MUNICH, GERMANY – MARCH 18: Leon Goretzka of FC Bayern Munich in action during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Bayern München and Atalanta BC at Football Arena Munich on March 18, 2026 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Leon Goretzka had been on the verge of an agreement to join Milan from Bayern Munich this summer, but the Rossoneri have since gone stale on the matter and Juventus are also uncertain following their failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Goretzka deal looking unlikely for both Milan and Juventus
Goretzka is among the most high-profile players that will be out of contract come the end of June. The 31-year-old has spent the last eight seasons in Bavaria, winning seven league titles, three German cups and the 2019-20 Champions League.
Towards the end of the 2025-26 season, reports in Italy claimed that Milan were close to sealing a deal for Goretzka, but the spectacular blow-up in San Siro in the final weeks of the campaign appears to have stalled the matter.
Milan failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League, missing out on the final day of the season despite the fact that they had spent much of the year in second place. As a result, the club decided to part ways with head coach Massimiliano Allegri, sporting director Igli Tare, technical director Geoffrey Moncada and CEO Giorgio Furlani, all in one brutal statement the day after the season ended.
This has left the Rossoneri with major uncertainties from the boardroom down, and their transfer strategy remains unclear with no head coach nor sporting or technical director in place.
As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, the uncertainty at Milan means that Goretzka is available again for a number of clubs across Europe.
Wednesday’s report claims that Goretzka’s representatives have begun discussing a potential move with a number of ‘top’ sides across Europe, including the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus.
Juventus had reportedly sought information regarding a potential deal for Goretzka earlier in the season, and were not put off by potential wage demands in the region of €6m-€7m per season.
However, like Milan, Juventus also failed to qualify for the Champions League in the final few weeks of the season, and for that reason, the Bianconeri are said to be taking their time before offering out major contracts, knowing that they will have to spend wisely without access to Europe’s premier competition and the revenues that come with it.
