Aston Villa has signed midfielder Leon Goretzka from Bundesliga side Bayern Munich on a free transfer, the Premier League club announced on Thursday.
“Aston Villa is delighted to announce the signing of Leon Goretzka,” said the club in a post on social media.
The 31-year-old Goretzka is expected to play a crucial role in the midfield following the departures of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers.
Goretzka started his career with hometown club VfL Bochum before moving to Schalke 04. In 2018, he joined Bayern and had a highly successful stint with the Bavarian giants. He won seven Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokal Cups and four German Super Cups domestically. At the European level, he also triumphed in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup. With Bayern, he also clinched the FIFA Club World Cup in 2020.
Overall, he made 312 appearances for the German club in which he scored 51 goals and provided 44 assists.
The German international has represented his country 73 times, including participation in the last three FIFA World Cups and the 2021 European Championships.
Goretzka is the seventh signing for Aston Villa in the current summer transfer window after midfielders Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes and George Hemmings, defenders Matteo Ruggeri and Modou Kéba Cissé, and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.
Unai Emery’s Villa began its season with 1-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. In its Premier League opener, the club lost 0-4 at Brighton and Hove Albion. The side will host reigning league champion Arsenal on Monday.
Published on Aug 27, 2026
