Bayern Munich is preparing to part ways with the club's greatest legend, Thomas Müller (36, Bayern Munich).

German 'Sky Sports' reported on the 31st of last month that "the era of Thomas Müller, who has continued his professional career at Bayern Munich for 17 years, is gradually coming to an end," and on the 1st, it reported that "the possibility of Müller and Bayern parting ways after the season has increased."

According to the report from Sky Sports, Bayern is preparing for final negotiations with Müller and the likelihood of both sides going their separate ways after this season is increasing.

In particular, the club's leadership has conveyed that there will be no further contract renewal offers, and the atmosphere is that Müller’s future now rests on his decision.

Initially, Sporting Director Max Eberl intended to give Müller the option to choose his future, but after internal discussions, the club changed its stance. The prevailing view within the club is that "Müller is a diligent and symbolic figure, but the salary burden is high compared to his current playing time."

Müller's weekly salary is reported to be €327,000 (approximately 520 million won). This amount ranks sixth highest in the Bundesliga.

The 'legend' Müller joined the youth team of TSV Pelt in 1993. He later moved to Bayern's youth team in 2000 and made his first team debut by scoring his debut goal in the UEFA Champions League match against Sporting CP during the 2008-2009 season.

Selected by Coach Louis van Gaal, Müller was utilized as a starter starting from the 2009-2010 season. That season, Müller played in 52 matches, recording 19 goals and 16 assists. Subsequently, Müller was a key player for the team until the 2022-2023 season, leading Bayern's attack.

Müller, who has played positions including attacking midfielder, second striker, left and right midfielder, and even center forward, has appeared in 742 official matches for Bayern, recording 247 goals and 273 assists.

742 matches is the highest appearance record in Bayern's history. During this period, he lifted a total of 32 trophies with Bayern. It is not inappropriate to say that Müller is the club's greatest legend.

No matter how much of a legend he is, the time for parting is inevitably approaching. Honorary Chairman Uli Hoeneß hinted at a farewell during a preview of a Müller documentary released on 'Amazon Prime Video' last February, saying, "If he is merely a substitute, I would advise him to retire."

In fact, Müller has only played 1,260 minutes this season and has appeared for just 10 minutes in Champions League matches against Celtic and Bayer Leverkusen. Nevertheless, he has shown his presence this season with 5 goals and 5 assists, but the club has determined that the balance between his salary and contribution is inadequate.

Currently, Müller is a high earner, receiving a maximum of €17 million (approximately 2.71 billion won) annually, and Bayern is undergoing a generational shift and restructuring its salary structure. At the same time, funding is needed to acquire a backup striker for Harry Kane and a new winger.

Müller, like Manuel Neuer, hopes for a one-year contract extension and still has intentions to continue his playing career. He is also reported to have received offers to become a broadcaster, but Sky Sports has noted continued interest from Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States and from the Saudi Arabian Pro League.

Amidst this, Sky Sports has reported that a final meeting between Bayern and Müller is scheduled for this week. The media stated, "An official announcement is expected afterward, and the club plans to allow Müller to announce his future after the season ends. It is also reported that a farewell match is already included in the contract."

Müller is highly likely to participate in the Club World Cup, which will take place from mid-June to mid-July. He is one of the best-known players from Munich in the U.S. market, so he plays a significant role in terms of marketing.

Meanwhile, along with Müller's departure, the club is concentrating on signing German national team midfielder Florian Wirtz. With uncertainty surrounding his contract extension with Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern is willing to take on a transfer fee of over €120 million (approximately 191.2 billion won) to bring Wirtz in, and Chairman Hoeneß is reportedly actively engaging in negotiations.

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