Bayern coach expects Jerome Boateng to stay desite PSG links and public transfer talk

Jerome Boateng has been vocal about the possibility of a move away from Bayern Munich – but Niko Kovac isn’t entertaining the idea. 

Kovac, has backed Boateng to stay with the German champions next season and has rubbished rumours that he could link up with Thomas Tuchel after the PSG boss called him a “top player”.

Boateng has played over 250 games for the Bavarians since joining from Manchester City in 2011. During this time, he has won six Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokals and a Champions League title, as well as winning the 2014 World Cup with Germany.

However, Boateng has found a starting berth harder to come by in recent seasons at Bayern and has voiced his desire to experience football in another country.

Kovac still expects Boateng to remain at Bayern next season and, in response to Thomas Tuchel’s recent comments about the defender, he told reporters (via Goal): “I know Jerome quite well and I’m confident that he will stay with Bayern.

“I know that Thomas is still looking for one or two good players, maybe he will look at us, but it will not be easy to get our players.”

The strange (and public) transfer talk back-and-forth between Boateng and Bayern bosses

Boateng and Bayern Munich President, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, have both been very public in their row over the defender’s future and his performances for the club in the past.

Back in November 2016, Rummenigge told Sky Deutschland (via ESPN) that he was worried about how Boateng’s off-field activities, which include running a designer glasses label in the USA, were affecting his game on the pitch.

He said: “He’s got to calm down. Since last summer it’s all gotten a bit much. It would be in the interests of him and the club if he came back to earth a little.”

Boateng shrugged off the comments, saying (via Goal): “I can only laugh about these statements. Next time he can say it personally in my face – and then it’s fine.”

And just last month, while Rummenigge was attending an awards ceremony in Germany, the Bayern president admitted that the club had a “threshold” when listening to offers for Boateng.

He told reporters (via Bavarian Football Works): “Basically, those thoughts are not out of this world. His agent [Christian Nerlinger] has also informed me of them.

“So we know that the topic may potentially come up for us. If a club comes and announces that he’d like to transfer to that club, we will take the issue up.

“At the moment it’s all speculation. I know, though, that Jerome is considering the subject.”

Boateng expressed his confusion around the comments before heading off to the World Cup in Russia by telling a news conference (via Sportskeeda): “That is not an issue right now, it’s about the World Cup now. I do not know why these statements were made.”

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