Liverpool Transfer News: Oliver Bierhoff Plays Down Leon Goretzka Rumours

Germany national team general manager Oliver Bierhoff has walked back earlier comments in which he appeared to accidentally admit rumours Schalke's Leon Goretzka―who has been linked with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur―is moving to the Premier League are true.

As reported by 90Min (h/t Sports Illustrated), Bierhoff gave an interview to The Guardian in which he appeared to reveal Goretzka has already decided to leave the Bundesliga for a Premier League club:

“We feel that England, because of the amount of money you have with TV rights, young talented players like Leroy Sane and [Schalke’s] Leon Goretzka are moving to England and this is not good for our league but also for the quality of our game. We have to pay attention and invest again and again in the education of our coaches.”

Those comments sent some fans into a delirium, but as shared by German football expert Raphael Honigstein, they may have cheered too early:

Goretzka has been linked with just about every top club in Europe, with most of the rumours revolving around Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The Catalan press have pushed reports his top priority is Barcelona, per Mundo Deportivo (h/t TalkSport), while the German media believes he's a lock to join Bayern.

As reported by Sky Deutschland (h/t ESPN FC's Mark Lovell), rumours he has already told the Bavarians he'll join them have been so frequent that Goretzka has been forced to publicly deny them.

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The 22-year-old's contract runs out at the end of the season, so he's free to sign a pre-contract with any club in January. Schalke are still hopeful he'll sign a new deal, but as of right now, he seems set to leave Gelsenkirchen.

A full Germany international who played a crucial role in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, Goretzka is an expert ball-winner with good vision and passing range, as well as excellent athleticism.

As you can see in the video below, he can also score the occasional spectacular goal:

Goretzka is the type of player most clubs would gladly spend big money on, and the fact he'll be available on a free transfer means almost no one can be counted out. Bayern are experts at locking up Bundesliga talent―especially the cheap ones―but Goretzka has attracted international scouts for years, so few will be sleeping on his talent.

In manager Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have a strong German connection that consistently leads to links with Bundesliga players. Klopp was popular in his home country and has already splashed the cash on a Bundesliga midfielder, with Naby Keita set to arrive next summer.

While Bierhoff's initial comments are noteworthy, his later clarification has poured cold water on them. The former Germany international currently works as a manager for the national team, and Goretzka would have no reason to inform him of his decision—and German football insiders probably would have known well before Bierhoff.

Goretzka might still end up in the Premier League, but we most likely won't know for certain until January or even later.