Despite some lingering hopes, it looks for all the world that Mario Gotze won't be joining the Klopp revolution at Anfield this summer. He may well have been the big name on Jurgen Klopp's wishlist this summer but, for now, he's reaffirmed his commitment to Bayern following a chat with new boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Whether that has anything to do with the fact that Liverpool missed out on Champions League qualification we'll probably never know but the timing is certainly interesting. For Liverpool, it's unlikely a player of Gotze's calibre will be easily attainable this summer but for the player himself, it means he'll head back to Bayern after Euro 2016 with an awful lot still to prove.
And according to Lothar Matthaus, he's really picked the right option, even if it's not the 'easy solution' for Gotze's problems.
I don’t know whether there was indeed an offer from Liverpool. But why would he join a club that do not even play in the Champions League?
He would have taken the easy solution with a move to Liverpool. But the easy solution is not always the right solution.
For many, that probably wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. There's an awful lot more work to be done at Anfield than there is in Bavaria but there's the feeling in Germany that Gotze, were he to leave for Liverpool, would be accepting that he's been a expensive failure at Bayern and moving on as such.
Matthaus, who was speaking to TZ, is evidently pleased to see that Gotze has chosen not to take that option.
Mario has shown with his latest comments that he is ready to fight for his place. This whole situation will only make him stronger. I applaud his decision to stay put. He is finally standing up for himself. He is taking his career in his own hands at last.
Where that leaves Liverpool's summer plans is less certain. With the likes of Coutinho, Firmino and Lallana, attacking midfield is not exactly a problem position at Anfield but the possibility of bringing in the World Cup winner certainly added a bit of caché to Klopp's summer plans. Without him, you'd have to think that there may be a bit of hidden gem unearthing that needs to be done around Anfield in the coming months.
