West Ham have reportedly identified Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka as a potential replacement for Declan Rice.
The Hammers are armed with cash after selling Declan Rice to Arsenal for a British record £105m. They have been linked with several names, as manager David Moyes looks to replace his former skipper at the London Stadium. Fulham enforcer Joao Palhinha is on the club’s radar, with David Moyes’ side having a first offer of €50m rejected.
According to Sky Germany, Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka is attracting interest from West Ham. Bayern Munich are open to moving on the central midfielder, with manager Thomas Tuchel scouring the market for a new defensive midfielder.
Goretzka, 28, played an important role in the Bavarians’ title win last season, contributing five goals in 27 league matches. He still has two years left on his contract; however, while Bayern have been looking for a transfer fee in the region of €50, the report adds the German international wants to stay at the Allianz Arena.
Leon Goretzka to West Ham—Ambition move for the Hammers?
West Ham ended their 2022/23 campaign in the best possible manner, winning the Europa Conference League by beating Fiorentina in the final in May. For a club that will be motivated after winning a piece of silverware and ready to kick on next season, losing their skipper is a big blow to the manager and the fans. And when it is a player of Declan Rice’s quality, then the club must replace him adequately before the new campaign commences.
Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka has emerged as a potential option to replace Rice at West Ham. Goretzka joined Bayern in 2018 from FC Schalke and has amassed 179 appearances in all competitions, winning five league titles and one Champions League trophy. However, his recent form hasn’t been great—owing to a spate of recurrent injury problems.
Nonetheless, the German is a quality player who would undoubtedly walk straight into West Ham’s starting XI. Goretzka can play in a variety of roles across the midfield, and his passing ability, reading of the game and vision coupled with his winning mentality and experience at the highest level, would make him a sensational addition to Moyes’ squad.
However, it looks unlikely the 28-year-old will want to join West Ham, especially when he is also on Manchester United’s radar. Yes, Moyes’ West Ham won the Europa Conference last season and will play in the UEFA Europa League in 2023/24, but Goretzka is used to winning big trophies and competing at the highest level regularly.
While the Germany international would be a statement signing, it feels that the central midfielder would not find the prospect of joining the Hammers—which finished in the bottom half of the table last term—appealing. So, there are high chances for Goretzka to stay at Bayern, or if he decides to leave, he could move to a more prestigious club that will fight for trophies every year.
