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Mario Götze was Liverpool's top target for the summer in a bid to push on next season. The thought of a player who excelled under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund combining with Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino was tantalising. After not getting the opportunities he would have liked at Bayern Munich, a change was needed this summer. Götze didn't really fulfil his considerable potential under Guardiola, struggling with injuries and rotation a little more with each passing season.
After rejecting Liverpool, splitting with his agent, and proclaiming his desire to see out the final year of his contract at Bayern, a move to Anfield was effectively dead. An underwhelming Euros, plenty of competition in various attacking positions, and a general feeling that Bayern's hierarchy would rather sell the player while he still held some decent value left the 24-year-old with not many options in the transfer market.
Liverpool moved on to Sadio Mané, a player who provides the team verticality, balance, and pace across the attacking band. Now Götze seems set to move on after Bayern agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund. Finally a player moves the other way! Götze will presumably fill the void left by Henrikh Mkhitaryan after the Armenian star opted to join José Mourinho at Manchester United. A fee between £19 million and £23 million has been mooted with negotiations set to continue, but the Germany international will inevitably sign a five-year deal.
German publication BILD report that a deal is imminent for £23.5 million on a deal until 2021, and while BILD don't always get it right, the accuracy for big transfers such as these is pretty good. It ends any lingering hopes of Liverpool possibly resurrecting a deal or a move to a Premier League rival. For fans of the Bundesliga, it's an interesting reunion as Götze left BVB on terms that weren't exactly the best.
For Liverpool, however, the priority is to find a centre back, left back, and central midfielder before the close of the transfer window.