The arrival of 2014 World Cup winner Mario Götze at UEFA Cup champions Eintracht Frankfurt this summer came a little out of left field, but the 30-year-old could just turn out to the perfect piece to compliment the Adler’s attacking jigsaw going into next season.
Having rebuilt his reputation in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven, it still came as quite the surprise when Eintracht Frankfurt announced they had signed Super Mario for a bargain price of just €4 million due to a clause in his contract signed just last September.
Despite interest from Benfica (where PSV Roger Schmidt is taking over) and Inter Miami, it was Eintracht, who secured the ex-Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund star with the pull of Champions League football at the Deutsche Bank Park next season. The signing could just prove to be a masterstroke after the success achieved last season in Europe.
The fact that Götze felt the time wasn’t right to ‘retire’ to MLS Soccer with David Beckham’s lucrative side shows that he has unfinished business in the Bundesliga and has a point to prove. Frankfurt, despite their European success last season also may need Götze to fill a vital role going forward.
“We’ve been lacking a player of his type,” Eintracht CEO Markus Krösche said in a club statement following the signing. “Mario’s technical ability will help our game enormously, particularly when we’re in possession against deep-lying opponents. Moreover, he can showcase his strengths in virtually any attacking position, which gives us even more tactical variability. Last but not least, he brings many years of experience at the highest international level.”
With Daichi Kamada linked with a potential move away, a place in the front line could be there for Götze to make his own. Rafael Borré, Randal Kolo Muani, and Lucas Alario occupy the central striker position with the likes of Jens Petter Hauge, Ansgar Knauff and Jesper Lindstrøm filling in the roles out wide. The traditional number 10 role therefore appears tailormade for the new arrival.
With Eintracht hosting champions Bayern Munich at home on the opening match of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season, the stage could be set for Götze to announce his return to Germany with quite a bang.
