Wednesday 3 January 2018 14:50, UK
Bayern Munich have confirmed their interest in signing Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka.
Goretzka is out of contract in the summer and has been free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs since January 1.
Manchester United and Juventus are among the clubs interested in signing the 22-year-old, who has already been capped 12 times by Germany.
Schalke want him to stay and have offered him a new deal which would make him the highest-paid player in the club's history.
Now, Bayern's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has confirmed the Bavarian giants are interested in signing a player expected to play a large role for Germany at this summer's World Cup.
"Leon Goretzka is a great player, that's clear. He is a Schalke player and we obviously respect that. But he is a Germany international and we can say that we are interested in him," Salihamidzic said.
Earlier this week, Goretzka's agent, Jorg Neubauer, denied his player's mind has been made up in response to reports in Bild and Marca that Bayern are his preferred destination.
"When the decision has been made, Leon and I will inform Schalke first of all," Neubauer said.
