Representatives of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze are understood to have held initial talks with Liverpool over a possible move to Anfield in the summer.
Reports in theMirrorsuggest that Reds' boss Jurgen Klopp is keen to link up with the World Cup winner once again, having coached him during his days at the Westfalenstadion.
Liverpool open talks to sign £20m Mario Gotze from Borussia Dortmund this summerhttps://t.co/PkVywRZnoh pic.twitter.com/Vj1IWRMIaX
Klopp is understood to have made enquiries about the player's availability last summer when he left Bayern Munich to return to Dortmund for an estimated £20. Liverpool's hopes of signing the 24-year-old were dashed by their failure to secure Champions League football for the current campaign.
It was thought that a return to Dortmund would revive Gotze's fledgling career, however he has failed to replicate the form he showed during his first spell at the club and the Mirror suggests that the playmaker is now considering moving away from the Bundesliga in the hope that a fresh challenge will improve his on-field fortunes.
One possible destination could well be Anfield if reports are correct that the Reds have opened up a dialogue with the player, and if true, Liverpool may wellwill be confident of landing the German as a move to Merseyside would reunite him with Klopp.
The two worked together for several years before Gotze joined Bayern for an estimated€37m in 2013and it was the season before his departure that made many stand up and take notice. The attacking midfielderformed a formidable partnership with Marko Reus and Robert Lewandowski, and he ended the season havingscored 16 times and helped assist a further 13 goals in all competitions.
However, since the 2013/2014 season - his first at the Alianz -Gotze's career has been on hold as he has failed to tie down a regular first-team spot at both Bayern and Dortmund, although he did score the all-important winner for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.
Whilst a move to Liverpool would offer him a new challenge and the chance to work with the manager who has enabled him to flourish in the past, any potential deal could well depend on the Reds' position in the Premier League come the end of the season.
Failure to qualify in the Champions League may create a potential stumbling block for Liverpool and they will also have to agree on a fee with Dortmund, who despite the player's poor form, are keen to recuperate as much of the £20m they paid for him last summer as they can.