Manchester United and West Ham United have been put on red alert as Bayern Munich chief Max Eberl has admitted that Leon Goretzka is "upset" with his lack of game time at the Allianz Arena.
The 29-year-old lost his regular starting spot in the Bayern side last season under former boss Thomas Tuchel and his fortunes have not improved since the arrival of new head coach Vincent Kompany.
Goretzka has played just five minutes of football across Bayern's first four domestic fixtures and finds himself behind Joshua Kimmich, Konrad Laimer, Aleksandar Pavlovic and new signing Joao Palhinha in the midfield pecking order.
Multiple reports, including one from The Sun, claim that both Man United and West Ham have been long-term admirers of Goretzka, while several other top-flight clubs would also be interested in the midfielder should he become available.
La Liga giants Barcelona, who are now managed by ex-Bayern boss Hansi Flick, have also been credited with an interest in Goretzka, who has less two years remaining on his contract in Bavaria.
Interested suitors in Goretzka have seemingly been handed a boost ahead of the January transfer window, as Bayern's director of sport Eberl has admitted that the midfielder is unhappy with his current situation at the club.
© Imago
Will Goretzka consider January exit from Bayern?
Speaking to Sky Deutschland after Goretzka was left out of Bayern's matchday squad for last weekend's 6-1 Bundesliga win over Holstein Kiel, Eberl said: "We communicated very clearly from the start.
"Leon knew that we were relying on Pavlo [Pavlovic], and that we would bring in with Palhinha and that Joshua [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."
Should a January exit for Goretzka materialise, the midfielder will likely be expected to take a significant wage cut as he is said to be earning £273,000 per week from his current deal at Bayern.
Goretzka has spent the last six seasons at Bayern and has contributed with 40 goals and 46 assists in 222 appearances across all competitions, winning a total of 13 trophies including five Bundesliga titles.
Oliver Thomas
