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Bayern Munich have agreed a deal to sign Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka in July 2018, with the player completing a medical on Thursday.
Goretzka's deal at Schalke was due to expire in the summer and Bayern have won the race to sign the 22-year-old Germany international despite links with clubs including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool.
Schalke CEO Christian Heidel told a news conference: "Leon Goretzka informed us early this week that he wants to leave Schalke for Bayern. We noted it with regret. Yesterday, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge informed us that Leon had his medical. We will lose a very, very good player.
He has signed a contract at Bayern from July 1, 2018 on. We did al we could to keep him at Schalke. We reached an agreement with him and his agent last summer. But he wanted time regardless to see our sporting progress. We can handle the situation. It did not come out of the blue. We were prepared."
#Heidel: We were very sorry to hear this. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told us yesterday that Leon has completed a medical. We are losing a very very good player. #s04
- FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) January 19, 2018
Coach Domenico Tedesco added: "We are sad and disappointed to lose Leon as a player and character, but we have to accept the decision. It's out of the question that Leon's an important puzzle piece.
"We hope the fans won't show a negative reaction on Sunday. Our fans have always supported our team and Leon will be part of it in the second half of the season. He is a professional, and will give it his all for Schalke. He remains an important team member."
Goretzka, who helped Schalke to third place in the Bundesliga, has been linked with Bayern since helping reigning World Cup champions Germany win the Confederations Cup in Russia last summer.
Sport Bild had claimed as early as May that he had already agreed to join the Bundesliga champions -- a report immediately denied by the midfielder on his Facebook page.