Leon Goretzka joins Aston Villa on free transfer from Bayern Munich

The 31-year-old brings a wealth of experience to Unai Emery's squad after eight seasons in Munich, where he made 312 appearances and scored 51 goals. Goretzka won seven Bundesliga titles, three German Cups and the Champions League during his time with Bayern.

He also has 73 Germany caps and has played 73 times in the Champions League.

Goretzka said he was excited by the opportunity to join Villa, particularly after experiencing the atmosphere at Villa Park as a Bayern player in 2024.

"I remember it was a really special atmosphere and crazy energy in the stadium," Goretzka told VillaTV.

"For us, with Bayern, it wasn't the best experience we had. For you, it was probably one of the best. I'm really looking forward to experiencing nights like this again."

Villa defeated Bayern 1-0 in that Champions League meeting, and Goretzka is now hoping to experience the famous Villa Park atmosphere from the home side.

"The Champions League nights are always special," he said. "I played some games there already, and every time to hear the song before the game is always special.

"I'm really looking forward to having some special nights here."

Goretzka spent time considering his next move after leaving Bayern and said his first conversations with Villa convinced him the club was the right choice.

"It's a really good feeling to sign here," he said. "From the first moment, I had a really good feeling, and I'm really happy to be here.

"I had a good feeling from the first conversation with the coach. Aston Villa, for me, is a really big club."

His arrival gives Emery another experienced option in midfield following the departures of Youri Tielemans to Manchester United and Morgan Rogers to Chelsea. Defender Ezri Konsa has also moved to Arsenal.

Goretzka will now experience English football for the first time and is eager to test himself in the Premier League.

"I want to help the team to achieve their goals and to bring my experience that I have from my whole career," he said. "Let's play a good season.

"Obviously for me it's a new league. I'm really looking forward to playing in these kinds of big games every few days."

Goretzka could make his Villa debut when they face Arsenal at Villa Park on Monday.