Aston Villa Close to Signing Leon Goretzka on Free Transfer
Aston Villa are closing in on a deal to sign Germany international Leon Goretzka on a free transfer, in what would be one of the most eye-catching moves of the Premier League window.
The 31-year-old midfielder is available after leaving Bayern Munich in the summer and Villa are understood to have held positive talks as Unai Emery moves quickly to reinforce a squad stripped of several key names.
Emery turns to serial winner
Emery has been hunting midfield help since Amadou Onana was ruled out until next year with a knee injury suffered while on duty with Belgium at the World Cup. Villa initially pushed to land Joao Palhinha, Goretzka’s former Bayern team-mate, but the Portuguese midfielder is now expected to join Benfica instead, forcing a change of course.
That switch has led them to a player with a heavyweight résumé.
Goretzka made 312 appearances for Bayern across eight years, scoring 51 goals from midfield and becoming a central figure in a dominant era for the club. He collected seven Bundesliga titles and lifted the Champions League in 2020, while also amassing 73 caps for Germany and featuring three times at this summer’s World Cup.
If Villa complete the move, they will be importing not just a midfielder, but a serial winner into a dressing room that has lost some of its most established voices.
A squad stripped and reshaped
The scale of that exodus has been stark. Ezri Konsa joined Arsenal on Friday for an initial £51m. Morgan Rogers has gone to Chelsea in a £117m deal. Youri Tielemans departed for Manchester United in July, and Lucas Digne sealed a return to Paris St-Germain earlier this month.
Each exit has forced Emery and the club’s hierarchy to recalibrate. Goretzka, with his experience at the highest level, fits the profile of a player who can steady a shifting core and offer leadership in the middle of the pitch.
Yet the uncertainty at Villa Park does not stop there.
Watkins future still in the balance
Emery has already admitted he cannot guarantee that England striker Ollie Watkins will remain at the club beyond the transfer deadline, with strong interest from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia testing Villa’s resolve.
“We have an issue with him, it's clear. He is our player. We have had offers for him,” Emery said on Friday. “I don't want to sell him but it can change because if it's a good option for him and the club and I can replace him in the squad, this is the routine we have and we did before with the players who are leaving.”
That blunt assessment underlines the reality of Villa’s summer: nobody is untouchable if the price is right and a replacement can be found.
Goretzka, if he signs, would arrive as both a statement and a stabiliser. The question now is whether Emery can keep enough of his core together to make the most of such a marquee addition.
