Aston Villa have reached an agreement to secure the signature of Leon Goretzka without a transfer fee. The ex-Bayern Munich playmaker is anticipated to complete his medical examination before putting pen to paper on a contract early the following week.
Unai Emery had been hunting for midfield reinforcements ever since Amadou Onana sustained a serious knee ligament problem during the World Cup held earlier this summer.
Bayern Munich’s João Palhinha had been explored as a potential short-term option, though the Portuguese international ultimately opted for a permanent move to Benfica.
Having previously expressed admiration for Goretzka, Villa pressed ahead with negotiations to lock down terms, with the German international poised to arrive next week.
Goretzka featured in 48 matches for Bayern throughout the previous campaign, and at 31 years old, he was handed starting berths in 25 of those Bundesliga fixtures under Vincent Kompany’s guidance.
Since arriving at Bayern from Schalke on a free in 2018, Goretzka has collected seven league championships, three domestic cups and the Champions League trophy in 2020.
Meanwhile, Villa are making advances for Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis to fill the void left by Ezri Konsa’s departure to Arsenal. Southampton have turned down an opening offer for the England defender.
Emery has seen numerous important squad members depart this summer, among them Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans, with Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez potentially departing in the near future.
So far this transfer window, Villa have brought in Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes, Matteo Ruggeri, Alejandro Garnacho, Zion Suzuki and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.