by Lewis Ambrose

Mario Götze’s agent has been speaking about the player’s current situation at Bayern, and he may just become available this summer.

If he does you can expect Arsène Wenger to make a move for the attacking midfielder. Götze scored the winning goal at last summer’s World Cup but his Bayern Munich career hasn’t gone as expected since his €37M move from Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund two years ago.

Here’s why it hasn’t worked, and why a move to Arsenal this summer would no longer be a shock.

Trust

This is something that Götze has never had since he left Jürgen Klopp and Borussia Dortmund. Pep Guardiola doesn’t trust him. The German was labelled as Guardiola’s “Wunschspieler” – the player he asked for, he desired above all others. Right from the off Götze was sold a lie.

Pep Guardiola wanted Bayern Munich to sign Neymar for when he arrived at the Allianz Arena. Bayern president Uli Hoeneß confessed that Götze wasn’t the player Pep wanted.

“We have had a number of bad experiences with young Brazilians in the past,” said Hoeneß.

“If you consider signing someone who costs €20-30 million or even more, it is a difficult decision.

“So we started looking for a similar player and eventually signed Mario Götze.”

Götze, a creative player who likes to dribble in the half spaces, is not very much like the speedy clinical finisher that is Neymar but – as they often point out – Bayern Munich don’t sign players just because the manager asks them to.

Speaking to Bild am Sonntag, Götze’s agent – Volker Struth – has said the club needs to support his player more.

“Of course I would have liked if Mario had felt more support in one or two situations,” Struth said.

“I am fully convinced that when Mario feels this support, it is easier for him to show his incredible potential. Then he is one of the best players in the world.”

The end of the season saw Götze left out of Bayern’s three biggest games, even though wingers Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben were both missing through injury. Defeats against Barcelona in the Champions League and Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Pokal meant the German giants fell at the semi-final stage in both competitions.

“Of course he was disappointed and that did bother him,” said Struth.

“As a player, you are always wondering ‘why did I not start?'”

Fit

The reason he didn’t start is the same reason Guardiola didn’t want him in the first place. He doesn’t really fit. The way the Guardiola sets up ay Bayern there isn’t much space for Götze – the German side tend to use two wingers and no number 10, and the slow possession style doesn’t suit the ex-Dortmund man.

Götze spent Bayern’s first pre-season under Guardiola in 2013 injured, which certainly hasn’t aided his cause.

Last season saw his fellow Bundesliga players vote him as the second biggest flop in the entire league which, on the face of it, is nonsense. Nine goals and four assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances isn’t pitiful, but seven of those goals came in his first eleven games.

He has a goal every three games since signing for the Bavarian club, but he is a flop. He was signed for a massive amount of money for a manager that didn’t want him for a club that now plays a style that doesn’t suit him.

As well as Robben and Ribéry, Götze faces competition from Thomas Müller each week. If that wasn’t enough the Bavarian club have spent €35M on winger Douglas Costa from Shakhtar Donetsk and are still being linked with attacking players.

Müller surely won’t be sacrificed if the club pull off another big deal, but Götze would be the likely candidate to leave.

Contract

With Götze’s contract expiring in 2017 this is a pretty big summer. The club have a decision to make. Commit to him long-term, or let him go?

Next summer he will have just one year left and they risk losing a huge investment for nothing. For now, the 23 year-old’s value is still high.

“The duration of his contract is known,” Bayern’s chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said.

“In addition to that, we are not aware of anything.”

“There is only one price, and that’s the price of the market, which is controlled by supply and demand.”

It doesn’t sound very much like Bayern are fighting to keep the player.

Guardiola’s contract is up at the end of the season, and one would imagine that his future is tied with Götze’s in some way. Bayern will seek to extend with the Spaniard, and he really doesn’t seem to favour Götze – or know how to use him.

If Bayern have any indication that Guardiola will stay beyond this coming season, it may cost Götze his place at the club.

Want

But even if Bayern were selling, would Arsenal want him? Well. Yes. Obviously.

Arsène Wenger has been a long-term admirer of the German, ever since he began to hit the headlines with Borussia Dortmund.

“He is a provider, he is the one who has the best assists in Germany and is the most dangerous player,” said the Arsenal manager ahead of a Champions League clash with the then German champions in 2011.

“He is the player we have to keep quiet.”

Götze was expected to stay true to the club he was at since he was nine years old, but left Dortmund for the chance to play under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.

The move hasn’t gone as planned and there is hardly any doubt that Wenger would love to work with the player, who has only just turned 23.

Able

Two summers in a row Arsène Wenger has spent a huge amount on players no longer wanted by major clubs. Mesut Özil and Alexis Sánchez have now been joined by Petr Čech, a man who had lost his place at Chelsea. Arsenal can attract and afford the very best players, and will jump at the chance to have them whenever any other ‘super club’ doesn’t want them anymore.

Mario Götze may just be arriving at a crossroads in his Bayern Munich career. His contract situation is precarious, he doesn’t fit the team, and with no trust he may no longer feel wanted.

If the opportunity arose, Wenger wouldn’t pass on bringing Mario Götze to Arsenal.