For years, one of the most common arguments against Bayern Munich from fans of other clubs has been the way their soul has been sold off. The Bavarian heart of the club has slowly but surely left, with only Thomas Muller remaining as a proper home-grown player after Phillip Lahm retired. As a symbol of the club who has just come off a (comparatively) poor season, though, fans have been wondering if yet another symbol of Bavaria could be heading out the door.

With the latest signing of James Rodriguez, a player who can literally fill every position that Muller can, competition just got even worse. Muller now finds himself behind several top talents, not least a Colombian international with incredible skill and poise. It’s unlikely, then, that Muller would be able to break ahead of Rodriguez given the large fee that Bayern need to pay per year for the Colombian.

Is it time, then, for Muller to consider a move from Bayern? It would be a major shock, but not beyond the realms of possibility. When asked about the signing of Rodriguez – and what it meant for Muller – coach Carlo Ancelotti was guarded.

“James can also play on the left and as a midfielder… we did not buy James to replace anyone. We bought James to have a better team and with James we have a team with better quality.

“But James also knows that if he does not deserve to play, he does not play.” He was quoted as saying during the clubs tour of Shanghai.

Whatever happens, Muller is still a quality player. A paltry 5 goals is disguised with 14 assists, and the German international is still one of the most methodical and productive players of his generation. However, it might be time to re-evaluate if a career in Bavaria is still an aim or if it’s something that, in the cold light of day, is not likely to be a possibility in the future.

If he was to be on the market, the clubs interested would showcase his qualities.