When Goretzka arrived at Bayern from Schalke in 2018, he was revered as a modern type of midfielder, who could essentially play every position in the middle of the field.
Peter Neururer, Goretzka’s coach at his hometown club of Bochum, called him a “once-in-a-century talent” when he was 18. The sky certainly seemed the limit in the 2010s.
While he has usually served as a number six, often playing alongside good friend Joshua Kimmich for Bayern and Germany, Goretzka has been used as an emergency centre-back and as a number 10 when needed.
Being slotted behind a striker highlighted Goretzka’s strengths as a goalscorer.
His well-timed runs and stature made him a force in the air to convert crosses.
That skillset helped him at times to be picked by coaches when the competition in central midfield became increasingly tough.
As an example, Goretzka suddenly looked like a key player for Germany again in March and June 2025 when the national team played in the Nations League finals and he was employed in Nagelmann’s starting line-up.
But these spells where he was able to shine became increasingly rare in recent years.
Injuries have plagued Goretzka from a young age to a degree that we will never exactly know where his true ceiling could have been in his 20s.
He rarely suffered severe injuries but had to deal with regular setbacks for a couple of years, and often in inopportune times.
Goretzka seemed to be at the height of his powers in the 2020-21 season, coming off a Champions League triumph with Bayern during the pandemic year.
But instead of being the engine for Germany’s midfield at the European Championships in 2021, he missed the first group stage game due to the after-effect of a hamstring injury.
His only start came against England at Wembley in the round of 16.
When fit, Goretzka remained a starting XI player for Bayern until Kompany’s arrival in 2024. And even then, following a first few months as a benchwarmer, he was able to fight his way back into the starting line-up.
However, the emergence of Aleksandar Pavlovic, a Munich-born midfielder and Bayern academy graduate, eventually sealed Goretzka’s fate.