The departure of Suarez to Barcelona means Liverpool have the funds to strengthen their squad before the Premier League season gets underway. The Reds recently confirmed the arrival of Lazar Markovic from Benfica on Tuesday and while the Serbian is a good acquisition, a more experienced name would go some way to easing the loss of last season’s top goalscorer.
Reus has been linked with a potential switch to Anfield as Liverpool look to put the reported £75m Suarez money to good use. Only four players bettered Reus’ 7.90 WhoScored.com rating in the Bundesliga last season, highlighting what a superb 2013/14 campaign the 25-year-old had.
While he is more a left winger than a striker, signing Reus would still be a real statement of intent by Liverpool. The German's 13 Bundesliga assists was than any other player last season and Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and Rickie Lambert would welcome his creative qualities. Only Max Kruse with 98 played more key passes than Reus’ 90 in Germany’s top tier last term.
However, he has proven that he is more than capable of scoring, too. Only Robert Lewandowski (20), Mario Mandzukic (18) and Josip Drmic (17) netted more league goals than Reus (16) last season, while the flamboyant attacker averaged more shots per game (3.7) than anyone else, displaying a supreme level of confidence in his striking ability.
Mario Gotze's decision to leave Dortmund for Bayern Munich 12 months ago meant Reus had to step up his game and he did not disappoint. His performances warranted a place in the Germany squad for the World Cup, but an ankle injury suffered in the friendly win against Armenia last month meant he was forced to sit out Brazil 2014. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that Reus’ club form would have guaranteed him a place in national manager Joachim Low’s starting XI.
As you will see on WhoScored.com, his style of play highlights a tendency to cut inside, which would benefit Liverpool, with Reus often moving onto his right foot from the left wing to go for goal. While Suarez would regularly be the focal point in Brendan Rodgers’ attack, the Uruguayan also favoured cutting inside from the flank before unleashing goal-bound efforts.
Suarez may have eclipsed Reus in the goal charts, but with Dortmund having 17 different scorers last term compared to Liverpool’s 12, that is little surprise. Only Steven Gerrard matched Reus in terms of assists and a more creative force in the attack line would allow Sturridge to build on the 21 league goals he scored last season.
While it remains to be seen whether Reus could instantly reach Suarez’s level should the Reds firm up their reported interest, the Dortmund star has the potential to match his exploits in Liverpool’s fluid attack. He may have insisted he will not leave Dortmund this summer, but with rivals Bayern strengthening considerably, a new challenge in England may appeal to him.
Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana have already signed on the dotted line, and with the Markovic deal also done, an attacker should not be the priority for Rodgers. However, if Liverpool are in the hunt for the closest like-for-like Suarez replacement, Reus undeniably fits the bill.
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