West Ham are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund ace Mario Gotze on a free transfer in the summer, according to a report from German publication Sport Bild. But there seems to be a big obstacle lying in wait for the Hammers.
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According to a report from Italian media outlet Corriere dello Sport, Roma are interested in the 27-year-old.
And Sport Bild claims that the five-time Bundesliga winner’s preference is to join the Serie A outfit.
So West Ham will seemingly have to pull out all the stops to sign Gotze. The talented attacker scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.
But his career has somewhat declined since then.
Stats
Gotze has racked up 45 goals and 61 assists in 217 games for Dortmund (Transfermarkt).
In 13 Bundesliga outings this season, the 27-year-old has averaged 19.5 passes per game with an impressive completion rate of 85% (Who Scored).
The 27-year-old is clearly not the player he once was. Perhaps he just needs a change of scenery, however. Gotze has played in Germany his entire career after all.
Perhaps a new challenge could spark his career back into life?
He might just be a decent addition for West Ham. But if the German truly has his heart set on a move to Roma it will be very hard for the Hammers to convince him to move to the London Stadium.
Gotze would undoubtedly also demand huge wages. His potential availability on a free transfer, however, makes him a very appealing option.
Especially considering the financial ramifications of the current global health crisis.
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