Why did Goretzka reject Liverpool and Arsenal to sign for Bayern Munich?

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Leon Goretzka has revealed why he decided to move Bayern Munich despite receiving strong interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.

The 23-year old will exit Schalke after five years and join Bayern with his eyes on Champions League glory.

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The 23-year-old box-to-box midfielder has broken through into Joachim Loew’s German side after putting in a number of impressive performances at last summer’s Confederations Cup, where his performances alerted potential suitors in England and Barcelona.

Why did Goretzka reject Liverpool and Arsenal?

Goretzka will formally join Bayern Munich in a few months and explained he was keen to leave his “comfort zone” with the Champions League being one the key reasons behind his move to Bavaria.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that this is right step now,’ he told Funke Sport.

“I felt like I had to get out of my comfort zone to develop.

‘The Champions League also plays a big role in my decision.

“Bayern start with different expectations in the Champions League, with Schalke we are always focusing on surviving the group stages. ‘It was a long decision-making process, I spent a lot of time on it, and I was well prepared for the situation.”

He also prepared for the wrath of his current home supporters – however, despite this he hopes to leave on good terms with the club.

He said: “For me it’s incredibly important to leave Schalke with a positive experience.

“It would be hard to take transferring to Schalke in 2013 as a participant in Champions League and leaving the club as a participant in the Europa League. Generally speaking, I hope that some day the fans will not only remember the last half a year, but also the many goals I scored, the intense games we played.”

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