Bastian Schweinsteiger is ‘flattered’ by the interest of Manchester United, according to Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, with Germany’s captain pondering a move to England.
“I have had a telephone conversation with him in the last few days and I get the feeling he is flattered by the interest from England,” said Rummenigge on Thursday.
“Let’s wait and see what happens.”
The 30-year-old Schweinsteiger has a year left on his Bayern contract and is reported to have been offered a deal to join Manchester United with Red Devils’ coach Louis van Gaal also hoping to sign Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos.
Schweinsteiger has spent the last 17 years at Bayern and the World Cup-winner has just won his eighth German league title having been part of the 2013 treble winning side which claims the Champions League, Bundesliga and cup crowns.
Rummenigge has said he will sit down with Schweinsteiger to talk about his future in the coming weeks, but both director of sport Matthias Sammer and coach Pep Guardiola have said only the defensive midfielder can decide his future.
The Bayern chairman refused to be drawn as to whether the Bavarian giants have bid for United’s Argentina international Angel di Maria.
“The silly season (for transfer stories) has to be filled and the truth is shockingly low,” he said drily.
But the only thing Rummenigge could “completely deny” was that Bayern are considering swapping Schweinsteiger for Di Maria.
Bayern will play their first mini-tournament of their pre-season on Sunday when they face hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach, Augsburg and Hamburg and will have Brazil winger Douglas Costa, who cost them 30 million euros ($33.1m) from Shakhtar Donetsk, in their squad.
Rummenigge said Guardiola will fulfil the final year of his Bayern contract “The cards look good that after June 30 2016 he will be, and will remain, Bayern Munich’s coach,” he said. –Â Agence France-Presse
