Bayern Munich playmaker Mario Gotze will decline an offer from Liverpool as he believes it is a big step back for him in his career, according to the "?Express."?
Gotze has been ear marked as a vital target by his former boss Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and it is believed Bayern are willing to accept an offer in the region of £20m.
As it appears Gotze is far from happy at the Bundesliga champions after only starting 14 times this season due to struggling with injury and form.
However, with Liverpool desperate to get back into the Champions League next season, the World Cup winner could be exactly what the Reds need going forward.
Although it is now thought that Gotze is not interested in a move to Anfield, according to German magazine "?SportBild, because he believes it will be a step down from Bayern.
Gotze reportedly sacked his representatives Sports Total after they tried to push through a move to Liverpool that the playmaker was not keen on.
Nevertheless, "?SportBild believe Gotze is keen on a move to Barcelona, Real Madrid or even Arsenal as he is keen to play Champions League football next season, whereas at Liverpool he would have to wait at least a year before that opportunity arose, should they qualify.
After working under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund the two struck up quite a relationship, and the German manager spoke to the "?Express on just how it felt when Gotze announced he would be moving to Bayern.
"It was like a heart attack,"? Klopp said at the time. "At our training ground Michael Zorc [the general manager] walked in like somebody had died. He said: 'I have to tell you something. It's possible that...
"I called six or seven players who I knew were damaged in the heart. They thought they were not good enough "? and they wanted to win together.
"That's the reason it hurt them so much. But Bayern told Mario: 'It's now or never.'
"I told him they will come next year. They will come in two years, and then three years.
"But he's 20 and he thought: 'I must go.' I know how difficult it will be to find a player to replace Götze but, next year, we will play differently. It just takes time."