Bayern Munich have confirmed their interest in the highly rated Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka.

The 22-year-old Germany international, who has scored six times across his 12 caps, helped Schalke to reach the winter break in second place behind Bayern in the Bundesliga and he has been strongly linked with a move to the Allianz Arena.

“Leon Goretzka is a great player, that’s clear,” the Bayern sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, said. “He is a Schalke player and we obviously respect that. But he is a Germany international and we can say that we are interested in him.”

Goretzka, whose contract runs out in the summer, has reportedly attracted interest from Liverpool, too.

Bayern have also sustained an injury scare after the goalkeeper Sven Ulreich was forced to leave training early to undergo a scan on a finger. Ulreich is Bayern’s first-choice keeper in the absence of Manuel Neuer, who is still recovering following an operation on his left foot in September.

He looks set to be to fit for Bayern’s first game back against Bayer Leverkusen on 12 January, however, with Salihamidzic saying: “‘Ulle’ is having scans at the moment. I understand that he will still be OK for the first game back after the break.”