Mario Götze was once heralded as the next best footballer in the world. The extremely promising player who scored the winning goal for Germany in the final of the 2014 World Cup. But since then, his career has seen a sharp down slide.
Having moved to rivals Bayern Munich from Borussia Dortmund, the German struggled to get going at the Allianz Arena under the tutelage of then-manager Pep Guardiola. He tried to bring an end to those struggles by moving back to Dortmund, the club where he burst onto the scenes as a teenager.
But things have hardly gone well for him post his return. Constantly criticized by the fans and struggling for fitness, Götze has found it impossible to regain any sort of form and as a result, has been completely drained out of confidence.
And Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has come out in defence of the struggling star. It was under Klopp that Götze flourished in Germany and now the 49-year old could be all set to offer a lifeline for the 24-year old, bringing him in at Anfield in the upcoming summer window.
While it could turn out to be a huge gamble for Liverpool, Klopp has immense faith in his talents and abilities and could very well take a risk on him. If that deal goes through, here is how Klopp would set out his Liverpool side, with Götze in it:
Defence
Simon Mignolet has been impressing in recent weeks and has shown signs of improvement. He will most likely be their No.1 choice over the next season.
At right-back will be Nathaniel Clyne. The former Southampton man has been performing exceedingly well and should continue in defence. In the heart of the defence, it will be Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren. Matip has been brilliant having arrived for free in the summer of 2016 and Lovren looks a much solid player playing alongside him. At left-back it will be the veteran James Milner, who has been a revelation in his makeshift position.
Midfield
To accommodate Götze in the line-up, we could see a tactical switch by Jurgen Klopp. The German used a 4-2-3-1 for most of his time with Borussia Dortmund and that could be what we get to see at Liverpool next year.
Jordan Henderson has been slightly garnering compliments with his performances as the deep-lying playmaker for Liverpool and will occupy one of the two pivots.
And alongside him it will be the industrious and hardworking Georginio Wijnaldum. The Dutchman is enjoying a fine debut campaign at Anfield so far and has become an irreplaceable part of the Liverpool machine.
Attack
On the right-side of the three-pronged attack for Liverpool, it will be the excellent Sadio Mane. The Senegalese has been the major driving force for the Reds this season and will rightly hold on to his place. On the opposite flank, it will be Philippe Coutinho. The former Inter Milan man has been the primary creative outlet on the left-side for the Merseysiders.
And operating through the middle will be Götze. The German international has faded off in recent seasons, but nobody is more aware of the potential he has better than Klopp. He will face fierce competition for the spot from Adam Lallana and with plenty of football to be played next season, those two will be rotated around.
And spearheading the attack will be Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian has been top-notch this season, combining brilliantly with Mane and Coutinho, and will be ahead of the likes of Divock Origi and Danny Ings in the pecking order.
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