Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has reiterated his desire to keep German World Cup winner Mario Gotze at the Allianz Arena, amidst strong interest from English giants Liverpool FC and Serie A Champions Juventus.
The 23-year-old has been unsettled since his move to the Bavarians, from rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2013, and was dropped for The Bavarians crucial matches last season. Gotze had been linked with Serie A Champions Juventus, who are reportedly in the market for a no. 10, with Gotze high on their list of targets. The midfielder in a recent interview had called Juventus a “big, big club“, while saying that a move to a foreign club might tempt him in the future.
“He is going to be a Bayern Munich player all season.” – Guardiola on Gotze
Pep Guardiola attended the pre-match press conference ahead of their friendly against Inter Milan on Monday, after beating La Liga’s Valencia 4-1 in the previous match, and insisted that the 23-year-old remained part of his plans for the upcoming season, however, he did not rule out an exit, in the event that the Bayern Munich board decided to sell him.
Gotze, had scored the World Cup winning goal against Argentina in the premier show-piece, and according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the flamboyant midfielder was allowed to speak to Juventus. Earlier it was reported that Bayern are willing to use Gotze in a swap deal involving Arturo Vidal, but that has been ruled out by the Bavarians CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
The Spanish manager, during the presser said:
“Mario’s got a contract here, he’s my player and he’s a great player too.
“In my mind, he is going to be a Bayern Munich player all season.
“He’s a top player, but I know that it’s not only the coach who decides here. It depends on the club.”
Gotze was supposed to attend the press conference, with Pep, however, he pulled out of it at the last moment, for an unknown reason. The Bayern media officer, Markus Horwick confirmed, that the club had received “no offers” for the German play-maker.
Pep also commented on the imminent arrival of Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal: “He’s still a Juventus player.”
#Pep: “@MarioGoetze ist mein Spieler! Er ist ein Top-Spieler. In meinem Kopf bleibt Mario hier.” H rwick: “Keinen Kontakt zu anderem Verein”
a BILD FC Bayern (@BILD_Bayern) July 19, 2015
Recent reports have linked fallen English giants Liverpool FC with an ambitious swoop for the German, after the club were alerted by his availability.
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Will Liverpool FC end Gotze’s Bayern misery?
Liverpool FC only last week sold winger Raheem Sterling for a record A?49 million to rivals Manchester City, and are willing to spend the available cash on a player of Gotze’s quality. The German is keen on leaving the Allianz Arena, with his agent claiming that the star feels under-appreciated at the Allianz Arena.
However, even though Liverpool’s move for the German is ambitious to say the least, would the German leave a club in the Champions League for one without it? Well, you never know, after all Manchester United used their financial clout to lure Angel Di Maria to Old Trafford under similar circumstances last season.
The Bavarians also have an ageing squad, with many players reaching the Twilight of their careers, and only a fool would let go of one of their most promising young players, when they are looking to inject some young blood into the squad, after all you don’t find many young players better than Gotze, do you?
Another stumbling block, could be the interest of other big teams, namely Serie A champions and Champions League finalists Juventus, who are interested in the 23-year-old alongside Arsenal FC. The Gunners have a long standing interest in Gotze, having tried to sign him before he signed for the Bavarians.