German international Mario Gomez has been one of the most wanted strikers in the summer after he is highly anticipated to leave Bayern Munich before the transfer window closes. Despite being a £ 30 million signing from Stuttgart only a few years ago, Gomez found himself playing second fiddle at Bayern Munich last season.
It was only a year ago that Gomez was one of the regular first-team players alongside Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben up front. It is thought that the 27-year-old is highly displeased with the last season and he does not see his opportunities increasing under new manager Guardiola as well.
As a result, he is ready to move away from the Allianz arena in search of regular first-team football just 12 months before the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This move will be extremely important for Gomez to secure his place in the World Cup squad. A number of clubs are thought to be interested in his services. Italian club Fiorentina, who almost finished in the Champions league places last season, are thought to be one of those clubs. Gomez has said through his agent that he would be interested in the possibility of moving to Fiorentina.
“I hope that Mario can be at Fiorentina within the next few days. He would prefer Italy,” said the striker's agent. Chelsea are also thought to be monitoring the situation, as they see him as an ideal replacement for Fernando Torres. The Spaniard is not expected to be part of the plans of new manager José Mourinho, who always plays with a target striker. Gomez could be the perfect solution for Chelsea. Manchester city, who recently allowed Carlos Tevez to join Juventus, are also in the market for a new striker and they could turn their attention towards Gomez.