German World Cup hero Mario Gotze seals transfer return to Bundesliga thanks to secret release clause

WORLD CUP hero Mario Gotze has completed a return to the Bundesliga thanks to a secret release clause.

The 30-year-old, who is best known for scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina, has joined Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt on a three-year deal.

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It comes just two years after the attacking midfielder left Borussia Dortmund for a second time - before he joined PSV where he scored 18 times in 77 appearances.

And Frankfurt have been able to snap him up for just £2.5million due to a clause in his contract.

When Gotze's advisor Volker Struth negotiated his client's extension at PSV last year, he put the minimal release clause in the deal to ensure he could easily return to one of the big European leagues.

And it's worked out perfectly for the ex-Bayern Munich man as he is now back in Germany.

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Following the announcement, Gotze said: "This club has a great foundation. From the stadium to the fans to the city, everything just suits me.

"I'm really looking forward to my return to the Bundesliga."

Forward Gotze will earn £3m per year after agreeing his salary with Frankfurt.

And the club's sporting director Markus Krosche added: "The fact that a player like Mario Götze decided to go for Eintracht Frankfurt with conviction after numerous offers speaks for the outstanding image that the club has developed over the past few years."

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Gotze netted 10 goals in 28 Bundesliga matches during the final season of his first spell with Dortmund.

He then signed for Bayern for three years, scoring 22 times in 73 games.

After being pushed into a bit-part role, he then returned to Dortmund in 2016 and made another 75 appearances for the German giants.

But he played just 15 times in the 2019/20 campaign - which led to Gotze searching for more minutes.

And subsequently PSV came in for him, but he has now returned to Germany after just two years away.

Gotze also has 63 appearances for the German national team, scoring 17 goals.

However, he has not been capped since 2017.

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