According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa have reached an agreement to sign Leon Goretzka as a free agent, following the expiration of his contract with Bayern Munich. The Premier League side are planning for the medical and the official announcement next week. The imminent arrival of the 31-year-old is seen as a replacement for Youri Tielemans, who has joined Manchester United.

Goretzka rose through the youth ranks at VfL Bochum and spent five years with Schalke 04, before signing for Bayern in 2018. During his eight-year stay at the Allianz Arena, he made a total of 312 appearances for the Bavarians in all competitions, scoring 51 goals and contributing 53 assists. He helped the club win seven Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokal trophies, three German Super Cups, and the 2020 Champions League, followed by the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The versatile 31-year-old midfielder also has 73 caps as a Germany international under his belt.