Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on Mario Gotze, who looks set to depart from Borussia Dortmund this summer.
According to a report by Daily Mirror, Mario Gotze has been made available in the summer transfer window by Borussia Dortmund. The German midfielder is being tailed by Arsenal, with the likes of Everton, West Ham United, Leicester City and Newcastle United also showing an interest.
Gotze was on top of the world in the summer of 2014, having completed a strong maiden campaign with Bayern Munich and scored the goal that won Germany the World Cup in Brazil. But, he has since been on a downward spiral, unfortunately at times.
He struggled in his next two seasons at Bayern Munich and was sold to Borussia Dortmund, where a metabolic disorder in his first season back derailed his campaign. This past season, he did show glimpses of his best, but was extremely inconsistent, meaning he never really was a regular for Die Schwarzgelben over the course of the campaign, with 32 appearances across all competitions.
Having blown hot and cold, the 26-year-old missed the cut for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and now looks set to be on his way out of Westfalenstadion once again. With his future uncertain, several clubs are starting to show an interest in snapping Gotze up, with Arsenal the most prominent club in his pursuit.
The Gunners are currently in the middle of a summer squad revamp following the appointment of Unai Emery. As the post-Arsene Wenger era kicks off, the new Arsenal manager has started making some changes to the squad that he received, having signed Stephan Lichtsteiner, and the likes of Bernd Leno and Sokratis reportedly on their way to the Emirates.
If the North Londoners get their way, Gotze could end up joining Sokratis and former teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal this summer as well. But, what is perhaps, hard to explain is that Gotze prefers playing in a role similar to what Mesut Ozil plays at the Emirates.
While he can operate equally adeptly on the left wing as well, Gotze favours playing in the hole, which means that his arrival could create a problem of plenty for Emery. Nevertheless, if signed and rotated well, Gotze could have the motivation to resurrect his career and play different roles to find his niche at Arsenal.
Alternatively, he could pick the likes of Everton, West Ham United, Leicester City or Newcastle United over Arsenal, with Leicester and Newcastle even making tentative enquiries for him. What does appear certain is that Gotze will be on the move this summer, and favours a move to the Premier League.
At £18 million, he will be accessible to just about every club that is interested in him, meaning Arsenal could have a battle on their hands for Gotze. But, with the Gunners are the only club offering European football, and could have an advantage in that sense as they look to bolster attack in the summer.
