Leon Goretzka’s future remains uncertain. More than seven weeks after leaving FC Bayern, the 31-year-old is still a free agent. At the start of the summer transfer window, it seemed as though the former Bayern star could practically pick and choose his new club. Now, the midfielder may have only one option left.
With the 2026–27 season about to begin, Leon Goretzka still hasn’t found a new club. For a long time, several top clubs—such as FC Barcelona, Juventus Turin, and AC Milan—were considered potential suitors.
In the meantime, however, the picture has changed significantly. Several high-profile clubs have been linked to Goretzka, but no concrete progress has been made. With one and a half weeks left in the transfer window, the midfielder’s options are dwindling.
Italian transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio is closely following the situation of the player with 73 caps for the national team. In an interview with Wettfreunde.de, he therefore now considers a move to Turkey to be quite realistic.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he moved to Turkey,” Di Marzio explained.
Above all, the financial resources of Turkey’s top clubs could play a role in this. While interest from other top European leagues has cooled off recently, clubs in the Süper Lig are apparently still able to pay large sums for free agents. Among others, Mohammed Salah moved to Turkey on a free transfer this summer.
Interest from Serie A has cooled
The Italian Serie A, in particular, has long been considered a possible destination for Goretzka. Juventus Turin is said to still have the former Bayern player on its radar, but is currently focusing on other priorities.
“At the moment, there is no interest in Leon Goretzka, as Juventus Turin is focused on other positions, such as goalkeeper and center back. Goretzka is on Juventus’ list, but they must first sell players before they can sign new ones,” Di Marzio explained.
AC Milan has also been linked with the midfielder. Recently, however, interest from Italy appears to have cooled off overall.
„AC Milan has also been linked to the player, and now we’ll have to wait and see if Milan makes another move to sign him. But I think he could end up moving to Turkey, because a lot of money is being paid there for players available on free transfers,“ the transfer expert added.
High demands are becoming a problem
One reason for the difficult search for a new club is said to be the midfielder’s financial demands. According to reports, Goretzka is demanding an annual salary of around seven million euros net. In addition, a signing bonus of about ten million euros is reportedly on the table.
“It’s really strange that he’s a free agent, because he’s an incredible player. They’ve probably demanded a high signing bonus, a high signing fee, and a generous salary. So for now, they haven’t decided yet where he’ll end up,” Di Marco explained.
Turkey could therefore actually become Goretzka’s last major option. While top European clubs are hesitating, the financially powerful clubs in the Süper Lig apparently offer the best conditions for a short-term deal.