Mario Gotze’s summer transfer saga has taken another twist, with the midfielder now seemingly set on leaving Bayern Munich.
Liverpool pursued Gotze intensely through the first weeks of the summer, but the 24-year-old eventually ruled himself out of a move away from the Allianz Arena.
This came despite a reported £20 million bid by the Reds in May, and both incoming Bayern manager Carlo Ancelotti and club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge encouraging Gotze to leave in search of first-team football.
However, after a disappointing European Championship campaign with Germany under Joachim Low, Gotze is said to be considering his options.
According to German publication Bild, Gotze told his international colleagues that he was interested in leaving Bayern this summer.
This is likely spurred by the encouraging performances of new Bayern signing Renato Sanches, who has played a starring role in Portugal’s push to the final of Euro 2016.
Gotze is not set to play a key role under Ancelotti in the Bundesliga, and his intention to leave the club is said to have sparked the interest of both former club Borussia Dortmund and Premier League challengers Tottenham Hotspur.
Whether Liverpool would rekindle their interest in Gotze at this stage remains unclear, with Jurgen Klopp having sealed the £30 million signing of Sadio Mane from Southampton.
Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho are poised to take up regular starting roles in Klopp’s 4-2-3-1 formation, leaving little room for another big-name attacking midfielder.
However, there have been suggestions that Klopp could be tempted to make a late move for Gotze this summer.
The prospect of a reunion with his former Dortmund protege may be too tempting to resist, particularly with Bayern seemingly willing to sell for a relatively low fee.
With Coutinho touted to leave Merseyside ahead of 2016/17, despite Liverpool’s hardline stance over the Brazilian’s future, one eventuality could be that Gotze is drafted in as his replacement.
This seems unlikely at this stage, with Coutinho content with life at the club by all accounts—but following Gotze’s U-turn, it would be unwise to rule out a move just yet.
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