It is well known that Uli Hoeness, whenever he speaks publicly, tackles issues without mercy, just as he did during his playing days in the glorious 1970s with Bayern and the national team.
The latest to fall under his scrutiny is Konrad Laimer, a defensive pillar for Vincent Kompany but, as it seems, one of the least technically gifted players on the pitch for Bayern, who compensates with work rate and physical effort.
When it comes to money, the Bavarian club becomes not just wary but alert. In recent years, Bayern has seen multiple cases of players pressuring for a move if their contracts were not improved. For Hoeness, Laimer does not belong in that essential group.
“Konny is a player I value highly. He is extremely important for the team, as well as for the club’s public image. He works incredibly hard for the team. But he is not Maradona,” says Hoeness, acknowledging that when discussing a potential contract negotiation with the Austrian, “many things must be put into perspective.”
Laimer still has one season left on his contract with Bayern, will turn 30, and what he currently earns, as Hoeness points out, “is something that very few clubs in Europe can even offer.”
“I do not know what Max Eberl and Christoph Freund have offered, but it is certainly not what his representatives are asking for, and this has nothing to do with our general policy, but rather a realistic assessment of his sporting and financial value. It is high, but he is not Harry Kane,” he concluded.