Julian Nagelsmann confirms plans to take out-of-favour Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka to the 2026 World Cup

In his interview with kicker, Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed that he will take Leon Goretzka to the World Cup in the summer.

The Bundestrainer was asked about how he plans to set up the midfield in the summer, whether Joshua Kimmich will be played in the middle or as a right back, and the current options to play in centre-midfield. On Germany’s midfield, Nagelsmann said:

Adding:

When asked what his solution is to this, Nagelsmann revealed that he will play Bayern’s Goretzka as a number six:

Considering that Goretzka is not a first-choice player for Bayern, it is a questionable decision by Nagelsmann to publicly state that he will likely play for the national team in the summer.

There are currently a wealth of German midfielders who would be better fitted to partner Aleksander Pavlovic in the midfield in the summer. Angelo Stiller has been in great form for Stuttgart, as has Felix Nmecha, while the biggest talking point has been Anton Stach.

Since moving to Leeds from Hoffenheim, the midfielder has been a key player under Daniel Farke as they look to stay in the Premier League. However, in the same interview, Nagelsmann’s comments on Stach gave an indication of what he thinks about the former Hoffenheim midfielder.

GGFN | Jack Meenan