The midfielder saw his contract with Borussia Dortmund come to an end this summer and can sign with any team
Hansi Flick says that he has been in contact with Mario Gotze recently, but the Bayern Munich boss denied reports that the club is pursuing a deal for the midfielder.
Gotze is currently a free agent, having seen his contract with Borussia Dortmund come to an end this summer.
The 28-year-old midfielder made 21 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund last season, scoring three goals in a season when he found himself often out of favour with head coach Lucien Favre.
Gotze made his return to Dortmund in 2016, rejoining the club after a three-year stint with Bayern.
At Bayern, Gotze won the Bundesliga three times, having previously won the league twice as a member of Dortmund in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Gotze has maintained a close relationship with former Germany assistant Flick who, according to reports, reached out to the midfielder last week.
But Flick insists that his conversations with Gotze haven’t been about business as he denied interest in signing the midfielder.
“I have had frequent contact with him since my time with the national team,” Flick said ahead of Bayern’s Super Cup clash with Sevilla. “I have high regard for Mario and know where his strengths lie. But that’s not an option for us at the moment,” he said.
Bayern captain Manuel Neuer also addressed the speculation, saying that he believes Gotze will succeed no matter where he ends up.
“Mario is a very good player, who knows the environment. He said himself that he absolutely wants to win the Champions League. He’s very ambitious, and I know him as a player, who is always in good shape. We’ll see where he lands.
“It’s up to the bosses to decide whether he is a topic for us. But I’m confident he would be able to do well at Bayern.”
Bayern are set to face Sevilla on Thursday in the UEFA Super Cup before returning to Bundesliga play against Hoffenheim on Sunday.
The reigning Champions League winners started their Bundesliga defence with a resounding 8-0 win over Schalke last week, with Serge Gnabry scoring a hat-trick and Leroy Sane also scoring on his Bayern debut.
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