Atletico Madrid Accelerate Plans to Sign Leon Goretzka Leaving AC Milan Trailing
AC Milan are known admirers of Leon Goretzka.
Charlie Rhodes
Updated on 28 January 2026
A potential Leon Goretzka transfer to AC Milan has been floated in recent weeks, with the Italians likely to make a move in the summer. However, they could be pipped to the German by another European heavyweight.
AC Milan are seemingly continuing their recent theme of acquiring seasoned veterans in midfield.
Manager Max Allegri praised Adrien Rabiot’s impact since Milan picked him up for a shrewd €10 million, while 40-year-old Luka Modric has injected balance and elegance into the midfield, alongside a more youthful summer signing in Samuele Ricci.
Fears over the impact of Tijjani Reijnders’ exit have quickly dispelled as Milan’s new look midfield excels, but the club are still eager to add physicality and defensive stability where possible.
They have enquired about Leon Goretzka’s availability, with the German likely to depart this summer as his contract at Bayern Munich runs out.
Despite recent reports that Milan have taken decisive steps in their pursuit of the 30-year-old, FootItalia understands they still have ground to make up in the race for his signature.
Atletico Madrid Ahead of AC Milan in Leon Goretzka Transfer Race
Matteo Moretto, a close associate of Fabrizio Romano, has now revealed Atletico Madrid have made more headway in a deal for Leon Goretzka.
He said: “There have been contacts in the last few hours with Atletico Madrid to see if a move could be possible as early as January.”
He revealed that Conor Gallagher’s recent departure to Tottenham has left Atleti with a hole to fill in midfield, and may decide to pounce as early as January to avoid a wage war come the summer.
“With Gallagher’s departure, they’re looking for a low-cost addition to bolster the squad. To date, the main contacts are with Atletico Madrid, not with Italian clubs.”
Milan are unlikely to match any approach made by Atletico in January, with the club eager to show restraint and back the existing squad, which has settled into life under Max Allegri.
With Bayern conceding that Goretzka’s future lies away from the club – whether it be as soon as the end of January or in the summer – their preference would be for a quick-fire sale before the end of the month.
That puts Atleti in pole position given they are ready to sanction a move, which is likely to cost between €15m-€20m.
However, a move may hinge on whether Bayern can find an adequate replacement in time, which appears unlikely.
Charlie Rhodes
Charlie has built a deep portfolio across a wealth of sports websites, with a heavy focus on Europe's top five leagues. He has a long-standing interest in Serie A having grown up watching Football Italia on Channel 4 as a child. With extensive experience tailored towards news, long-form content and heavily researched features, Charlie has also garnered experience in several roles in the fintech and marketing sector.
Our unbiased editorial policy
Despite ongoing collaborations with commercial affiliates, the details, information, and reviews we provide remain honest and unbiased. We keep this in check by implementing a stringent editorial policy.
Our policy implements strict editorial standards, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of our articles, news, and reviews. Only the highest-quality content reaches our pages. We achieve this through conducting thorough research on each topic, conveyed to you using unbiased reporting, to ensure we earn your trust and keep it.
