Liverpool returned to the Premier League’s top four at the weekend courtesy of a 3-1 victory over rivals Arsenal.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have made a sluggish start to 2017, with their win over Arsene Wenger’s men on Saturday only their second in the league since the turn of the year.

However, it now means that the Reds are in a good position to return to the Champions League next season, given that they are fourth in the table and two points ahead of the Gunners with just 11 games remaining.

Nonetheless, it hasn’t stopped speculation growing about who Klopp may look to sign in the summer to strengthen his side, and one man linked with Anfield in the last day or so is Borussia Dortmund attacker Mario Gotze.

The German, who of course scored the winner in the 2014 World Cup final, has struggled since returning to Dortmund last summer, netting just twice in 17 games for Klopp’s former employers.

The two worked brilliantly together when the Liverpool boss was in charge of the German side, and Liverpool fans will be hoping that, should a deal come to fruition in the summer, that they can do so again at Anfield.

The 24-year-old is clearly a very talented player, and here are THREE reasons why he can take Liverpool to the next level should he arrive in the summer…

Point to prove

Mario Gotze has had a testing few years in the Bundesliga.

He began life at Bayern Munich well with 30 goals in his first two seasons at the club, yet struggled in the 2015/16 campaign, netting just six goals in 21 games for the German giants in all competitions, 14 of which were in the league.

His frustrating time at the Allianz Arena saw him re-join Borussia Dortmund last summer, for whom he played 116 times and netted 31 goals in his first spell, but he has once again struggled for form, netting just once in ten Bundesliga appearances for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Thus, a move to Liverpool would not only be a fresh start for the German international, but he’d also have a bit of a point to prove after a testing few years – that could bring the best out of him.

Tournament-winning experience

Not many players in that Liverpool team have experience of winning league titles and competitions, but Gotze has it in abundance.

The 24-year-old won the Bundesliga twice with Dortmund in 2011 and 2012, before adding three more titles with Bayern in 2014, 2015, and 2016, while he has also won the German Cup three times during his time at both clubs, once with Dortmund in 2012, and twice with Bayern in 2014 and 2016.

And, of course, who can forget that it was he who scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil to help Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the Maracana.

Clearly, Gotze has played in some huge matches with some huge teams already in his relatively short career, and although he is only 24, that experience would be invaluable to a Liverpool side that sometimes look short of confidence and know-how in the big-match situations.

Performed at best under Klopp before

It was Liverpool boss Klopp who helped take Borussia Dortmund to the next level when he took over as manager in 2008, leading them to the Bundesliga title in both 2011 and 2012.

And, during his time in charge, Gotze became the player he is today.

The German attacker made his debut for the club back in November 2009, and then went on to net eight goals in 41 appearances in his first full season at the club the campaign after.

The 24-year-old then went on to net five times in the league in 2011/12 to help Klopp’s side defend their Bundesliga title, while Gotze’s most prolific season in front of goal came in 2012/13, when he scored 16 goals in just 44 games to help Dortmund to second in the league, and runners-up in the Champions League.

Clearly, Klopp knows how to get the best out of Gotze, so a reunion at Anfield can only be good news for the Liverpool faithful going forward.