Leon Goretzka is at the crossroads. The once irreplaceable Bayern midfielder is destined for the bench this season, if we read the signs correctly. Tonight’s Germany Cup game with Ulm is ideal for new boss Vincent Company to field out his strongest 11 in order to make a final test before the Bundesliga’s new season in seven days. And it looks like Goertzka will start the game from the bench. At least that was the case in a friendly game against Tirol, in which newly acquired Joao Palhinha started and scored in a 3-0 win, thus cementing his place in the team. Goretzka was missing due to a light injury, but when sporting director Christoph Freund was asked if the player would stay in the club, he replied: “We will see’, adding more fuel to the rumours.Tah clock is ticking for BayernSo, with a place in the starting 11 almost gone, what is Goretzka to do? He can fight for his place like everyone else, but the former Bayern legend thinks he should leave, and his boyhood club has even started a petition for his return. “Palhinha will be a regular and I also see all the other midfielders ahead of Goretzka at the moment. He has to recognize that too. On the one hand, I always hope that the players accept the fight for the starting places. On the other hand, as a player you also have to reflect on whether going to another club might not be the better option – especially with a view to the World Cup in two years, which Goretzka wants to be part of. It would be a bad decision to stay at Bayern and then only play eight or nine games per half year. He should think about becoming a regular player again” said Stefan Effenberg for ‘T- online’. ➡️❗VfL Bochum fans have reportedly started a petition to try to get Leon Goretzka to leave Bayern München to head back to his former club…[@SPORTBILD] pic.twitter.com/48rRIX2hAl— Bavarian Football Works (@BavarianFBWorks) August 14, 2024 And the fans of his club Bochum are also thinking about that and even started a petition for his return, the one which they call ‘crazy’ themselves, but still hope it’s possible. “The current sporting situation at FC Bayern Munich is tense. Despite an existing contract, Leon Goretzka no longer seems to play a role in the record champions’ plans. The fans of VfL Bochum see this as a unique opportunity – not only for the club, but also for Leon himself. He could enrich VfL Bochum with his experience, his class and his commitment. More than that: Leon would have the opportunity to win the hearts of all football romantics who long for stories in which money and fame do not play the only role. It would be a return home, to the people and the city that paved his way to becoming a professional. Of course this transfer sounds crazy. But football lives from such crazy ideas, from passion, dedication and the love of the most beautiful thing in the world” reads the petition. 5 first-team players for sale in BayernGoretzka came through the youth departments of the Bundesliga club, moving to Schalke in 2013 for 3.25 million euros. In 2018, he moved to Munich on a free transfer and has since made 221 appearances for Bayern. He was spotted in a Bochum jersey cheering for his boyhood club in a relegation battle in May against Fortuna. Bochum survived and will play in the Bundesliga this season as well. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8275760##
