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Aston Villa sign midfielder Leon Goretzka on free transfer

The 31-year-old former Bayern Munich player joins Villa as a free agent following midfield injuries and key summer departures.

Updated Aug 27, 2026 · 17:26 UTC1 reports

The short version

Aston Villa completed the signing of former Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract in July.
Villa sought central midfield depth after losing Amadou Onana to a knee injury until next year and dropping their Premier League opener 4-0 to Brighton.
The move comes after Villa sold key players this summer, including Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, and Youri Tielemans.
It remains uncertain how significant a role Goretzka will secure in Unai Emery's squad relative to younger options like Johan Manzambi.

Aston Villa signed 31-year-old Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka on a free transfer.[BBC News]
Goretzka recorded 312 appearances and scored 51 goals across eight seasons with Bayern Munich, winning seven Bundesliga titles and the 2020 Champions League.[BBC News]
Villa midfielder Amadou Onana is expected to be out until next year due to a knee injury sustained while playing for Belgium.[BBC News]
Villa lost their opening Premier League match 4-0 to Brighton.[BBC News]
Villa sold several prominent players over the summer window, including Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, Ezri Konsa to Arsenal, and Morgan Rogers to Chelsea.[BBC News]

Whether Goretzka will feature consistently in Aston Villa's starting lineup given competition from younger signings like 20-year-old Johan Manzambi.[BBC News]
Whether Goretzka will be selected for international duty under new Germany manager Jurgen Klopp.[BBC News]
Whether striker Ollie Watkins will stay at Aston Villa amid interest from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.[BBC News]