Schalke to keep Leon Goretzka for next season

Schalke 04 sporting director Christian Heidel has insisted that midfielder Leon Goretzka will stay put at the Veltins-Arena beyond the summer. The Germany international is attracting interest from both Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

Goretzka is currently with the German squad at the Confederations Cup where he bagged an excellent brace in the 4-1 victory over Mexico in the semi-final stage.

The box-to-box midfielder has just a year left on his previous deal, but Heidel insists that the club will keep hold of his services ahead of the 2017/18 season.

"We'll definitely go into the next season with Leon. Maybe he is the most important player for us. It makes no sense to us to let him leave ahead of this season," he is quoted on Goal.com. "It does not have to be a European club, a Chinese one can come in. That does not matter to us." 

Bayern Munich and Arsenal are still monitoring the developments of the player with the latter said to be lining an approach as they seek to find a replacement for the injury-plagued Santi Cazorla.

Schalke have allowed the likes of Joel Matip and Sead Kolasinac leave at their expiry of their contracts in recent times, and Goretzka could follow a similar route at the end of next season.