Rumor Mongering: Mario Gotze Wants Liverpool Move

There’s something oddly soothing in the rhythm of transfer season. Usually, as the well runs dry on credible links, it becomes a matter of speculation. First, the obvious links between athletes that want out or desire a new challenge or want to play for the team they’d always choose on FIFA are drawn with the teams in need of a player in that position. When moves materialize to knock those down - or a round of statements released from the player and his agent indicating that he’s happily settled at Sporting Happy Squad thank you very much - then it becomes a matter of interviewing people close to athletes that may be unsettled and drawing up tenuous links to clubs.

Today, we have that latter scenario as we see the return of old friend, Mario Gotze, to the LFC rumor mill. This iteration of the rumor - as reported by the Daily Express - stems from a conversation with Jurgen Klopp biographer and writer on German football, Lee Price who thinks now might be the time for Gotze and Liverpool to make their link. Citing the collapse of the Fekir deal and that the names that have arisen as potential alternatives in recent weeks seem to have not impressed Jurgen, Price leans on the familiarity between Gotzwe and Klopp as the key in driving this potential deal.

“Their deal for Nabil Fekir collapsed, and the club are scraping around for alternatives - with Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish and Stoke’s Xherdan Shaqiri both being monitored but not convincing Jurgen Klopp. One man he has known and liked for a long time - and has considered signing for Liverpool on two occasions - is Mario Gotze.”

Price goes on to note that Liverpool would be “favorites” to land Gotze.

All due respect to Mr. Price, however, but the anointing of LFC as favorites in a transfer that seems to have grown entirely out of his own speculation seems a bit rushed. As it stands, Gotze has already been rumored to come to LFC in previous windows - and increasingly since Klopp arrived - and has already chosen to ply his trade elsewhere. More, while Gotze has experience in Klopp’s system, his failure to etch his mark at Bayern and then falling down the pecking order in his return to Dortmund, does not inspire the confidence that he would even be a real interest from the folks at LFC.

Still, if this unlikely rumor comes to pass, it will most certainly come with both Klopp’s blessing and his supreme confidence in being able to get some of the vintage performances from Gotze’s best years out of him now. Here’s hoping that if it does happen, that’s precisely what Reds fans will get to see.