Leon Goretzka would be wasted at Manchester United and City… the Schalke midfielder ought to join Chelsea or Arsenal
Germany ace has been linked with a host of clubs across Europe - but could be best suited to one of London big boys
COME the start of the January transfer window, any player out of contract in the summer can begin talks regarding a free transfer.
And just like Arsenal’s situation with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, Schalke are poised to lose another of their stars for nothing this summer.
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In the past two seasons, Joel Matip and Sead Kolasinac departed when their contracts expired with the German club.
Now 22-year-old Leon Goretzka is set to follow.
There is a scramble for his signature, with many clubs in England chasing the midfielder.
But which Premier League club would suit him best? We asked our friends at Football Whispers to analyse the situation.
Who is Leon Goretzka?
Despite being tracked by Bayern Munich and Barcelona, comments from Oliver Bierhoff - now part of the German national team set-up - suggests Goretzka is planning to move to England when his contract expires.
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Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have all been linked with moves, but don’t doubt he is also a Chelsea transfer target given he is available on a free.
Likened to Michael Ballack, what Goretzka brings is a proactive style of play.
He’s aggressive in possession, happy to push forward with the ball and beat opponents, while one of his best traits is his ability to turn defence into attack with a single pass.
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Goretzka is a leader in the middle of the park. He takes responsibility, rather than passing the buck. Something all the clubs mentioned above would benefit from.
Last term, he averaged 1.8 shots per 90 minutes, 2.7 attempted dribbles, as well as winning 2.3 tackles, making 2.7 interceptions and 0.8 clearances. It shows his ability to contribute with and without the ball.
Who could he join?
Manchester United
Jose Mourinho was linked with Monaco’s Fabinho in the summer and the German midfielder brings a similar energy as the Brazilian.
Yet, since signing Nemanja Matic from Chelsea, the Portuguese boss has settled on a 4-2-3-1 formation with the Serbian patrolling the middle of the pitch and Paul Pogba, when fit, pushing further upfield.
Without moving to a 4-3-3 shape it’s hard to see where the Schalke player fits in the current set-up. Playing Goretzka deeper would restrict him from making a big impact.
Manchester City
There is no doubt Goretzka would add energy and drive to Pep Guardiola’s midfield and as David Silva ages and begins to slow down, playing the German beside Kevin De Bruyne could be very exciting.
The Catalan coach already has Bernardo Silva to take over from his namesake and Ilkay Gundogan is pushing for minutes this season after recovering from injury, so putting an emphasis on another midfield recruit may not be a priority this summer.
Chelsea
Antonio Conte already has several powerful options in his midfield. With N’Golo Kante, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater, the Blues are stacked with defensive midfielders.
Goretzka would bring something different, however. Able to affect the game at both ends of the pitch – although he’s not as creative as Cesc Fabregas – he could be the perfect player to bring balance to the Blues midfield, especially when Kante is ruled out.
Arsenal
Aaron Ramsey has failed to live up to the high expectations since his £5million move from Cardiff City in 2008.
Glimpses of brilliance combined with weeks of mediocrity aren’t good enough to help the Gunners get back into the top four.
Goretzka would be an upgrade on the Welshman and adds just about everything that is currently missing from the current midfield at the Emirates.
Finishing outside the Champions League places would make it a tough sell with the other clubs showing interest.
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Liverpool
Rather than take part in a bidding war, Jurgen Klopp acted fast to get a deal done for RB Leipzig’s Naby Keita.
The thought of adding Goretzka beside the Guinean in the Reds three-man midfield is a mouth-watering prospect.
If Emre Can ends up leaving Anfield on a free this summer, the Schalke star would be the perfect replacement and would make Liverpool a very energetic and difficult opponent.
Tottenham Hotspur
Last season, as Spurs were attempting to chase down Chelsea for the Premier League title, it was hard to look beyond Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele in the heart of the midfield.
Yet, now, with the duo missing games, others have stepped up in their absence
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy loves a bargain and the possibility of linking Harry Winks and Goretzka in Mauricio Pochettino's 3-4-2-1 formation could be enticing.
The Argentine coach loves being able to adjust and switch up his side with versatile players, the German would increase his options and make them an even more exciting outfit.
