Jerome Boateng Insists He 'Will Not Run Away' From Bayern Despite President Pushing for €20m Exit
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng has reiterated his commitment to the club, insisting he will not push for an exit, despite his poor relationship with club officials.
The German has lost his place in the team in recent months, and club president Uli Hoeness recently admitted that he felt as though Boateng needed to leave the Allianz Arena for the good of his career.
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However, speaking to Kicker, Boateng insisted that he has no plans to walk away from the club this summer.
He said: "I'm still fired up. I'm ready to attack the new season. [I can] clearly imagine that I can continue at Bayern. I'm not going to run away here, situations are changing fast."
Boateng then went on to speak about his deteriorating relationship with senior officials at the club, which stems from a failed move to Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
"If you get such a secure commitment and an adequate sum is paid, but suddenly it's called off, something collapses in you," he added.
"I was able to turn things around and play well, but I was out in certain games anyway. [Hoeness and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic] said 'the coach really wants to keep you; For him, you are number one in defence'. Why am I the one who had to leave?"
A departure from the club seems inevitable for Boateng, with both Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez set to arrive at the club this summer. As well as PSG, Manchester United continue to be linked with the German, whilst Arsenal have also been tipped to involve themselves in the situation.
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However, this ongoing saga may have damaged Bayern's hopes of receiving a sizeable transfer fee. Bild state that the Bavarians are now looking for €20m, having previously rejected PSG's offer of €32m last summer.
Although they may not even be able to earn that figure, as Hoeness' public insistence that Boateng does not have a future at the club will give any interested teams the upper hand in their pursuit of the centre-back.
They add that Bayern may be forced to accept a lower fee, or else they risk causing some serious trouble. He remains under contract until the summer of 2021, and the club will likely be eager to avoid any long-running conflict, so accepting a cut-price deal for Boateng may be the best option.
