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Yesterday, Sport Bild dropped a hefty dose of Bayern Munich news in their print edition, part of which involved ongoing contract negotiations at the club. One of the most important players up for a new contract this summer is Leon Goretzka, whose current deal expires next year. Being one of the mainstays of the midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich, the Bayern bosses are under serious pressure to extend his current deal.
The problem is money, as always. Per Sport Bild, Goretzka’s camp apparently wants €20m a year, which would put him among the top earners at Bayern — basically alongside the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer. Now however, Sky Sports has turned that report on its head, claiming that the 20m-a-year number never came up:
According to @SkySportNewsHD, both FC Bayern and Leon Goretzka want the contract extension to happen. The reported €20m demand has never been mentioned. However, Goretzka still wants to wait and see how the team will develop under Julian Nagelsmann pic.twitter.com/YaLUkgIEdS
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) July 21, 2021
The report also says that while both parties are still far apart, Goretzka wants to stay at Bayern and Nagelsmann is counting on having him around. Given the player’s performances these past few years, it’s absolutely critical that the bosses get this deal done. If he’s allowed to leave, it would set the club back by at least 50-80m just to buy a replacement. Why was he allowed to enter the last year of his contract without an extension? Only the bosses can answer that.
The FC Bayern Contract Circus continues! We’ll keep an eye on these stories as they develop, so keep checking back for more news.