'Red alert' - West Ham and Man Utd prepare to battle for £25m January swoop after blockbuster statement

West Ham are on 'red alert' after Bayern Munich admitted that highly rated midfielder Leon Goretzka is 'unhappy' with his role with the Bundesliga giants.

The 29-year-old German international has struggled for game time this season under Vincent Kompany following the arrival of Joao Palhinha from Fulham. The former Cottagers' man almost joined Bayern Munich last summer but finally completed a £47 million move this year.

Goretzka has played just one minute of football this season having made 42 appearances across all competitions last term. The player is contracted to Bayern Munich until 2026 but The Sun reports that he is set to push for a January exit.

The outlet names the Hammers and Manchester United as two 'long-term admirers' of the player and says the clubs are on 'red alert' as the potential for a winter swoop emerges. It is added that a 'host of other top flight clubs would also be keen' in hashing out a deal for Goretzka at the halfway point in the season.

Bayern Munich Director of Sport Max Eberl spoke this week about the player's happiness. He said: “We communicated very clearly from the start.

“Leon knew that we were relying on Pavlo [Aleksandar Pavlovic], and that we would bring in with Palhinha and that Josh [Kimmich] would play more in the centre again.

“We've also said that when Leon is there and ready to face the situation, he'll be treated completely normally. Leon's a great guy. I like him a lot, even though he's obviously upset at the moment. I understand that too. But that's part of life in football.”

A January sale could allow Bayern Munich to command a higher fee for Goretzka, who joined the club from Schalke 04 in 2018, rather than waiting until next summer when he has just 12 months left on his deal - he is valued by Transfermarkt at £25 million. The Sun reports that the player has a weekly wage of £273,000, which could prove complicated come negotiations.