Manchester United are reportedly in the running to sign Bayern Munich midfielder, Leon Goretzka, with the German international seemingly surplus to requirements at the Allianz Arena.
What is the latest on Goretzka to Man United?
According to Sky Sports Germany, the 28-year-old has been deemed 'expendable' by Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel ahead of next season, albeit with the former Schalke ace still hoping to stay put in Bavaria beyond the September deadline.
As per the report, however, United are believed to be keeping tabs on the player's situation if he does opt to move on elsewhere this summer, with the Red Devils monitoring the Bochum native 'very closely' despite already having strengthened the midfeld with the signing of Mason Mount.
The piece notes that if Erik ten Hag's are to step up their interest in the 6 foot 2 maestro, then they will have to lodge a bid in the region of €50m (£43m) in order to strike a deal.
What is Goretzka's style of play?
Despite having seemingly fallen out of favour under Tuchel, the towering titan had previously been a firm favourite of former boss Julian Nagelsmann, with the out of work coach having lauded the midfielder's all action style in the centre of the park:
"Leon is one of the best box-to-box players in Europe. He has incredible goal threat and knows when to bomb forward."
That desire to get forward at every opportunity, as well as his imposing, physical stature, may well spark similarities among United supporters to a certain Paul Pogba, with the 6 foot 3 Frenchman having previously been utilised in that role at Old Trafford.
The mercurial 30-year-old – who returned to Juventus after six years in Manchester last summer – was undoubtedly a polarising figure during his time with the Red Devils, having notably sparked fury after repeatedly angling for moves away from the club.
That being said, however, at his best the World Cup winner had the ability to make a telling impact in his playmaking berth, having notably registered three goals and nine assists in 20 Premier League outings during his final season at the Theatre of Dreams, while creating six big chances in that time.
Despite scoring just two goals and contributing three assists in 27 Bundesliga appearances last season, Goretzka showcased that he can match Pogba's creative flair after creating seven big chances in total.
The duo have also both enjoyed similar returns with regard to goal contributions in recent years, with the latter man having chipped in with 90 goals and assists in 233 games during his two spells in Manchester, while his Bayern counterpart boasts 69 goals and assists in 179 appearances for the German giants.
While United supporters may be fearful of landing a carbon copy of Pogba, those concerns can be eased by the fact that Goretzka does boast a superior record with regard to his defensive ability and work rate, having chipped in with 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game in the league in 2022/23, as well as winning 67% of his aerial duels as a marker of that physical dominance.
The current Juve man, by contrast, averaged just 1.4 tackles and interceptions per game during the 2021/22 campaign under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, having won just 64% of his aerial duels.
That would suggest that while Goretzka has the ability to match Pogba's attacking quality, he also has the added bonus of being able to put in the hard yards defensively, something which should be a real cause for excitement among the Old Trafford faithful – if a deal can be agreed.
