According to reports from The Daily Star, Liverpool and Manchester United are part of a four-club race to sign Bayern Munich attacker Mario Gotze during the summer transfer window.
The German international is best famed for scoring the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final, but he’s struggled to have such historic impact at club level since controversially swapping Borussia Dortmund for Bayern Munich in summer 2013.
Indeed, the 23-year-old has become an increasingly peripheral figure in Pep Guardiola’s plans, often overlooked for important games and Champions League fixtures, and amid an injury-plagued campaign has been issued just four Bundesliga starts so far this season.
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Gotze’s contract expires at the end of next season, so many have speculated a summer departure for some time. Adding further substance to the theory, The Daily Star – citing German outlet TZ – claim Bayern have opened contract talks with a number of their players ahead of Carlo Ancelotti’s summer arrival, but the versatile attacker’s terms have not been discussed.
Liverpool’s interest in Gotze, having been revered as one of the most exciting youngsters in world football whilst playing under Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund, has been documented consistently since the January transfer window. But The Daily Star and TZ claim Juventus, Real Madrid and the Reds’ northwest rivals Manchester United are also targeting the 47-cap international.
Despite his contract entering its final twelve months come the summer transfer window, it’s claimed Gotze would still set back his suitors somewhere in the region of £31million.