Kovac 'assumes' Jerome Boateng will stay at Bayern
Bayern München currently 'assume' that Jerome Boateng will stay at the club, says head coach Niko Kovac.
Jerome Boateng fell down the pecking order at Bayern München during last season and has been linked with a summer exit, with the arrivals of Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez increasing competition for places at Allianz Arena.
But Bayern München coach Niko Kovac now says it currently looks like the 30-year-old will stay after all.
"We currently assume that he will stay," Kovac told reporters at a press conference on Sunday evening, according to Sport1.
"He has the same chances as any other player. He's doing very well, and I'm very happy with his performances in pre-season so far.
"He has a valid contract. That means that if he doesn't leave, he's on an equal footing with everyone else in the team," Kovac said.
It fueled speculation about Boateng's future when he left Bayern's U.S. tour on Saturday to travel back to Munich due to 'personal reasons'.
But Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has since claimed that Boateng's departure from the club's training tour has nothing to do with a potential transfer.