19 Jan 2018 12:33:34
"FC Bayern München have signed FC Schalke 04 player Leon Goretzka. The 22-year-old Germany international, whose contract with Schalke expires on 30 June 2018, has signed a four-year contract from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2022,”.

1.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 12:38:35
What a shocker.

2.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 12:52:04
Didn't see that coming.

3.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 13:19:39
I thought he wasn't allowed to actually sign a contract with Bayern until 1 month before the end of his current contract?

Don't get me wrong, i'm pretty sure he'll end up there, but this 'news' story seems like nonsense.

{Ed002's Note - No, it is not nonsense, it is simply a case of you not understanding.}

4.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 13:46:37
6 months before isn’t it?

5.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 14:37:34
Bayern did it again, signing up the best of the young talent in Germany, I am not sure that I like what they do .

6.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 15:23:40
Apologies Ed002, but on the 7th Jan you said the following in reply to a post asking about Goretzka.

"Ed002's Note - Importantly, Goretzka cannot sign a pre-contract with Bayern Munich. "

So that is where my misunderstanding comes from.

A little further research leads me to believe that he can sign a pre-contract agreement if both clubs agree to him doing so. I assume that this is in fact what has happened?

Cheers in advance and sorry for any confusion.

{Ed002's Note - Right, if the clubs agree. He cannot sign a pre-contract with a German side without the permission of Schalke.}

7.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 15:44:27
I was also under the impression teams from the same federation couldn't sign players on pre-contracts but I clearly don't understand. What are the rules, could Man City do the same with Can for example?

8.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 17:09:24
Now i hope we go after Mousa Dembele from tottenham. he is a tank.

9.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 19:51:59
And we are shocked by this transfer because?

10.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 17:45:47
Why would they agree to that? Was there a fee involved or anything of that ilk?

{Ed002's Note - Clubs are generally reasonable and try to maintain a good relationship over such matters. They get a happy player to use for the rest of the season and have a negotiating chip in the future if that has been agreed.}