Mario Gomez
Mario Gomez could be the striker to help fire Liverpool or Tottenham into the top four. [Reuters]

One of the hardest jobs facing a manager is finding a striker who can guarantee you goals. Liverpool were prepared to spend £35m on Andy Carroll solely on the promise he had shown after half a season in the Premier League, while Tottenham had every right to believe that Emmanuel Adebayor would flourish after signing a permanent contract. How wrong both clubs were.

This summer it would come of no surprise if they are once again dipping their toes into the murky waters of the transfer market hoping to entice a big fish (and we're not talking Connor Sammon). Tottenham have already been linked with Barcelona's over the hill striker David Villa and internet favourite Leandro Damiao, not forgetting Christian Benteke, Jackson Martinez and Roberto Soldado.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is also said to be wondering around the endless transfer market looking for a bargain as he sweats over the future of bad boy Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan is ready to bite his fingers off to wander into the welcoming arms of Real Madrid's Florentino Perez or Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola. With goal shy and permanently injured Fabio Borini in reserve it is little wonder the Reds feel they need more options.

So who is this proven goal scorer who boasts three league titles to his names and a Champions League winners' medal. A striker who has today confirmed that he will leave his current club and just two years ago was the top scorer in his domestic league with 28 goals. It is of course Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez Garcia.

Don't let his name fool you, this is not a South American with plenty of flair, this is a German who deals in ruthless efficiency. A tall, powerful forward who has scored 138 Bundesliga goals in just 236 matches. In some ways he is the stereotypical English centre forward who dominates defenders with his bruising build and always appears in the right place at the right time.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said as much, describing him as a "great finisher who is often in the right place to finish off moves". It may sound simplistic but it is incredibly effective. With Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery feeding him opportunities, Gomez scored a staggering 80 goals in just two seasons.

But now he must look for a new home after being displaced by the equally sizeable Mario Mandžukić. Thus far he has been linked with a move to Italy but it seems that Liverpool and Tottenham would be missing a real opportunity.

Spurs are in desperate need of another forward and they certainly have the supply line with the likes of Mousa Dembele, Lewis Holtby, Clint Dempsey, Glyfi Sigurdsson, Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon providing the opportunities. Adebayor failed to convert these chances but Gomez would put them away as effortlessly as a Bavarian puts away beer at Oktoberfest.

Liverpool could also profit from a striker who is there to finish off moves. Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Suarez have been blessed with outrageous ability but they can be equally frustrating when making the wrong decision. Just imagine how many goals Gomez would score in a side that created 548 chances.

It is also unlikely that either side would need to break the bank to sign the striker as Bayern already have a replacement and simply no longer need his services. So what are you waiting for? Gomez may just be the player that could fire either Liverpool or Spurs into the top four.