Borussia Dortmund: Ilkay Gundogan leaving, Mario Gotze not returning
Saturday 9 May 2015 22:04, UK
Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that Ilkay Gundogan is likely to leave in the summer, and Mario Gotze will not return.
Gotze joined Bayern Munich from Dortmund for 37 million euros after activating a release clause in his contract which saw his wages jump from a reported five to seven million euros per year.
But in two seasons with the Bavarian giants the 22-year-old World Cup winner has failed to win a regular place in the starting line-up under Pep Guardiola and there have been rumours of a return to Dortmund, which the club have now dismissed.
"That's totally unrealistic," Borussia CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told local newspaper WAZ.
"Look at the salary levels of Bayern and Dortmund at a glance and you'll have your answer."
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Having been linked to both Manchester United and Bayern, Gundogan will not extend his contract which expires in June 2016 and Dortmund expect to sell him this summer rather than lose him on a free transfer.
"Our talks came to the conclusion that he won't extend his contract and will leave in the summer," said Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc.
"But that depends on what offers land on my table and until now we have received no offers for Gundogan."
Signed by Dortmund from Nuremberg in 2011, Gundogan was a key part of the team which won the 2012 Bundesliga and German Cup double, but missed virtually the whole of last season with a back injury.
After seven years in charge, coach Jurgen Klopp will leave Dortmund at the end of the season and will be replaced by former Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel.
Klopp insists he has 'no list of clubs interested nor contacts to anyone' and will only make a decision on his future after the current season concludes when Dortmund face Wolfsburg in the German Cup final on May 30.
Dortmund plan a week-long Asia tour in the summer when Tuchel will take the 2013 Champions League runners-up to Singapore, Malaysia and Japanese capital Tokyo with their first game in Bahru, Malaysia on July 9.
A friendly against a J-League side is planned in Japan with the opponent still to be finalised.
