Breaking Down How Mario Gotze Would Fit in Tactically at Liverpool

Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Gotze is poised to become Liverpool’s marquee signing of the summer, if reports are to be believed, with the 23-year-old set to take up a key role in Jurgen Klopp’s attacking system on Merseyside.

The Guardian’s Andy Hunter was among those to break the news of Liverpool’s interest in Gotze at the end of March, writing that “[Klopp] has identified Gotze as a transfer priority for the end of the season and the Anfield club are increasingly optimistic of securing [his] signature.”

With just over one year left on his contract with Bayern, the Reds are looking to sign Gotze for up to £20 million, though this jars with the Bundesliga side’s valuation of closer to £30 million.

Gotze is said to favour a “fresh start,” and to be reunited with his former manager, with Klopp having overseen the Germany international’s progress over three-and-a-half years with Borussia Dortmund, but as Gotze told Bild (h/t the Express) earlier in April, he may not make a decision over his future just yet:

I don’t have a concrete schedule. I can’t say whether a decision about my future will be made before or after the European Championships.

I know that for instance [Dortmund captain] Mats Hummels has said he wants clarity before the tournament, but Toni Kroos [in 2014] only made his decision [to join Real Madrid from Bayern] after the World Cup. Everything’s open.

Gotze remains likely to leave Bayern, however, despite a change in manager at the Allianz Arena this summer, as Carlo Ancelotti takes over for Manchester City-bound Pep Guardiola.

So if Gotze makes the move to Merseyside, where would he fit into Klopp’s tactical system?

Liverpool’s System Under Klopp

When Klopp arrived at Liverpool in October, much of the focus turned to how the charismatic German would translate his successful system from Dortmund to a hit-and-miss squad of hopefuls assembled by his predecessor at Anfield, Brendan Rodgers.

With gegenpressing the hot topic, visions of high-intensity, attacking football were projected over a squad peppered with talents like Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana, Daniel Sturridge and a player familiar to Klopp, Roberto Firmino, with the Brazilian having joined Liverpool from Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim last summer.

From his first game in charge, it was clear Klopp was looking to implement a tactical and ideological revolution at Liverpool, with the Premier League reporting the 116 kilometres covered by the Reds at White Hart Lane was “1.2 kilometres greater than Mauricio Pochettino’s men and over four kilometres more than the next-most distance covered by the Reds under Brendan Rodgers in 2015/16.”

Whether this approach was sustainable in the short term was questionable, but it was clear Klopp needed to add an attacking flourish to this admirable showing of industry, and with Firmino returning from injury days later, Liverpool had their catalyst.

Since Klopp’s …

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