Why Mario Gotze Should Be Liverpool's No. 1 Summer Transfer Target
Following Liverpool's deflating League Cup final defeat to Manchester City, the club's PR engine kicked into gear, with widespread reports on Monday, including from the Telegraph's Chris Bascombe, indicating that manager Jurgen Klopp was set to instigate a summer overhaul—built around Bayern Munich's Mario Gotze.
Bascombe suggests that Simon Mignolet, Alberto Moreno and Christian Benteke could be among the players under threat this summer, with Klopp targeting Gotze, along with Leicester City's Ben Chilwell and Empoli's on-loan Udinese midfielder Piotr Zielinski.
Klopp is also said to have briefed his recruitment team to identify "players of pace in attack," with Gotze a prime candidate—though Bascombe admits that convincing the German to join Liverpool will be a tough task:
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"Although [Klopp] has spoken at length about giving the players he inherited an opportunity—and many still have time to redeem themselves in the Europa League—that is not going to prevent significant moves in the transfer market.
Players of the calibre of Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze, who Klopp managed at Borussia Dortmund, is on the manager’s list of targets, although it would take all his powers of persuasion to convince the German World Cup winner to leave a club competing in the Champions League for Anfield.
"
With Klopp looking to return Liverpool to their former glory—and, namely, the UEFA Champions League—targeting a player such as Gotze should be made a priority, and given the 23-year-old's pedigree, he should be top of the Reds' list this summer.
Mario Gotze
Of all the talents to pass through the ranks towards stardom under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, Gotze is perhaps the player he cherishes the most.
Signed as an eight-year-old from FC Eintracht Hombruch in 2001, Gotze progressed within Dortmund's youth setup, before being promoted to the first team 18 months after Klopp's arrival, during the winter break of 2009/10.
Gotze quickly established himself as a key player at the Westfalenstadion and went on to make 116 appearances for the club over three-and-a-half seasons, before making the move to Munich in 2013.
With news of Gotze's then-record transfer coming just hours before Dortmund's Champions League semi-final clash with Real Madrid, the midfielder's decision sparked the ire of Dortmund supporters, but for Klopp it was more a period of sadness.
"I can say that time heals everything. It's going to take a while, this news is not good for us," he told reporters shortly after Gotze's move was announced, as relayed by the Press Association (h/t the Guardian). "The timing of it is not ideal. Anybody can make their own minds up as to why it's come out now, but it is out."
At the time, Klopp seemed to hint that the timing of this announcement was an attempt to derail Dortmund's push for success in the Champions League—and with Gotze injured for the final against Munich, Klopp's side fell to a crushing defeat, courtesy of a late Arjen Robben goal.
But it is easy to see why the manager would have been disappointed to lose Gotze to his side's bitter rivals—the Memmingen-born midfielder is perfect for his system.
Able to operate in any role across the forward line, Gotze was utilised on both flanks and as a No. 10 during Klopp's time at Dortmund, while at Munich and the German national team, he has also deputised in a false-nine role, with his all-around attacking quality allowing him to shine in any attacking position.
A proven big-game player, Gotze possesses considerable pace and remarkable technique with the ball at his feet, with Franz Beckenbauer telling German publication Bild (h/t FIFA.com) in 2011 that Gotze "runs through opponents as though they aren't there," comparing the youngster to Barcelona's Lionel Messi.
"He has the same assets as Lionel Messi in terms of his technique and understanding of the game," Beckenbauer continued, "he is an instinctive footballer—just like Messi."
His fleet-footed approach in attack was central to Dortmund's success under Klopp in a high-intensity, counter-attacking system, and with the 48-year-old looking to replicate this success at Liverpool, Gotze would make the perfect addition—but where would he fit into the current Liverpool selection?
Where Would Gotze Fit in at Liverpool?
Sunday's defeat to City served as the perfect example of Liverpool's flaws in 2015/16, with the cohesion of Klopp's attacking unit disrupted and the lack of a spark in the final third.
His star forwards, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge, were unable to link up with any efficiency, and while the admirable James Milner ploughed a useful furrow on the right flank in terms of supporting runs and defensive work, the ex-City man struggled to provide the cutting edge required.
This is where Gotze would come in under Klopp, with the Reds manager admitting in February, as relayed by the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield), that he was looking to add to his wide options this summer.
"We have enough strikers—five with Roberto [Firmino]—but not too many wingers, just a few young ones with great potential," he explained.
Scan through Klopp's current Reds squad, and orthodox wingers are hard to come by.
Jordon Ibe represents his only traditional wide option in the first team, while Sheyi Ojo and Ryan Kent have shown promise in their performances for Liverpool's under-21s side. Meanwhile, the likely return of Lazar Markovic this summer, after a season spent on loan at Fenerbahce, would swell Klopp's ranks.
For much of his time on Merseyside so far, however, Klopp has looked to Milner and Adam Lallana as his right-sided midfielders, and it has showcased their limitations—neither possesses the pace nor attacking instinct required.
Adding Gotze to a front four alongside Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge would see Klopp recapture the high-tempo, hugely effective attacking system that saw him achieve success at Dortmund, while the 23-year-old's versatility would suit the Reds' malleable approach so far, with Firmino and Sturridge regularly swapping roles.
Klopp is clearly looking to add pedigree rather than potential on the wings this summer, and with Gotze a four-time Bundesliga winner, a Champions League finalist and having scored the winning goal in 2014 FIFA World Cup final, he has proved his credentials.
But could Liverpool really convince a player with such a lofty reputation to switch Munich for Liverpool?
Would Gotze Move to Liverpool?
Heading into the final year of his contract with Bayern, Gotze finds himself at a precarious juncture, as one of the key factors behind his move to the Allianz Arena, Pep Guardiola, is leaving to join City this summer, with Carlo Ancelotti taking his place.
Furthermore, having spent most of the season on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, Gotze is in danger of falling by the wayside as Bayern cruise to another Bundesliga title in 2015/16.
The return of Robben, the meteoric rise of Juventus loanee Kingsley Coman, the surprise success of summer signing Douglas Costa and the endurance of the world-class Thomas Muller look set to keep Gotze out of the running on his recovery, and it may be that the midfielder heads for the exit at the end of the season.
Links with a summer departure, and particularly to join Liverpool, have pervaded Gotze's dogged 2015/16, and speaking about a possible move to Merseyside in January, as reported by the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle, he refused to rule out a reunion with Klopp:
"You should ask Klopp if he wants me at Liverpool. If he wants me, he should approach me.
I have six nice months ahead of me. It is always annoying when you cannot play and cannot help the team.
It is only normal that you think about things like that. But you have to look at the positives and build on those.
I’m under contract here until 2017. We will see what happens.
"
While reading into this as a "come and get me" plea would be naive, Klopp's assertion at the end of February, relayed by Andy Kelly of the Liverpool Echo, that "we don’t say [a player is] too expensive," opens up the possibility of a big-money move for Gotze ahead of 2015/16.
"Right player, big money, I don’t care," he continued. Gotze would be the right player for Klopp's Liverpool, as the Bayern man would provide the Reds with their missing piece in attack.
If the manager is able to persuade his former protege to take a step down to resurrect his career, he could be the player to help push the Reds back towards the top of European football.
Statistics via Transfermarkt.
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