90min

Thomas Müller Admits Bayern Munich Future Was Uncertain Earlier This Season

By Jamie Spencer

Thomas Müller wasn't sure of his Bayern Munich future
Thomas Müller wasn't sure of his Bayern Munich future / Pool/Getty Images
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Bayern Munich forward Thomas Müller has admitted that his future at the club was uncertain earlier this season when he was struggling to command a place in former coach Niko Kovac’s starting XI, and there were no guarantees he would be offered a new contract.

Müller, who will turn 31 in September, recently penned a new deal that promises to now keep him at the Allianz Arena until the summer of 2023, by which time he will be nearly 34.

The 2014 World Cup winner re-established himself in early November when Kovac was sacked and has started virtually every Bundesliga game since. He is also back among the goals after failing to find the net in the league during those difficult early months of the campaign.

Had things not changed, Müller could have been forgiven for thinking the time might be right to move on, having spent his entire career at Bayern after joining the youth ranks at age 10.

Yet the player continued to work hard to prove he still deserved a place at the club.

“You need the quality, the attitude, the strength and you just have to deliver on the pitch. Without all that it's not possible to play for FC Bayern for as long as I do. You simply have to perform,” he explained in a press conference this week, via FCBayern.com.

Müller has regained a regular starting place at Bayern
Müller has regained a regular starting place at Bayern / Pool/Getty Images

“The club signs a player because they hope to achieve their goals with him. Ten months ago, the situation was quite different. Who knows if we would have extended my contract to 2023 then?

“In the footballing business, but also in everyday life, there are often only subtle differences between different decisions.”

Müller has adapted his game in recent seasons. He is no longer the prolific goalscorer who netted at least 20 times in all competitions four years in a row and peaked with 32 in 2015/16. His Bundesliga tally hasn’t reached double figures in any season since, but his assist numbers have soared instead.

This season alone, Müller has provided 18 assists in 29 Bundesliga games to lead the league ahead of Jadon Sancho (17), Christopher Nkunku (15) and Thorgan Hazard (13).

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