Thomas Muller Bayern Munich 2018-19Getty Images

Muller exit speculation played down by Bayern chief Rummenigge but admits forward will not want to remain on bench

Bayern Munich’s Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said he cannot see Thomas Muller leaving the club in January but admits he doesn’t expect the former World Cup winner to be happy with his current situation.

The forward has not started any of Bayern’s last five games in all competitions and has actually played just 66 minutes in that time.

In fact, Muller - who has eight Bundesliga titles in Bavaria, as well as a Champions League winners’ medal from 2013 - has started just three league matches all season for the reigning German champions.

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As a result, the 30-year-old has been strongly linked with a move away from Bayern, something Rummenigge thinks is unlikely to happen in the upcoming January transfer window.

“I can not imagine that," said Rummenigge, in an interview with Welt am Sonntag: "The relationship between Thomas and Bayern is totally intact and will remain an important part of our club.”

However, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner did admit Muller is not happy with his lack of game time at present.

“If Thomas would sit contentedly on the bench, he would be in the wrong club,” said Rummenigge. “That's the reaction we even want, but he still has to deal with the situation seriously. He's exemplary.”

While the Bayern chief’s claims may have dampened the speculation for now of an imminent move for Muller, the player himself only heightened those rumours earlier this week by stating he is not content with a substitute’s role.

“If the coaching staff see me as a sub in the future, I will have to think about my situation. I'm too ambitious to not do that,” Muller claimed.

The attacker has found himself down the pecking order since the summer arrivals of Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho, while the fantastic form of Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman have also limited his playing opportunities.

Muller has been a Bayern first-team player since making his debut in 2008. In the intervening 11 years, he has racked up nearly 500 appearances and netted 183 goals.

Muller has also earned 100 International caps but his association with the German national side appears to have ended after he was dropped from the squad in March this year.

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