Leon Goretzka is in talks to join a Premier League club for free after leaving Bayern Munich.
Former Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka might be heading to the Premier League, as talks have reportedly started. Goretzka joined Bayern in 2018 after leaving Schalke and played 312 games for them, scoring 51 goals from midfield and winning seven Bundesliga titles.
He left Bayern at the end of last season when it was announced in January that his contract wouldn’t be extended. Since June 30, Goretzka has been a free agent and was part of Germany’s World Cup squad led by Julian Nagelsmann in North America.
He hasn’t found a new club yet, but there’s news that Aston Villa are interested in signing him. According to talkSPORT, Villa wanted to sign Joao Palhinha, who used to play with Goretzka at Bayern. However, Palhinha, who was on loan at Spurs last season, joined Benfica instead.
Now, Villa are focusing on Goretzka. Journalist Matteo Moretto says talks are happening. At 31 and injury-free, Goretzka looks like a strong option, even though his wages might be high. Villa need more midfield players after Youri Tielemans moved to Manchester United for £35 million. They brought in Joao Gomes from Wolves but need more help after Amadou Onana got an ACL injury during the World Cup. Currently, Unai Emery’s midfield includes Boubacar Kamara, Lamare Bogarde, Victor Lindelof, and Ross Barkley, but Goretzka would be a great, experienced addition with his strong playing style.
Villa have sold some key players this summer, like Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, and Lucas Digne. But they’ve also signed several new players for their return to the Champions League. These include Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi from SC Freiburg for a club-record £59 million, Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid, and Japan’s goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma after a move to Paris Saint-Germain didn’t happen. Plus, Alejandro Garnacho and Aaron Wan-Bissaka joined on loan from Chelsea and West Ham.
Young players George Hemmings and Brian Madjo are expected to play important roles this season, with Madjo even scoring in the UEFA Super Cup against PSG.
As for replacing Konsa, Sky Sports says Villa are looking at Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo. The former Manchester City and Fulham player is one of the options Villa are considering as they search for a new central defender.