Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has told Sport Bild that Mario Gotze will have to "go to China" if he cannot find his form at Borussia Dortmund.
Gotze, 24, returned to Dortmund in the summer after a disappointing three-year spell with Bayern Munich, but he has not yet been able to match the performances he produced during his initial stint at the Westfalenstadion.
Muscular problems have so far limited Gotze's time on the pitch to only 24 minutes in 2017, and at the weekend Dortmund said the Germany international faces a two-week spell on the sidelines.
Former Bayern star Matthaus has now warned: "First, leaving Munich and then leaving Dortmund? That can't be the solution. And where should he go? To be honest, and even if it might sound rude: If Gotze does not make it at Dortmund, he must go to China."
Gotze has again been linked with a reunion with former Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp in the English media this month, but Matthaus suggested he does not expect that to happen and said a move elsewhere in the Bundesliga is unlikely because he does not believe the player would accept a salary cut.
He said: "He won't leave for Schalke, he does not fit at Leverkusen, Gladbach can't afford Gotze. Top clubs abroad no longer have him on their lists. Like I said: If he does not prevail at Dortmund, and expects similar wages elsewhere, he's off to China. But that would be pathetic for a 24-year-old."