Götze Rules Out January Move to Liverpool

Because it's a day that ends in a y, current and former Borussia Dortmund players are being linked with moves to Merseyside to work with their ex-manager Jürgen Klopp. The strength of those rumours boils down to the managerial connection and literally nothing else, including, say, actual contact between the intended target and his potential new destination.

"I can rule out a move to Liverpool this winter," said link-of-the-week Mario Götze. "I don't know where the rumours about Klopp and me are coming from. I have not heard anything. You should ask Klopp if he wants me at Liverpool. If he wants me, he should approach me. I'm under contract [at Bayern Munich] until 2017. We will see what happens. No one has contacted me yet."

If Bayern want to sell, and there's no indication yet that they're interested in doing so, this summer would be the time to do it before Götze's contract runs out. But with Pep Guardiola indicating that he'd like to coach in England next season and Carlo Ancelotti taking the reins from him, Götze knows he might still have some convincing to do, especially after he returns from injury.

"Everything is still open," he continued. "We will see how things go at the end of the season. But of course, it is important how the new coach feels about me. The coach's plans are decisive in the end. So we will just have to wait and see how things pan out. I have not really given my future much thought recently because of my injury, but everything is open as things stand. It all depends on the plans of the club and the new coach."

So there you have it. Ancelotti may or may not want Götze for next season, but even if he doesn't it would behoove Liverpool for Jürgen Klopp to reach out to his former forward if he hopes to see him in a different red kit come August.