversation with Rudi Völler when Bayern inquired about the status of the 20-year-old phenom:
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with Rudi Völler out of interest. I played together with him for years on the national team; we have a very open relationship. I asked Rudi what Leverkusen’s plans for Kai Havertz were. He told me: “In Leverkusen, a decision has been made together with the chairman of the supervisory board, Mr. Werner Wenning, that the player will definitely play in Leverkusen next season.
When pressed about that last sentence and if Bayern would pursue Havertz in the summer of 2020, Rummenigge played coy:
I don’t know whether Kai Havertz will play in Munich some day. I’m not a friend of deciding things in advance when there are twelve months in between. It’s not that easy to manage. Kai Havertz is a good player; there’s no debating that. But he has a contract until 2022.
When the conversation shifted to Werner, Rummenigge acknowledged the great fear that Die Roten Bullen has that its talented and pacey striker might leave in 2020 on a free transfer. That anxiety is exactly what Bayern wants Leipzig to feel as it decides what price it should put on the 23-year-old Germany international:
Leipzig doesn’t want Timo Werner to go for free in 2020; I can understand that. My relationship with Leipzig’s Oliver Mintzlaff is good, I said to him seven or eight weeks ago: “If we have a serious interest in Timo Werner, I will approach him [i.e. Mintzlaff]. I’ll stick to my word.”
When addressing the internal situations surrounding Boateng and Sanches — two players who are not happy to be confined to roles on the bench — it was clear that the CEO understands their frustration.
I can understand that Jérôme is dissatisfied with the past season. I think we have to find a serious and fair solution for both sides. I think that’s basically possible.
As for Sanches, Rummenigge acknowledged that the 21-year-old’s desire to be on the pitch is at the heart of his desire to leave Bayern. Rummenigge said,
I think he has developed well this year; the coach is basically very satisfied with him. But Renato also wants to play continuously.