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Potential Rewards Far Outweigh Risks for Borussia Dortmund in Mario Gotze Deal
- Updated: July 21, 2016
One of the most spectacular—and controversial—transfers in recent Bundesliga history is finally complete: Mario Gotze will make a sensational return to Borussia Dortmund.
Thomas Hennecke of Kicker (link in German) reported that Dortmund will pay a base fee of €26 million for the versatile midfielder, who will sign a four-year contract after passing his medical.
It’s a stiff price for a player who clearly isn’t in head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans and out of contract in 2017, but it’s one that the Black and Yellows can easily afford after the high-priced sales of Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer.
It’s an exciting deal for the Ruhr side, but it’s not one without risks.
The club usually doesn’t have the chance to add a world-class talent about to enter his prime years, and there can be no question that Gotze represents that level of potential quality. He was regarded as a once-in-a-generation talent during his first stint at the Westfalenstadion, and despite his struggles in Bavaria, he still is among the most gifted footballers in Germany.
He’ll fill the creative void that the departures of Gundogan and Mkhitaryan have left, which is something Dortmund desperately need even though they’ve already signed six highly talented players. The 24-year-old could play any number of roles in Thomas Tuchel’s system that focuses on position play and ball retention.
He’d be an improvement over Shinji Kagawa in a No. 10 role, he’d be a candidate to play up front as a fluidly moving central forward and he could play on the wing, because—unlike at Bayern under Pep Guardiola—full-backs provide width while the wingers often make early inward runs.
Although not a natural central midfielder, he could also play in Gundogan’s old spot, especially should Tuchel keep playing a three-man defence behind the two central midfielders.
Moreover, thanks to his impeccable technique in tight spaces and excellent awareness in the final third, Gotze would be a logical replacement for Mkhitaryan, who excelled in a relatively free role under Tuchel. Much like the Armenian, the Germany international is a creative genius in his best form, able to shred a defence to pieces with dribbles or passes.
Quick combinations between Dortmund’s attackers led to many goals last season, and the club would do well trying to recreate the magic even after their best player left for Manchester United.
Of course, Gotze hasn’t been in his best form for a while. More than anything, injuries have derailed his career in Bavaria to a point …
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