West Ham have registered an interest in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze and want to bring him to the club in the summer.
However, the prospect of this deal occurring has taken a major hit due to another party's interest, with AS Roma keen to tempt the German abroad, according to a recent report from Corriere dello Sport in Italy.
The five-time Bundesliga winner wants to remain in Europe and will reject big-money moves to the MLS or Qatar, with the peak years of his footballing career theoretically still left to play.
German outlet SportBild claims that the 27-year-old would rather move to the Serie A than the Premier League, where Carlo Ancelotti's Everton have also been linked with attracting Gotze's services to Goodison Park.
Consequently, the Hammers will need to be at their persuasive best to attract the player that scored the winner in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina.
Since winning the prestigious international trophy, the silky midfielder's career has gradually declined. This is partly due to his myopathy diagnosis in 2017 - a rare muscle disorder - which caused a slight setback in his footballing career, but he has managed to slowly recover.
In 12 appearances for Dortmund this season, the former Bayern Munich man has bagged three goals, although he's slipped behind some of their young stars in the pecking order. With his contract coming to an end in June, Gotze may leave the Signal Iduna Park for a second time searching for a new challenge.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping Europe, a free transfer presents a very appealing option for teams looking to limit their summer transfer spending.
Source : 90min