Aston Villa have reached an agreement to sign Leon Goretzka on a free transfer, with Fabrizio Romano giving the move his trademark “here we go”.
Villa only entered negotiations with the former Bayern Munich midfielder on Friday, but talks have progressed rapidly after Goretzka opened the door to a move to Villa Park.
Romano had revealed earlier on Saturday that discussions were taking place over the length of the 31-year-old’s contract after the Germany international gave a positive response to Villa’s approach.
An agreement has now been reached, handing Unai Emery an experienced new option in midfield without Villa having to pay a transfer fee.
Leon Goretzka agrees Aston Villa move
The speed of the deal is striking.
Read Aston Villa reported on Friday night that Villa had opened negotiations with Goretzka after Matteo Moretto revealed the club’s approach.
Fabrizio Romano subsequently reported that Goretzka was receptive to the move and that contract discussions were underway.
Villa have now secured the breakthrough.
Goretzka has been available as a free agent since leaving Bayern at the end of last season following eight years in Munich.
Bayern confirmed his departure after a spell in which he won 15 trophies, including the Champions League, and made more than 300 competitive appearances for the club.
The exact length of his Villa contract has not yet been confirmed in the information available to us.
Aston Villa find Palhinha alternative
Goretzka arrives after Villa missed out on João Palhinha.
The Portugal international had been a major midfield target before Benfica reached an agreement with Bayern, forcing Villa to turn elsewhere.
Goretzka offers Emery a different profile.
Read Aston Villa analysis has already examined why the German could address Villa’s midfield shortage, particularly with Amadou Onana sidelined and João Gomes also unavailable at the beginning of the season.
Goretzka’s free-agent status also allows Villa to preserve transfer funds while they continue pursuing reinforcements elsewhere.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis remains a key defensive target, while Villa could require another striker if Ollie Watkins completes a move to Al-Hilal.
For now, though, one major piece of Emery’s rebuild appears to have fallen into place.
Less than 24 hours after Villa’s interest first emerged, Goretzka is heading to Villa Park.
