Schalke 04 sporting director Christian Heidel has revealed the club are doing all they can to keep Leon Goretzka at the club amid strong links to Bayern Munich.The midfielder is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, meaning he can hold discussions with interested clubs in the new year. But Heidel has insisted Schalke are doing everything to persuade the 22-year-old to stick around."We are convinced that we have to have him stay here without putting pressure," he said, per Sky Deutschland (h/t Calciomercato). "We are trying to convince him, even in the economic aspect. We've made the most of possible efforts, we cannot do more."As noted below, German football journalist Raphael Honigstein suggested during the summer a deal to take Goretzka to the Allianz Arena in the summer of 2018 was already done:However, as relayed by Calciomercato, the midfielder continues to be linked with other clubs, including Barcelona, Juventus and Liverpool.If a deal hasn't been concluded with Bayern, then there should be a queue of clubs hoping to sign Goretzka, as he's a brilliant talent. The Schalke man has been the driving force at the heart of the Bundesliga team, and getting him in on a free transfer would represent a tremendous piece of business.The FootballTalentScout put forward the statistics behind his excellent recent form and made a comparison to a Germany great:Schalke's desperation to keep Goretzka around is understandable. The midfielder is not only a fantastic footballer, he's someone the club have put a lot of effort into developing and a player the supporters have developed an affinity with.The worry that would accompany a move to Bayern is getting into a midfield that already contains Arturo Vidal, Thiago Alcantara, Sebastian Rudy and Javi Martinez. But Goretzka is one of the best prospects in German football, and the chance to join the biggest club in the country would surely tempt the Schalke man. Timo Werner to Bayern Rumours DismissedAccording to RB Leipzig president Oliver Mintzlaff, Bayern Munich have no interest in signing young forward Timo Werner.The two sides met in the Bundesliga at the weekend, and Mintzlaff confirmed officials from each side did meet. But he's suggested a potential sale of Werner wasn't discussed."We had a pleasant lunch and dinner with FC Bayern, with Mr [Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge and Mr [Uli] Hoeness," said Mintzlaff to Sport1 (h/t TalkSport). "But we did not talk about Timo Werner. Therefore there is no enquiry or offer. If there were, we would be relaxed and would point to the contract and the happiness of the player."As noted in the report, Liverpool have also been linked with the striker. Per Bundesliga pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft, Werner didn't impress in the recent double-header against Bayern:Still, Werner has emerged as the standout young German forward as of late, excelling for both Leipzig and the national team. He's dynamic, skilful and clinical when chances do come his way.Interest from Bayern would make sense, as Robert Lewandowski is currently the club's only natural centre-forward. The 21-year-old would be a fantastic long-term option, though Leipzig will surely do everything in their power to keep one of the key men behind their recent rise.
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