Thomas Müller hints at Bayern Munich stay despite Manchester United interest

Bayern Munich striker Thomas Müller has seemingly reiterated his desire to stay with the Bundesliga champions, despite interest from Manchester United, after stressing the importance of retaining a German influence at the Allianz Arena.

German publication Bild has linked Louis van Gaal's side with a £70m ($109m) move for the World Cup-winner, according to The Guardian. However, chief-executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says there is no chance of the deal being completed.

Müller has previously indicated that he was flattered by interest from United but was happy with life with the Bavarian giants. In the latest show of commitment to Pepe Guardiola's side, he has urged the club to keep hold of their German players.

"Ultimately it's the quality of the player that's decisive [but], nevertheless, I think it's important for the club, for its identity and the fans that a hard core of German and domestic players is there, so the identity of the club doesn't get lost. We have to keep an eye on it," he told Goal.com.

Bastian Schweinsteiger's move to United has saw Bayern's German contingent reduced, with Müller one of five players who currently hail from the World Cup-holders, the others being Philipp Lahm, Manuel Neuer, Mario Gotze and Jerome Boateng.

The importance of having home-grown players in the Bayern squad is reinforced by Uefa's rules that within a 25-man squad for European competition, eight of those must be club-trained or association-trained players.

Furthermore, with Bayern looking to keep ahead domestically and keep up with their rivals on the continent, the need to bring in players from overseas is more pertinent than ever, even if it affects club tradition.

United are among the examples in the Premier League of striking the right balance between home-grown players and those drafted in from overseas, with their title-winning sides littered with individuals from their academy.