Arsenal Transfer News: Gunner's Audacious €40M Bid For "German Messi" Turned Down

German Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund have reportedly turned down an audacious bid from Arsenal for teenage sensation Mario Goetze.

The 19 year old midfielder, nicknamed “German Messi” by football legend Franz Beckenbauer, has already played 7 matches (scoring once, vs. Brazil) for his country’s senior national team despite his young age.

Goetze (in yellow) vs. Werder Bremen

The attacking midfielder, who has featured in 3 matches for Dortmund this season, is currently serving a two-match ban after he was shown a red card for retaliating against Hanno Balitsch in an ill-tempered 0-0 draw against Bayer Leverkusen. In his three matches this season, Goetze has already scored once and provided an assist on two occasions.

According to leading German sports magazine Kicker, Arsenal manager made an audacious bid for the midfielder in order to replace Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri at the Emirates. But the German club is under no force to sell Goetze, following a record sale (€ 136.4 million) and a record net profit (€9.5 million) during the financial year 2010-11.

Goetze’s agent, Volker Struth, has confirmed his client will be staying at the Signal Iduna Park for the next few years.

“Mario will stay at Dortmund, for sure, the next two years. There is no chance of him going to another club this window. This is because he is so young and it is too early in his career for him. The club, the player and his family, we are all of one mind that it is better for him to stay there because he is happy at Dortmund.”

On being asked about the offer, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke refused to comment on the situation. Hans-Joachim Watzke, in an interview few days back, had vowed to keep Goetze at the club, adding that the player has no desire to leave the Dortmund based club.

Speaking to Bild magazine a few days back, he said:

“Mario has won the German title with us, he has been with us for eight years and his family lives in the city. There may come interest, but we have not the slightest intention to sell Mario Gotze.”

Arsenal were earlier involved in business with Dortmund when they bought Tomas Rosicky back in 2006.