Liverpool Transfer News: Mario Gotze, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, £100m Rumours

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will reportedly have a staggering £100 million to spend on new players this summer, paving the way for pursuits of Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze. 

Mike McGrath in the Sun has stated that the German will be well backed by the club’s owners at the end of the campaign, as the Reds seek to get back among the sides challenging for the Premier League title. 

It’s noted that the Liverpool owners have “huge confidence” in Klopp and are willing to fund the chasing of these world-class operators, as well as a new goalkeeper, with Stoke City’s Jack Butland and Fraser Forster of Southampton both said to be on his radar.

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While many Liverpool supporters would love to see an upgrade on Simon Mignolet between the sticks at Anfield, names like Aubameyang and Gotze will get plenty excited about what’s in store this summer. The former, in particular, is having a sensational season; here’s a look at what he can offer:

Aubameyang has certainly taken his game on to new heights this term, adding a composure in front of goal to complement his raw pace and power. As we can see here courtesy of Squawka Dave, he’s a forward who measures up to the best goalscorers in the Bundesliga: 

For Liverpool, he’d be a significant coup. After all, according to Rob Draper of the Mail on Sunday, Arsenal and Manchester United are also interested in the striker, with the latter said to be willing to stump up as much as £70 million in order to get him to Old Trafford.

Gotze is a player of incredible ability, but he has not been given sufficient opportunities at the Allianz Arena since moving in the summer of 2013.

At his best the German international can be a real asset. He is intelligent enough to find space in opposition defences, can take the ball in tight areas and has the class to find killer passes. With so many talented players at Bayern, the 23-year-old has not been able to show his talents consistently.

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As Squawka Football noted earlier this year, when on the field the midfielder, who hasn’t played since October, typically makes an impact: 

What both of these players have in common is that they also worked under Klopp at Dortmund. So while Thomas Tuchel has aided in pushing Aubameyang on to scale new heights, the former boss began the process, turning the Gabon international from a versatile wide forward into a central striker following the departure of Robert Lewandowski.

There’s also a special affinity between Klopp and Gotze, as Bleacher Report’s Jack Lusby noted recently:

If Dortmund and Bayern are willing to sell, there will a lot of clubs keen on both Aubameyang and Gotze. In a Premier League that will be awash with money this summer, it’d be a huge surprise if there were no divisional rivals battling the Reds for the players too.

A strong finish to this campaign would certainly assist Liverpool, especially if they could secure some kind of European football for next season.