German giants Borussia Dortmund to part ways with Mario Gotze

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund confirmed on Saturday that they have chosen not to renew deal with Mario Gotze, whose contract is due to expire this summer.

Gotze returned to Dortmund in 2016 after a three-year stint at Bayern Munich, but the 27-year-old striker failed to establish himself at Signal Iduna Park as the World Cup winner has only started five games this season, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We will rescind the contract in this summer, it is a decision with mutual understanding," said sports director Michael Zorc.

It has been reported that several clubs, including AC Milan and Roma, have long been linked with Gotze.

Gotze has faced competition from Julian Brandt in recent times who has been getting the nod ahead of him in the starting XI.

Dortmund have kept pressure on front runners Bayern Munich for the moment after goals from Raphael Guerreiro and Achraf Hakimi helped them edge Wolfsburg 2-0 in the 27th round in Bundesliga. ians 

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