Why Liverpool must stay away from signing Mario Gotze
Liverpool have started their season in the best possible way, winning six out of six games in the Premier League. New signings like Xherdan Shaqiri, Naby Keita and Alisson have adapted well to their new surroundings and they have improved the Reds’ squad depth considerably. However, Liverpool are being linked to another big name, Mario Gotze.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, former German international – and Gotze’s former teammate at Borussia Dortmund – Kevin Grosskreutz has suggested that the World Cup winner should join Liverpool.
Gotze’s career started brightly and during Klopp’s tenure at Dortmund, he helped the club win the Bundesliga title in 2011. In the season that followed, the German outfit defended their league title and also won the DfB Pokal.
Subsequently, Gotze developed an excellent partnership with Marco Reus and the duo was unplayable at times. In fact, that Dortmund team fell just short of the ultimate European glory when they were beaten by arch-rivals Bayern Munich in the Champions League final at Wembley.
That summer, however, Gotze did the unthinkable and jumped ship to join Bayern in 2013. And in 2014, he scored the winner for Die Mannschaft in the World Cup final in Brazil.
Football can be cruel at times. That night at Maracana Stadium proved to the finest one in Gotze’s life. But his stay in Munich was not a pleasant one as injuries didn’t allow him to get regular minutes under his belt. Even when he was fit to play, managerial changes at the Bavarian club made it difficult for the former Dortmund man to adapt to different playing styles.
In an attempt to revive his career, he moved back to the Westfalenstdion in 2016. However, his much-awaited homecoming proved to a disaster. Since his return, Gotze has struggled with fitness and form. Over the course of the last term, he managed to muster only 2 goals in 19 starts in the Bundesliga.
The 26-year-old has made just two first-team appearances for the club this season and was left out of the squad that faced Hoffenheim on Saturday, following a lacklustre performance against Club Brugge in the Champions League.
The whole idea of Gotze joining Liverpool to link up with his former manager is a romantic one. But in reality, this move wouldn’t be a great one for the Reds. The club already has invested in a lot of players over the summer and they have all improved the squad. Klopp must not merely sign a player on sentimental grounds since it could force him to either change tactics or disrupt the harmony in the dressing room.
Also, Liverpool, under Klopp, generally play in a 4-3-3 formation where there is no requirement for a natural No.10 like Gotze. The team is built upon the idea of high pressing in the opponent’s half and trying to win the ball back to attack swiftly.
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It is quite unclear as to how Gotze, with his injury problems, would be able to adapt to such energy-draining tactics. Klopp, for now, should only give Gotze his sympathies and wish him well for the future. At just 26 years of age, the German is a great player who can improve the squads of a lot of top clubs around Europe – barring Liverpool.
