Manchester United are already in talks to bring German international midfielder Mario Gotze to the Premier League, according to reports.
Portuguese publication A Bola claims Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to make a €35 million (approx. £28m) offer for the player, who could provide the Red Devils with some ‘magic’ in midfield.
The report goes on to suggest that Gotze looks favourably on a move to England, and that Borussia Dortmund could have a struggle on their hands to persuade the player to stay in the Bundesliga.
The report is in contrast to comments from the player’s agent however, with Volker Struth trying to play down the transfer speculation at the end of last week.
“Mario has no intention of leaving in 2013. Therefore, the topic is not interesting,” he said in German newspaper Bild.
Those remarks came after speculation claimed both Arsenal and Manchester United had been alerted to the 20-year-old’s availability after another impressive start to the campaign in Germany.
Indeed, The Daily Mail went on to report that the player is a long-term target of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, although Spanish giants Real Madrid are also keen on the player.
Were Gotze to join the Gunners, he’d play alongside compatriot Per Mertesacker at the Emirates Stadium.
However, it’s Manchester United who now lead the Premier League duo in the race for Gotze, according to the report, and Ferguson could look to use the player as a long-term replacement for Paul Scholes.