Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Mario Gotze Amid Dortmund Return Rumours

Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Gotze has said he expects to be at Bayern Munich next season despite strong links with a possible move to Liverpool.

Speaking with Bild (h/t Sport Witness), the playmaker has insisted he is keen to see out the final year of his contract with the German champions despite being a peripheral figure in the squad.

"I look forward to the new season in Munich and will do everything possible to be in top shape for my first training session under Carlo Ancelotti," he said.

Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones noted that the Reds are hoping to get a deal done for the 23-year-old before the start of the UEFA European Championships:

In another potential blow to Liverpool, it’s also been reported that the club may have left it too late to move for Gotze. According to Kicker (h/t James Cambridge of the Daily Express), the player’s former club Borussia Dortmund are to "increase their efforts" to lure him back to the Westfalenstadion.

As reported by the Guardian, in another intriguing chapter to this transfer saga, Gotze has also parted company with his agency, SportsTotal. Sport Witness suggested what this could mean:

Either way, the signs aren’t looking particularly positive for the Reds. That Gotze’s former manager Jurgen Klopp is in charge at Anfield coupled with his struggles to get in the first team at Bayern seemed set to make this a pretty straightforward summer switch. However, now the Reds look like they will have a fight on their hands if they’re to get the Germany international on board.

Although he’s found it difficult to get into the starting XI regularly under former Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, incoming manager Carlo Ancelotti could see a role for the player. Here is what he can offer:

Of course, muscling his way into contention at the Allianz Arena would be a big ask. Ancelotti will have a host of talented players to call upon in the positions Gotze loves to occupy, including Thomas Muller, Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa; if he’s of the same mindset, the former Dortmund man could well be considered surplus.

However, Gotze was once the crown jewel of the bright emerging talent in German football, and the new manager may feel capable of rekindling that potential, especially given the ex-Dortmund man offers something a little different to the players mentioned.

Xavier Laine/Getty Images

There have been brighter signs for the player recently, too; he started six matches in April, and in the final game of the Bundesliga season, he netted twice in a man-of-the-match performance against Hannover 96.

As noted by Squawka Football, getting on the scoresheet was long overdue for the footballer:

You sense there are still many more twists and turns to come in this one. Liverpool will want to get this wrapped up quickly, especially if Dortmund are looking to make a play for their former star. A chance to play for BVB again, who have been outstanding under Thomas Tuchel this term, would be tempting for Gotze, too.

But so would Liverpool, Klopp, Anfield and all the alluring features of English football. While there have been some positive signs lately, it seems Gotze needs a fresh start and to be handed a significant role to play in a side moving forward.