Leon Goretzka once again experienced a difficult start to the competitive season. Despite prominent absentees, the midfielder did not find a place in the Bayern starting eleven against Wolfsburg. This can be interpreted as a clear signal from head coach Vincent Kompany to the international.
Goretzka initially had to watch the clash against VfL Wolfsburg from the sidelines. Although Joshua Kimmich was missing due to ankle problems, Vincent Kompany decided against the 30-year-old in the 8:1 thumping victory and instead opted for the combination of Aleksandar Pavlovic and summer newcomer Tom Bischof. The Bochum native only came on after just under an hour.
A remarkable sign, as Kimmich’s absence was actually seen as a potential opportunity for Goretzka to play his way back into the team. According to the Abendzeitung newspaper, however, it has long been clear internally that the international is still on the cut list – a departure in the summer is already a done deal. Previous comeback performances and his positive standing within the team have done nothing to change this.
In Bischof, Kompany placed his trust in a 20-year-old up-and-coming talent in the center – Goretzka, on the other hand, was left out. The clear commitment to youth shows that the Bayern coach is pursuing a consistent course in which established players can increasingly fall behind. The former Hoffenheim player put in a solid performance alongside Pavlovic.
A late sign – but is that enough?
Goretzka, whose contract expires in the summer, is one of the big earners in the squad. According to AZ, the club wants to invest his salary elsewhere in future – for example in contract extensions with Dayot Upamecano or Serge Gnabry. Talents such as David Santos Daiber or the flexibly deployable Raphaël Guerreiro are also pushing into similar roles.
„We are also planning the second half of the season with Leon,“ CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen recently made clear. A premature departure as early as January has been categorically ruled out – also because experience is needed in the battle for three titles. There is interest in Goretzka from Spain and England, among others, but the record champions will remain his employer until the end of the season.
After coming on as a substitute, Goretzka showed that he has not yet given up. He scored in the closing stages to make the final score 8:1 and also put in a decent performance in other respects – a small statement, after all. However, the fact that he only came on late in the game is unlikely to improve his situation. National coach Julian Nagelsmann is also likely to be watching closely, as one thing above all else counts for a World Cup nomination: regular playing time.
