Germany international Mario Götze is not expected to make a move to Major League Soccer, or MLS, in the January transfer window. Bild recently reported that the midfielder has plans to finish his illustrious career in the United States. However, Götze still has unfinished business with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Götze signed a four-year deal with the Bundesliga side in 2022. This means that his current contract does not expire until 2026. Although he has been linked multiple times with a switch to MLS, Götze is still an important part of the puzzle in the German top flight.
The creative midfielder has started 11 of 16 total games in all competitions so far this season under manager Dino Toppmöller. He also entered the fray as a substitute in the remaining five matches. With Götze contributing, the club currently sits seventh in the Bundesliga table. This is the same place where Eintracht finished during the 2022/23 campaign.
However, Eintracht has already booked a place in the knockout rounds of the Europa Conference League. Toppmöller’s team still has two matches remaining in the group stage. The German side has won all three of their European games with Götze in the lineup. They are next set to face PAOK Salonika in the fifth round of the group stage on Thursday.
Toppmöller admitted that Götze is likely to find himself in the club’s starting lineup for the match. “Mario is always a candidate for the starting eleven,” proclaimed the Eintracht coach. “We said before the Stuttgart game that we had to see how we could get him under the pressure. It is possible that he will start against Salonika, the option is definitely there.”
With Götze still contributing in Europe, a move to MLS will have to wait for now. The Germany international previously rejected a chance to join Inter Miami back in 2020. The then 28-year-old claimed that he was “not yet done with Europe” at the time.
Götze was asked directly about a potential move to MLS in 2020. He claimed that the timing was not right. “Very interesting,” the midfielder replied to the notion. “But it isn’t a topic for me right now. My focus is on Europe. I have a few ambitious goals and want to win the Champions League. That is something that I work for every day, in every session. I don’t want to end my career before I have won that title.”
He was a free agent in the summer of 2020 after departing Borussia Dortmund. Götze eventually signed a two-year deal with PSV Eindhoven later that year. Along with wanting to remain in Europe three years ago, the midfielder was also offered lower wages from Miami. Götze previously raked in around $11 million annually with Dortmund. However, the MLS side offered the German star yearly wages closer to $6.5 million.
David Beckham’s team turned their attention to Frenchman Blaise Matuidi instead. FC Cincinnati was also linked with Götze at the time as well. The Queen City has historically had a high German population.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
