Although he’s said on numerous occasions that he won’t make a decision on his Bayern Munich future until after the European Championships in France this summer, German attacking midfielder and Liverpool target Mario Gotze has apparently been pushed closer to the exit door with reports that talks between the often overlooked 23-year old and incoming boss Carlo Ancelotti weren’t all that positive.
Now, there’s no quotes to back this up from either party, but rumour has it that the Italian manager has advised Gotze to find a new club if he wants more playing time. With his contract set to expire at the end of next season, the Bavarian giants have supposedly slapped a £20mil price tag on the German international — a bargain that will have a number of clubs queuing up for his services.
Injuries may have played a significant factor in his appearances for Bayern this season, but the fact of the matter is that the former Borussia Dortmund man started only six of his thirteen Bundesliga appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side as they marched to yet another title. Down the pecking order at the Allianz Arena behind the likes of Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman, he was given even less of a chance in the Champions League, though he was able to bag two goals in four appearances as they crashed out yet again at the semi-final stage.
Liverpool, of course, remain rank outsiders for his signature, but if the Reds are able to win the Europa League and secure a return to Europe’s most prestigious club competition for next season, the fresh challenge of Premier League football coupled with his existing relationship with Anfield supremo and Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp could give them a real edge in negotiations. Bookies are getting ready to slash the odds on whether or not he’ll be jumping ship and sites like freebettingonline.co.uk are gearing up for an announcement one way or the other. Paper talk says that the 23-year old has been discreetly asking around about life in Liverpool, but we’ll hold off on making any assumptions with the likes of Juventus, Arsenal and a host of Spanish clubs also reportedly interested in signing him up.
More on this if and when someone says something of any substance…
