Borussia Dortmund could brace themselves for the potential summer exit of Mario Gotze, who is reportedly courted by Arsenal among other clubs.
According to AS, as relayed by TransferMarketWeb, Mario Gotze’s time at Borussia Dortmund could be up, with the attacker likely to leave the club in the summer. The Bundesliga giants are not keen on extending his contract, which expires at the end of the season.
Arsenal are among the clubs keeping tabs on Gotze. However, the Gunners could face stiff competition from Hertha Berlin as well as Italian giants Inter Milan and AC Milan. The fact that the player will be available on a free transfer makes him an appealing target in the market.
Nevertheless, Gotze has endured a pretty rough time since returning at Dortmund back in 2016. His metabolic illness kept him out for more than four months, and since coming back to full fitness, he has lacked the flair and dynamism in his game.
The German international, however, has become more of a deep-lying playmaker. His ability to rotate possession, coupled with his clever use of feet makes him an ideal number eight. But, Dortmund have failed to realise that, with Lucien Favre often deploying him as the false nine.
Gotze has done well in that role, but has been unlucky due to the presence of much more qualified individuals such as Marco Reus and Thorgan Hazard. As a result, the 27-year-old has featured in just over 2,000 minutes of league football since the start of last season.
Hence, a move away from Signal Iduna Park does make sense. Arsenal, in that regard, might not be a bad destination as he can certainly offer the technical aspect coach Mikel Arteta is looking for, in the middle of the park.
Indeed, the Gunners have lacked a proper ball-carrier following the departure of Aaron Ramsey. Gotze, in that regard, can fill that role next season. His technical prowess could combine well with Granit Xhaka’s more physical approach, and the two could create an excellent partnership in the double pivot.
A free transfer could also benefit the north London giants, who are likely to face financial restraints as Arteta looks to undergo a major squad overhaul. That being said, it is certainly going to be difficult for Arsenal to secure the services of Gotze this summer, especially with giants like Inter and Milan also eyeing a move.
Not to mention, the German international could actually prefer staying in the Bundesliga and join a club like Hertha Berlin. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga pans out in the coming future.
