ASTON VILLA have agreed a deal to sign former Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka on a free transfer.
Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano posted on X: “Leon Goretzka to Aston Villa, here we go! Verbal agreement in place with the German midfielder after direct call with Unai Emery.
Leon Goretzka celebrates after winning the German Cup Final in May in what was his last appearance for Bayern Munich Credit: Getty
The highlight of Goretzka’s career came in August 2020 when he lifted the Champions League trophy Credit: Getty
“Verbal green light to #AVFC project with club planning for medical and signature this upcoming week.”
Goretzka, 31, has been available as a free agent since leaving Bayern at the end of last season following eight years in Bavaria.
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Bayern confirmed his departure after a glittering spell in which he made more than 300 competitive appearances and lifted 15 trophies.
That haul included seven Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokals and, most importantly, the Champions League in 2019/20.
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Goretzka arrived at Bayern in 2018 but his first season was badly disrupted by injuries, with the midfielder struggling to establish himself.
He was once viewed as a skinny, injury-prone midfielder – before Hansi Flick arrived and helped transform him into a physical monster in the Bayern engine room.
His best form came towards the end of the 2019/20 campaign, when Bayern completed a stunning treble.
Goretzka was at the heart of Flick’s midfield alongside Thiago Alcantara as Bayern swept aside the competition in Europe and Germany.
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Goretzka underwent an incredible body transformation in 2020 that saw him become one of the world’s best midfielders
He remained heavily involved under Flick’s successors Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel and Vincent Kompany, although he never quite reached the extraordinary levels he produced during Flick’s reign.
Villa will now hope Emery can get the very best out of him.
The move represents a major change in the Villa midfield, with Amadou Onana set to miss most of the season after suffering an ACL injury.
Youri Tielemans has also been sold to Manchester United, while Morgan Rogers has moved to Chelsea, leaving Emery with plenty of work to do in rebuilding his engine room.
Villa have already brought in João Gomes from Wolves and Johan Manzambi from Freiburg, with Goretzka now set to become another major piece of their new-look midfield.
His arrival could be particularly important while Onana is sidelined, with Goretzka offering a similarly imposing physical presence in the middle of the park.
He also brings a huge amount of experience at the highest level, something that could prove invaluable with Villa back in the Champions League next season.
Goretzka has made 73 Champions League appearances – exactly the same number of caps he has earned for Germany.
Goretzka has played at Villa Park before in Bayern’s 1-0 defeat there in the Champions League in October 2024 Credit: Reuters
Villa had previously been linked with another Bayern midfielder, João Palhinha, but Goretzka now looks like a perfect alternative for Emery’s system.
The German was also linked with Arsenal earlier this year as a possible option to strengthen their midfield.
The Gunners eventually went in a different direction, however, signing Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes in a £75million deal.
For Villa, getting a player of Goretzka’s ilk without paying a transfer fee could prove to be outstanding business.
At 31, he still has plenty to offer, while his trophy-winning experience is something money cannot easily buy.
The exact length of Goretzka’s Villa contract has not yet been confirmed, but his medical and signature are expected to take place this coming week.
