Which Dortmund Stars should Jurgen Klopp bring to Liverpool?

By grvadmin

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Liverpool fans will no doubt be over the moon with the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as the successor to Brendan Rodgers. The big German put pen to paper after speculation surrounding the deal arose following the departure of Rodgers, who failed to deliver a major trophy during his tenure on Merseyside. The deal for this eccentric, extremely likeable character came as little surprise; with his name on the lips of nearly every Liverpool fan almost as soon as Rodgers had left the building.

With a proven track record in the Bundesliga and a solid showing in the Champions League, the former Borussia Dortmund manager looks to be a fine match for Liverpool; who are looking for a total revamp in the midst of a pretty barren time over on Anfield Road. Anyway, now that Kopites worldwide finally have their man, whispers and murmurs of possible transfer targets are beginning to leak out from every corner of the media. Klopp’s reputation is one that could see a number of high profile players make a possible move to Anfield in the coming January transfer window – with one or two possessing the power to turn a good side into a great one.

Marco Reus

Right then, let’s kick things off with the one player that nearly every Liverpool fan would love to see pull on the famous red – that man Marco Reus. With Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski leaving for Bayern Munich following Klopp’s success with his former club, many had tipped Dortmund to slip away in the German hierarchy. Still, with players like Marco Reus – who is without doubt one of the most exciting players in the German league – Borussia Dortmund still possessed some of that spark and edge that had once guided them to Bundesliga glory. The attacking midfielder is still only 26-year old, yet he has managed to establish himself not only in his Dortmund side but in the International set up too.

Despite not featuring in Germany’s World Cup winning side in Brazil through injury, had Reus been fit, it could’ve perhaps been even easier for Deutschland to lift the trophy in Rio. It goes without saying that Reus could fit into most Premier League sides, though with the exit of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City and constant injuries doubts surrounding Christian Benteke and Daniel Sturridge, Reus could be the player to give Liverpool that familiar buzz once more. Rumour of this possible move for Reus has lingered for some time now, and with Klopp’s deal now solidified, it could be that the newly appointed Liverpool manager’s charm and know-how could persuade Dortmund’s star-man to follow suit.

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Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic

Elsewhere, it would seem that Liverpool’s defensive issues are, shall we say, no laughing matter. The 2013/14 Premier League title should have settled on Merseyside with weeks left to play, had it not been for some cataclysmic errors at the back.

Scoring goals was not the problem, thanks to the brilliance of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. Former captain Steven Gerrard even wept after the victory over Manchester City at Anfield, bringing them within touching distance of the one trophy that had eluded Gerrard throughout his career. However, thanks to a lack of defensive stability, the title was lost. This is one area that Klopp with undoubtedly look to address in the primary months of his new job – and two names spring to mind when considering possible defensive reinforcements.

Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic would both be fantastic editions to Liverpool’s defensive outfit, pushing the likes of Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho straight on to the Anfield bench. Despite spending a whopping £38million on Lovren and Sakho, the pairing didn’t exactly exude safety and reassurance at the back under Rodgers. Hummels has been linked with a move to Manchester United in previous transfer windows; however this lack of movement thus far could prove noteworthy to Liverpool fans now that Klopp has come to England.

Neven Subotic is a real favourite of the new Liverpool boss, who brought the central defender with him from Mainz when he arrived in Dortmund back in 2008. The Serbian International was a rock at the back for Dortmund under Klopp, though his role in the starting line up has been sporadic since the departure of his former boss. This alone could increase the possibility of the move and I’m sure many Liverpool fans would welcome a defender who has not only worked with Klopp, but who can guarantee a fortification on their side’s defensive performances.

Ilkay Gundogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Another name to be mentioned in the midst of the Klopp saga is midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. Now, admittedly, Liverpool are not short of midfielders having just recruited James Milner to sit alongside their captain Jordan Henderson, or even Lucas Leiva.

Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana are also two other current Liverpool names you would assume Klopp will want to keep hold of, in light of their recent performances and pedigree.

Nevertheless, transfers and alterations are inevitable in light of staff changes. This could mean perhaps exits for some Anfield favourites, or some time on the bench for those who do not impress Mr. Klopp from the off.

Players such as Gundogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are just two of the big names mentioned that could be set to follow Klopp – as well as maybe a whisper of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (or this may just be wishful thinking).

Of course, this is all speculation at the moment, but anything is possible when concerning Premier League clubs and their ever-growing cheque books.

It of course goes without saying that Jurgen Klopp has an excellent track record in establishing new names and bringing in players in all types of positions (on a previously pretty low budget may I add).

During his time as Dortmund manager Klopp brought through the likes of Goetze and Lewandowski, as well as Hummels, Gundogan, Reus and Shinji Kagawa, to name but a few.

These players alone would arguably (more like definitely) walk into Liverpool’s starting XI at the present time, proving that Klopp not only has a keen eye for a talent but has the supporting staff to assist him in these proven decisions.

This may be presumptuous, but after the extortionate spending of the Rodgers era (with little to no reward) a manager with strong ties to an elite list of players, may be the cherry on top of the proverbial ‘Klopp cake’ so to speak.

Signings are perhaps the key factor in the shaping of a managers time at any club and I think it’s safe to say that Klopp has made some biggies in his short time in the managerial world.

Roll on January.

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