Aston Villa have completed the signing of former Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka on a free transfer. The Germany international, 31, was available after leaving Bayern in the summer after eight years at the club. "I had a bit of long vacation, and it was a process to find out what I really wanted. From the first moment, I had a really good feeling, and I'm really happy to be here," Goretzka said.

Goretzka made 312 appearances for Bayern, scoring 51 times, winning seven league titles and the Champions League in 2020. He also has 73 caps for Germany and made three appearances at the World Cup this summer. Villa lost their opening Premier League fixture 4-0 at Brighton and want to boost their midfield options with Amadou Onana out until next year with a knee injury.

For years, Goretzka was a cornerstone of Bayern Munich's midfield but in recent years the club were not hiding their intentions to sell him. He rejected a loan move to Galatasaray in 2024 while his sizeable wages at the Allianz Arena ruled out potential destinations. Instead his contract ran out in July, making him a free agent.

Villa have lost several stars this summer including Ezri Konsa to Arsenal for £51m, Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117m, Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, and Lucas Digne to Paris St-Germain. Goretzka's experience could prove crucial as Villa look to strengthen under Unai Emery.