Leon Goretzka on Bayern Munich’s transfer window and adapting to change

Joshua Kimmich’s status at Bayern Munich looks untouchable, but the same can’t be said of his midfield partner Leon Goretzka. While Kimmich has often served as the more deep-lying playmaker of the two, reports that he’ll move into the number 8 role next season has raised questions about Goretzka’s future — as has Bayern’s thus-far fruitless links to defensive midfielders ahead of the opening of the summer transfer window.

Goretzka opened up on his future in a wide-ranging interview with Sport1

“Competition in the squad is a basis for the success of FC Bayern,” the 28-year-old Bochum native said. “The people in charge are doing their job to question everything. But I’m sure we will find our way back on the road to success together in the new season.”

Even if Bayern don’t add anybody else in central midfield — they’ve previously been linked with Declan Rice and Moisés Caicedo, who look likely to end up at Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC, respectively — Goretzka will have more competition on hand next season. Leipzig’s Konrad Laimer and Borussia Dortmund’s Raphaël Guerreiro are arriving on free transfers and could change up how Thomas Tuchel deploys his midfield.

But some of those changes have arrived already, as Goretzka noted.

“One of my big strengths is implementing what the coach expects of me. In the last few months, I’ve often heard: ‘Goretzka isn’t even in the penalty box anymore, he doesn’t score any more goals or creates too few.’ I had completely different tasks at the time,” he clarified.

“It was primarily about staying back, a lot about building up the game in the first third of the pitch and no longer about getting close to the box. I was measured by things that were previously asked of me when I was even more of a #8 — with different tactical tasks.”

So Goretzka has already been showing what he can do in a role that departs more from his trademark box-to-box role. As a consummate professional, he’s a player who is ready to adapt to a variety of tactical demands.

“It depends on what is expected of me. I want to do what the coach asks of me again. But I have another personal goal,” Goretzka explained. “I want to live up to my ambition as a leading player even more in difficult phases –- like we are currently having with the DFB, like we recently had with Bayern. I want to be able to take charge of a game, to help the team, to be an anchor when things aren’t going well.”