The Germany international has been linked with a departure from the Allianz Arena but he claims such talk is premature as he “feels good” in Munich
Thomas Muller has insisted he wants to stay at Bayern Munich, dismissing reports that he could move to Manchester United this summer.
Along with fellow Bavarian star Bastian Schweinsteiger, Muller has been the subject of a lot of speculation, with reports suggesting he could swap the Allianz Arena for Old Trafford and link up with former coach Louis van Gaal again.
Though he sees attention from other top clubs as a compliment, the Germany international claims he has no intention of bailing on a Bayern contract which has another four years to run.
“When a transfer request comes in, you automatically deal with it,” Muller told Bild. “A request from another big club is an honour and a telling reward that one’s performances are good.
“But I feel good at Bayern and my deal runs until 2019. It’s better to ignore speculation [such as Manchester United talk].”
Muller has been at Bayern since 2000, breaking through the youth ranks into the senior set-up in 2008, and he has won four league titles, three DFB-Pokal trophies and one Champions League in the past seven years.
But the 25-year-old thinks modern football can often work against young players as clubs craving immediate results will turn to players they have recently splashed cash on, ignoring their academy recruits.
“Who plays on the pitch for Bayern is ultimately decided by who is best for the team,” he added. “However, getting recognition internally at a top club can perhaps be more difficult for a youth player.
“When you’re bought by a club, your performances become their responsibility as they’ve paid a lot of money for a transfer, so they want to have faith in you.
“On the other hand, if you’re already at a club, the club can often just assume you’ll stay there. I don’t find it hard to prove myself every season but maybe that’s because my position is so flexible.
“But very good, new players are brought in every season by Bayern and the race for a starting position starts again from the beginning.”