Liverpool target Leon Goretzka signs for Bayern Munich - which is good news for Manchester United and Chelsea
Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel announced at a press conference on Friday that the 22-year-old had signed a contract with the Bundesliga champions from July 1
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Your support makes all the difference.Schalke's Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka will join Bayern Munich in the summer, ending Liverpool’s interest in the player.
The Premier League side had been in contact with Goretzka’s representatives and had identified the 22-year-old as a potential midfield partner for Naby Keïta, who moves to the club from RB Leipzig this summer.
But Schalke’s sporting director Christian Heidel today announced at a press conference that Goretzka, who has scored 6 goals in just 12 international appearances for Germany, had signed a contract with the Bundesliga champions from July 1.
“Leon Goretzka informed us earlier this week that he wishes to leave the club and join Bayern,” Heidel said.
“We were very sorry to hear this. (Bayern chief executive) Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told us yesterday that Leon has completed a medical. We are losing a very, very good player.
“We did everything we could to try and keep him. In the summer he and his agent reached an agreement, but he wanted time to develop.
“We can cope with this situation, it wasn't a complete surprise. We are prepared for this.”
Schalke coach Domenico Tedesco said added that the team were “sad and disappointed to be losing Leon, both as a player and as a person”.
Goretzka moved to Schalke from VfL Bochum in 2013 and went on to establish himself as a first-team regular for the Bundesliga side.
However, the central midfielder declined to sign a contract extension and was always expected to leave the Arena AufSchalke this season, with his contract entering its final months.
Schalke are third in the Bundesliga table, 14-points behind leaders Bayern, ahead of Sunday's meeting with Hannover.
The impending arrival of Goretzka at Bayern will increase speculation over the future of Arturo Vidal, who has been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena. Chelsea and Manchester United are both believed to be in the race for his signature.
And when quizzed about his opinion on the Chile international last season, Antonio Conte admitted he was a big fan of the player.
“I must be honest, it's not right to talk about a player of another team,” Conte said. “But Arturo is a fantastic player.
“I have a great respect for Arturo, and we spent many years in Juventus together. I would always want him to go to war with me.”
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