Lothar Matthaus has advised Mario Gotze to seek a move away from Borussia Dortmund in order to resuscitate his career.
Gotze’s form has stalled since he scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, and he was not selected in Joachim Low’s squad for the defence of their title in Russia in the summer.
He re-signed for Dortmund 2016, three years after leaving to join Bayern Munich in the wake of Jurgen Klopp’s side’s run to the Champions League final in 2013, but he has failed to recapture the form that once made him one of Europe’s most sought-after midfield players.
And Germany’s record international cap-holder thinks another move will now be necessary if Gotze is to re-start his career.
"His form, which he had before the 2014 World Cup and included his winning goal in the final, is behind him,” Matthaus told Sky Sports in Germany.
"For him, you would have to invent a system at Borussia Dortmund that does not exist right now.
"He has since been with two clubs and played under several coaches - so it is not on the coach.”
Gotze spent several months on the sidelines in 2017 due to a metabolic disorder, but he returned to the side to rack up 16 appearances as the team finished third in the Bundesliga.
Despite criticism amongst fans and the German press, he made 114 appearances for Bayern across three seasons, scoring 36 goals, but has appeared only once for Germany in the last 18 months and now faces a struggle to regain his place in the national team, despite their poor showing at the Russia World Cup.
“Mario is missing the quality and the right position at the moment,” said Matthaus. “He does not have the defensive qualities as an eight, and [Dortmund coach] Lucien Favre does not have a nine and a half as he once explained."
Dortmund have made an unbeaten start to the new Bundesliga season, with Gotze yet to feature.