Leon Goretzka explains why he snubbed Liverpool in favour of free transfer to Bayern Munich in 2018… despite ‘amazing’ Jurgen Klopp being keen to sign him from Schalke
- Leon Goretzka left Schalke and joined Bayern Munich back in summer of 2018
- He explains that Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were keen to sign him at that time
- Goretzka hails ‘amazing’ job Klopp has done but says he made the right decision
- Both Liverpool and Bayern Munich have since lifted the Champions League
Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka has lifted the lid on the reasons why he snubbed Liverpool in 2018, despite Jurgen Klopp being desperate to sign him.
Goretzka was at Schalke from 2013 to 2018, before running down his contract and deciding to move on to pastures new. Plenty of top clubs were in for him, but in the end he decided to stay in the Bundesliga with giants Bayern Munich.
Klopp, having previously managed Borussia Dortmund while Goretzka was at Schalke, was well aware of his talent, but didn’t manage to bring his man to Anfield.
Leon Goretzka has explained that he had the chance to move to Liverpool when he left Schalke
The Germany international believes he made the right decision choosing Bayern over Anfield
‘They were a consideration, of course,’ Goretzka said of Liverpool in an interview with The Athletic.
‘They’re a great club, and their development since Klopp came has been amazing. We’re all a little proud of him winning the title.
‘But I took a long time making my decision, and I was 100 per cent sure that Bayern was the right move for me.’
Goretzka may well have been doubting his decision when seeing Liverpool lift the Champions League in 2019, but he will have felt vindicated a year later when he and his Bayern team-mates won the trophy themselves.
Since arriving at the Allianz Arena, Goretzka has won all the trophies on offer to him, lifting two Bundesliga titles, two German Cups, two German Super Cups, the Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup.
Now 25, he is also a mainstay in the Germany national team and has impressed since the lockdown after using the break to improve his strength and physique.
Goretzka hailed the impact of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool but says he is enjoying life at Bayern
Goretzka (right) celebrates with Douglas Costa during a recent Bundesliga win over Stuttgart
He explains: ‘Nobody knew what was happening and we had a lot of time to think. I asked myself: what can I do to develop further as a human being?
‘It was an opportunity to take stock, listen to the voice inside of you and redefine your goals.
‘The extra muscle is only the most visible part of that. Not playing gave me a chance to do work on the body in a way you can’t do under normal circumstances, as you’d need two or three days to recover.’