Eintracht Frankfurt’s €4 Million Steal Will Add Much-Needed Creativity

Mario Götze is back in the Bundesliga. Eintracht Frankfurt announced the signing of the 30-year-old scorer of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning goal on Tuesday. The Eagles were able to sign the player for just €4 million thanks to an exit clause in Götze’s contract.

“The fact that a player like Mario Götze has chosen, with full conviction, Eintracht Frankfurt over numerous other offers speaks volumes for the outstanding image that the club has built over the past few years,” Frankfurt director of sport Markus Krösche said in a club statement. “I don’t need to say much about his footballing qualities.”

Frankfurt was not the only club interested in the 30-year-old playmaker, who has rebuilt his reputation at PSV over the last two years after difficult years at both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Benfica, where PSV head coach Roger Schmidt will take over in the summer, and Major League Soccer side Inter Miami CF were also interested.

Götze’s desire to return to Champions League football meant that Frankfurt was in the driver’s seat—unlike Benfica, the Bundesliga club is directly qualified for the group stage after winning the Europa League this last spring. Beckham-owned Inter Miami CF promised the most lucrative deal, but once again, Götze’s desire to play Champions League football won out.

“From the stadium to the fans to the city, everything is just to my liking. I’m really looking forward to my return to the Bundesliga, as well as the chance to play in the Champions League,” Götze said in a club statement.

That does not mean that Major League Soccer is not an option for the future. But the indication has always been that Götze, for now, wanted another shot at the highest level.

The interest from America, however, also highlights that Götze is still a strong brand vehicle. The World Cup-winning goal and the years at Bayern and Dortmund mean that Frankfurt’s new number 27 is still a recognizable name anywhere from New York to Los Angeles.

But branding was not Frankfurt’s only reason to sign Götze. With Filip Kostić and DaiDAI
chi Kamada potentially leaving, the Eagles needed a creative midfielder, an element of surprise in an attack that was very much built around a strong wing play and quick counter-attack.

“We’ve been lacking a player of his type,” Krösche said in the club statement. “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.”

In Frankfurt’s system, Götze can operate as a number 10, number 8, or even a false 9. In fact, in Rafael Borré and Randal Kolo Muani, Frankfurt already has two typical number 9s secured for next season—the club is also interested in Wout Weghorst.

Jens Petter Hauge, Ansgar Knauff and Jesper Lindstrøm can all fill out key roles on the wing. That leaves Götze with one important task, to play centrally, be the motor and fulfill and become the sort of player the club has not seen since the days of Jay-Jay Okocha and Andreas Möller.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth