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Bayern Munich have said Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze will not leave this summer. Manchester United have targeted Muller and, while Bayern have repeatedly said he is not for sale, German football magazine kicker reported on Thursday that Louis van Gaal has not given up on the Germany international. Speaking to reporters during at PR event in Munich on Thursday, though, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "Louis van Gaal is very stubborn, but there is no price for Thomas Muller." Bayern also look set to retain Gotze this summer despite the midfielder falling down the pecking order last season. The Germany international has attracted interest from Juventus and Bayern have suggested on several occasions that they could be persuaded to sell, but the player has said he wants to prove his worth. "He has informed the club that he wants to stay, and wants to assert himself here," Rummenigge said. "If there's no new initiative from him, it's the end of this story." Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said he has known for some time that the duo will be part of his squad this season. "I have known it for two, three weeks," he told a news conference ahead of the season opener against Hamburg on Friday. "Thomas will stay, and Mario will stay." With Muller and Gotze staying, competition for places in Guardiola's squad is set to be more intense than ever, with Jerome Boateng saying the players have been warned that they should leave if they are unwilling to accept rotation. Bayern have spent €79m this summer on Arturo Vidal, Douglas Costa, Joshua Kimmich and Sven Ulreich, while long-term injury absentees Sebastian Rode and Thiago Alcantara are set to return to the fold. Veteran midfielder Xabi Alonso, who joined from Real Madrid last year, has been tipped for a reduced involvement this season, particularly given Kimmich's impressive performances in preseason. Guardiola backed the former Spain international, though, and said he had suffered because of injuries to teammates at the end of last season. "He was our best player [in the Champions League semifinals] against Barcelona, the best fighter. Everything. But Xabi needs midfielders who pass the ball back to him. "We had players who chase the ball, who run. I don't doubt Xabi's qualities. He needs a full squad. I want the best for Xabi." Guardiola said he was happy with the "outstanding squad" at his disposal and, asked how he would select his starting formation, he said: "I want the best for the team. "That's sometimes because of the opponent, or sometimes it's how well they have trained, or how they got along with their teammates. Yes. When someone does not feature in the last game, and trains well, then they have a chance. "It's always about what is best for the team. I sometimes make many mistakes, and sometimes fewer mistakes, but I always play with the players I consider best for the team at that point. They all deserve to play. They all trained well, and when they don't train well, they are not good for this club."
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