While Milan continue to be linked with a potential move for Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gotze, there is a key condition which could reportedly scupper an agreement.
As noted by BBC Sport, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc confirmed over the weekend that the 27-year-old will leave the Bundesliga giants this summer when his current contract expires.
SEE MORE: Why reunion with former influential ace could be smart move from Milan
The German international has had a glittering career thus far, scoring 45 goals and providing 61 assists in 218 appearances for Dortmund across two spells, either side of a successful stint with rivals Bayern Munich.
With countless domestic trophies to his name, he also scored the winning goal to seal the World Cup in 2014, and so he undoubtedly boasts plenty of quality and experience at the highest level for club and country.
That said, injury problems and health issues have slowed him down to perhaps prevent him from making as big an impact as he once was capable of making, and although he has continued to play his part for Dortmund over the last four years, question marks have been raised over how much of a toll his issues have taken.
As he prepares to become a free agent this summer though, Calciomercato note that Milan have been interested in him since January, and should Ralf Rangnick arrive ahead of next season, he has given his approval to a possible move for Gotze.
However, it’s added that his wages could be a significant stumbling block as he currently earns around €8m-a-year including bonuses, while Milan are looking to limit salaries to up to €3.5m-a-year for any new signings moving forward to maintain control over the wage bill.
Further, there is said to be competition for his signature with Lazio among the other interested parties, and so time will tell if the pieces fall into place for Gotze to emerge as a genuine possibility for Milan this summer.
On one hand, his quality and experience could make him a valuable addition to the squad. On the other, is it a potentially expensive gamble on a player, in terms of his wages, who has already seen his best days come and go? That’s a decision for the Milan management to make in the coming months…