Barclays Premier League duo Arsenal and Manchester United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Bayern Munich star Mario Gotze.
The German international’s future with the current Bundesliga champions has been called into question this summer after being overlooked for a number of the club’s biggest games last season and the arrival of Chilean superstar Arturo Vidal from Serie A giants Juventus earlier in the summer.
There has also been rumours in the media in recent weeks that Gotze and Bayern boss Pep Guardiola have fallen out and that led to speculation that a transfer to England was on the cards with the Gunners and Red Devils both reportedly keen on the 23-year-old.
However, Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has insisted that the ex-Borussia Dortmund playmaker will not be leaving the Allianz Arena this summer:
He’s told the club that he wants to stay here,” Rummenigge said at a press conference on Thursday [via BT Sport].
“If nothing new should arise, then that puts a lid on it,” he added.
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The reigning champions of Germany begin their 2015-16 Bundesliga campaign at home to Hamburg on Friday night as they hope to win the league title for the fourth successive season.