After Bayern departure: Leon Goretzka faces a new Herculean task

After his Bayern Munich contract expired at the end of June, midfielder Leon Goretzka took time to find a new club and faced criticism during the World Cup cycle. The article highlights debate after Germany’s penalty shootout against Paraguay, when Goretzka reportedly backed away from taking a spot-kick as captain Joshua Kimmich looked for takers; the Germans ultimately lost after a late attempt by Jonathan Tah sailed over the bar. Further scrutiny followed claims that the 31-year-old was isolated and withdrew from DFB activities during the tournament in North America, though he made no public comments. Goretzka has now signed a two-year contract with Aston Villa, with an option to extend for another season. Villa, fresh off a 2025/26 fourth-place Premier League finish and their Europa League final win over Freiburg, sold players for about €360 million and brought in about €216 million in transfers, pushing spending above €500 million in total.