Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Mario Gotze, Emil Forsberg Rumours

Manchester United will reportedly rival Liverpool in the race for Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Gotze this summer.

According to Bild (h/t Fichajes, via George Bellshaw of Metro), the English sides are just two of a clutch of clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus, hopeful of signing Gotze.

Gotze has struggled for regular football at Bayern Munich since his move from Borussia Dortmund in 2013, and his contract is set to expire at the end of the 2016-17 season.

Although the aforementioned sides are all illustrious, should any of those outfits land Gotze, it’d be a coup. Here’s what he can offer:

It’s hard to believe Gotze is still only 23 years old. Having been at the core of Jurgen Klopp’s wonderful Dortmund side as a teenager, the midfielder has been a regular on the scene of elite European football for the past five years; he’s already won four Bundesliga titles and scored the winning goal in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final.

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But under Pep Guardiola, his star has faded. When he was brought in for the former Barcelona boss, many expected the Bayern side to be built around his brilliant talents.

However, the move has not panned out as expected, and Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer conceded Gotze’s long-term future is murky, per Uche Amako of the Daily Express: “I said it was madness when there were rumours about a transfer in January, whereas Mario was talking about the end of the season. Mario's comments were an indication that we will have to sit down at some point in the coming months and discuss his situation. That is only logical.”

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As we can see here, courtesy of Squawka, when Gotze does get onto the field, he’s a regular contributor:

Liverpool seems like an ideal destination for the player. After all, it was Klopp who got the best out of him at Dortmund, and although the Reds do have plenty of polished attacking-midfield men, Gotze is a cut above the lot. 

United would also pose a tempting prospect for the Bayern man given their gravitas and, at this point, more likely chances of qualifying for the Champions League.

However, with Carlo Ancelotti coming in at the end of the season, a new manager may be willing to give Gotze more of a key role at the Allianz Arena. For Bayern, it’d be a huge shame to see one of the country’s best young players move elsewhere.

Liverpool Monitoring Emil Forsberg

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According to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, Liverpool are keeping a close eye on the progress of RB Leipzig winger Emil Forsberg with a view to a possible summer deal.

The Sweden international has made encouraging progress in the second tier of German football of late, darting in from the left flank and driving at the opposition defence.

“Liverpool are looking at wingers and Forsberg is a player who has blossomed over recent seasons in the German league and on the international stage, striking up a rapport with Zlatan Ibrahimovic,” Jones said.

Here’s a look at what the 24-year-old could potentially add at Anfield:

As previously mentioned, Liverpool are well set for attacking midfielders, with Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana among their options. What they do lack is penetration from wide positions, with Jordon Ibe the only natural wing player in the squad.

Klopp’s sides have always played with that threat in wide positions, and it’s intriguing to see the Reds linked with a player who is relatively obscure.

Forsberg seems to be developing well with Leipzig and could add something refreshing to this Liverpool setup, but whether he’s good enough to push for a regular first-team spot is doubtful.