Sudden major progress in the negotiations? Exciting transfer option for former Bayern star Leon Goretzka
After his departure from Bayern Munich, Leon Goretzka still has not found a new club. Could things suddenly move very quickly now?
Italian journalist Matteo Moretto, who also writes for Spanish newspaper Marca, reports that initial talks are already under way between Premier League club Aston Villa and the midfielder.
Meanwhile, the Birmingham Mail goes a step further and says Villa hope to make major progress in the talks over the current weekend.
A move to the Birmingham club would appeal to Goretzka. Aston Villa, who finished fourth last season, have qualified for the Champions League. The 31-year-old would therefore still be able to showcase himself on the biggest stage in world football.
The Premier League club would also probably be able to meet the 73-times Germany international's wage demands without any problems. Those demands are said above all to have made negotiations with other clubs difficult in recent months.
Goretzka is understood to want a net annual salary of seven million euros, as well as a signing-on fee of around ten million euros. At Bayern, Goretzka is said to have most recently earned 13 million euros gross.
That is also apparently why Italian heavyweights Juventus Turin and AC Milan backed away from a transfer, as they could hardly meet the 31-year-old's financial demands after failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Why is Leon Goretzka not finding a new club?
On 30 June, the Bochum-born player's contract expired after eight years at Bayern Munich and 15 titles, including the treble in 2020. At the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, Goretzka wanted to put himself back in the shop window, but that failed badly.
Back in March, former Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann had promised him a leadership role in the DFB team, yet Goretzka managed only three meagre substitute appearances at the tournament in North America. The sudden demotion is said not to have gone down well with Goretzka at all.
Sport Bild reported, citing sources close to the team, that the 31-year-old had withdrawn and had often been in a bad mood. It was also said, the experienced professional waved away in frustration during the decisive penalty shootout in the round of 32 against Paraguay.
