Leon Goretzka, a midfielder for Bayern Munich, is supposedly up for grabs by Manchester United, with the German international appearing to be unnecessary at the Allianz Arena.
What has changed since Goretzka joined Manchester United?
The 28-year-old has reportedly been labelled “expendable” by Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel ahead of next season, however the former Schalke star still intends to remain in Bavaria through the September deadline.
According to the article, however, United are reportedly keeping an eye on the player’s status if he decides to move on elsewhere this summer, with the Red Devils reportedly keeping an eye on the Bochum native’very closely’ despite having already bolstered the midfeld with the purchase of Mason Mount.
According to the article, Erik ten Hag’s will need to submit a bid in the neighbourhood of €50 million (£43 million) in order to close a transaction if they are to increase their interest in the 6 foot 2 virtuoso.
What kind of player is Goretzka?
The towering colossus was a longtime favourite of former manager Julian Nagelsmann, who praised the midfielder’s all-action approach in the middle of the pitch, despite the fact that he appeared to have lost favour under Tuchel:
“Leon is one of Europe’s top box-to-box athletes. He knows when to bomb forward and has amazing goal threat.
Paul Pogba, a 6 foot 3 Frenchman who has previously played in that role at Old Trafford, may come to mind to certain United supporters because of his willingness to advance at every chance and his imposing physical height.
The erratic 30-year-old, who spent six years in Manchester before returning to Juventus last summer, was definitely a divisive figure during his time with the Red Devils, especially after frequently trying to leave the organisation.
However, at his best, the World Cup winner had the potential to have a significant impact in his playmaking role. As an example, during his final season at the Theatre of Dreams, he recorded three goals and nine assists in 20 Premier League appearances while also creating six significant chances.
Goretzka proved that he can match Pogba’s creative flair despite only managing two goals and three assists in 27 Bundesliga appearances last season. He generated a total of seven significant chances.
Both players have recently contributed goals to their respective teams, with the latter scoring 90 goals and dishing out 233 assists during his two stints with Manchester United, while the Bayern Munich player has 69 goals and 179 assists in 179 appearances for the German powerhouses.
The fact that Goretzka has a better track record in terms of his defensive prowess and work rate—he contributed 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game in the league in 2022–23 and won 67% of his aerial duels as evidence of that physical dominance—can allay United supporters’ fears that they will acquire a Pogba clone.
The present Juve player, in contrast, only won 64% of his aerial duels and averaged just 1.4 tackles and interceptions per game during the 2021–2022 season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
That would imply that Goretzka possesses the offensive skills to compete with Pogba, but also the extra benefit of being able to put in the necessary defensive work, which should delight the Old Trafford supporters if a deal can be reached.
