Liverpool have reportedly set their sights on Mario Gotze, who looks set to move away from Borussia Dortmund this summer
According to a report by TransferMarketWeb, Liverpool are interested in signing Mario Gotze in the summer transfer window. The German international looks set to leave Borussia Dortmund for a second time and has previously expressed his desire to reunite with former manager Jurgen Klopp.
The world has come crashing down for Gotze since scoring the winner for Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final. Over the last four years, the player’s status in world football has declined considerably, having first fallen out of favour at Bayern Munich before rejoining Borussia Dortmund and declining in stature at Westfalenstadion as well.
This past season, Gotze started just 26 games across all competitions, and it has become abundantly clear in recent weeks that his return to Dortmund will last just a couple of years. Meanwhile, the German international has hinted that a move to Liverpool could be on, having iterated that he would like to play under him again.
As it happens, Liverpool are interested in signing Gotze as well as they look for attacking reinforcements this summer. The Reds do hold a long-standing interest in the player, but the links died down in recent months, with the Merseyside club prioritising a move for Nabil Fekir instead.
However, with complications arising in their pursuit of the Lyon captain, Liverpool are now having to identify possible alternatives, with Gotze one of them. Essentially, Gotze could be a direct replacement for Philippe Coutinho, whose place hasn’t been taken over by anyone since his move to Barcelona in January.
Gotze isn’t as attractive a signing as the likes of Nabil Fekir and Marco Asensio – another player who has been linked with Liverpool of late. But, he can certainly get the job done as far as chance creation and conversion are concerned.
Gotze also knows Klopp really well from the duo’s time at Borussia Dortmund, and it goes without saying that the German tactician will find a way to fit the player into his first-team setup. At 26, he still has his best years ahead of him and can resurrect a stuttering career.
With Dortmund open to selling him, Gotze would be a more approachable target for Liverpool. But, a move is only likely to happen if the Reds end their pursuit of Fekir, which hasn’t officially concluded. It now remains to be seen if Liverpool finally get their target man to reunite Klopp and Gotze.
