Tottenham Hotspur could be ready to fight Arsenal for the signing of Leon Goretzka in the summer transfer window after showing interest in January.
That’s at least according to journalist Heiko Niedderer. BILD cover comments from him today and the potential battle for the 31-year-old.
Goretzka will become a free agent in the summer. In January, he revealed that he plans to leave Bayern Munich on a free transfer after deciding not to sign a new contract with the German giants.
His plan is to see out the season with them before starting fresh in the summer. But reports at the end of the January transfer window had Arsenal making a bid. According to the Bayern Insider podcast, Arsenal made Bayern an offer just before the window closed.
Goretzka rejected this approach. He didn’t want to entertain the interest at that late point. His focus is on the summer and, according to Niedderer, Tottenham will also be in the mix.
They were also linked at the end of January. A report at that point stated their efforts were being pushed back until the summer. That came after reports in Italy stated they had made a surprise move for the 31-year-old.
Leon Goretzka: Tottenham in mix after Arsenal offer
Now eyes turn to the summer transfer window instead and Niedderer believes Tottenham will be back at that point too.
“We know about the negotiations with Atlético Madrid, which were quite advanced,” he said.
“Arsenal also jumped in and made an offer. But Goretzka had already decided to make a clean break and look for something new in the summer.
“In this case, it worked out well; it sounds like a clean break. Arsenal could be another exciting option in the summer, though. England in general is his preferred destination.
“And I think that’s where he belongs with his style of play. Tottenham is also a possibility; I’d be happy with that as well.”
That could leave Goretzka with an interesting choice to make in the summer. Arsenal would appear to offer the stronger option based on their current season compared to Tottenham’s, but they also face far greater competition for places.
Most Tottenham fans would argue that Goretzka would walk into their midfield, but they’ve also just spent big on Conor Gallagher.
The situation remains one to watch over the coming months. Goretzka’s free agent status will have clubs lining up. Arsenal and Tottenham seem likely to be among them.