Perhaps the highest praise of Leon Goretzka has come in the form of comparisons to Bastian Schweinsteiger. With Bayern Munich announcing last week that Goretzka would be joining the club from Schalke 04 in the summer – this on a free transfer after the 22-year-old midfielder ran down his contract in North Rhine-Westphalia – Goretzka has been hailed by many as the natural successor to the Bayern legend and former Germany captain. This is not the sluggish Schweinsteiger of Manchester United we’re talking about, but the all-action midfield motor who won eight Bundesliga titles with Bayern and the 2014 World Cup with Die Mannschaft. Goretzka certainly has several similarities to Schweinsteiger in his approach to the game, not least his drive, energy, relentless work rate and instinctive balance between attack and defence. Having only made his professional debut in 2012 and without a domestic honour to his name, Goretzka has much to prove before the comparisons to Schweinsteiger are substantiated. With four goals in 11 league appearances this season, however, there’s a reason that Bayern have fought so hard for his services. Goretzka had been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool ahead of the January transfer window, supposedly swayed by the prospect of working with compatriot Jurgen Klopp. Given that Klopp made his naming managing Schalke’s regional rivals and Revierderby nemeses Borussia Dortmund, Goretzka linking up with Liverpool might have been even more unpopular with Schalke supporters than his move to Bavaria.