Bayern Munich have confirmed they will sign Borrusia Dortmund midfielder Mario Götze at the end of the current season, for a fee reported to be €37 million. The Bavarian club activated a clause in the player’s contract with the offer and so removed the power of their rivals to block the sale. If the fee is the reported €37 million it would make Gotze the most expensive German player of all time.
Götze will join Bayern on July 1. He is currently on a contract with Dortmund that goes until 2016.
Götze will reportedly be paid roughly €7 million per year with the newly crowned German champions, compared with the €5 million he made per annum with Dortmund.
Barcelona, Man City and Arsenal were also reported to have been interested in the 20 year old.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, Borussia Dortmund's CEO, said: "We are obviously disappointed beyond measure, but emphasise that both Mario and his advisers have behaved within the terms of the contract. From Bayern Munich there has been nothing official on this matter up to this date."
Bayern have since released the following statement:
“FC Bayern Munich confirms that the club has agreed terms with 20-year-old Germany international Mario Götze for the player to join FC Bayern on 1 July 2013. FC Bayern is prepared to activate the contractual release clause agreed between Borussia Dortmund and Mario Götze.
Out of consideration for the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg between Dortmund and Real Madrid on Wednesday 24 April, FC Bayern had intended to wait until after the match before communicating this to BVB.”
