New Bayern Munich signing admits to rejecting Barcelona offer

Leon Goretzka insists he has no regrets about turning down a number of offers in order to join Bayern Munich, one of which came from Barcelona.

The midfielder reached an agreement with the Bundesliga champions in January after deciding against extending his contract with Schalke and was officially presented as a Bayern player on Thursday.

Goretzka was heavily linked with Barca and Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed in January that only their offer stopped the 23-year-old leaving the Bundesliga for LaLiga.

And Goretzka himself is confident he made the right choice in moving to the Allianz Arena.

“That was an honour, of course,” he told reporters when asked about Barca’s interest. “I had several options and took a lot of time for my decision and believe that I have made the best choice with Bayern.

“I see myself as a number eight, but I’m flexible. I’m ready to play in different positions.

“I have a very positive impression of [head coach Niko] Kovac. Everything else will come over the next few days.”

Goretzka has been on holiday since the World Cup, where his only appearance came in the 2-0 defeat to South Korea, which confirmed Germany’s shock exit at the group stage.

He admits it has taken some time to get over the disappointment of the campaign in Russia.

“I thought about the World Cup a lot,” he said. “It was helpful to have people around me. My mum and dad have always supported me.”

Much of the post-tournament discussion has been dominated by Mesut Ozil’s decision to retire from international football, citing what he considers to be unfair treatment at the hands of the German Football Association (DFB).

Ozil’s accusations of racially-motivated criticism of his performances have prompted a fierce debate within Germany, but Goretzka is unwilling to become embroiled in the topic.

“The people who wanted to say something have done so,” he said. “I want to concentrate on Bayern. Personally, I don’t want to comment on it.”

In 2013, Goretzka was referred to as one of the brightest talents in German football. Peter Neururer, Goretzka’s head coach at VfL Bochum, said that he had “never seen an eighteen year old footballer which had a potential as Goretzka” and titled him as the “talent of the century”.Goretzka has a potent eye for scoring goals and is known to possess good ball control ability and also has the ability to pick out passes for his teammates.

Goretzka produces powerful shots from outside the penalty area, a trait similar to that of Paul Scholes. He is also well known for his excellent heading ability which sees him regularly score goals with his head.At 1.89 m, Goretzka’s high-jumping ability helps him to win aerial battles even against the strongest and tallest defenders. His main position is a central midfielder although he can be deployed as a defensive midfielder, a right winger and in the position of playmaker. His game has often been compared to two of German footballing greats, Lothar Matthäus and Michael Ballack.