Liverpool may signal “some of the thrilling younger skills”

For Florian Wirtz, Philippe Coutinho is arguably the benchmark at Liverpool on the subject of modern-day attacking midfielders, the Brazilian having been immense throughout his Anfield pomp.

Coutinho, bought on to Barcelona on a £142m deal, is aware of all about being weighed down by a price ticket and expectation, with it truthful to say he is by no means acquired shut once more to the participant who dazzled on Merseyside.

In Wirtz’s case, the 23-year-old was the talismanic determine again at Bayer Leverkusen, but his personal big-money transfer has backfired up to now, the Reds but to see the perfect of their £116m-rated playmaker.

His latest woes do beg the query – will Liverpool signal one other quantity ten in January?

Ought to Liverpool signal a participant to rival Wirtz in January?

Let’s face it, it was a forgettable first season in English soccer for the German, rounding issues off with simply eight targets and assists to his title within the Premier League.

For a person who had reached double figures for every of these two metrics throughout every of his final two Bundesliga campaigns, the drop off has been stark in a Liverpool shirt.

New boss Andoni Iraola has persevered with him up to now within the early weeks of 2026/27, though Wirtz has only a solitary help to point out for it, resulting in calls from the likes of Jamie Carragher to oust him from the beginning lineup.

The issue is, the Reds do not seem to have a standout various in that quantity ten berth, having notably despatched Harvey Elliott out on mortgage once more to Valencia.

Dominik Szoboszlai, by his personal admission, is at his finest in a box-to-box quantity eight position, leaving Iraola a bit of mild on choices to companion Alexander Isak in assault.

Motion Pictures by way of Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

There have been whispers that Barcelona’s Dani Olmo could possibly be on the agenda heading into 2027, because the Reds search reinforcements, though FSG may effectively goal somebody extra within the Coutinho mould as a substitute.

How Liverpool may signal the brand new Coutinho in January

Coutinho’s departure got here in January 2018, amid one thing of a sliding-doors second for the Jurgen Klopp period, whereas he’d additionally arrived on the membership within the winter window 5 years earlier.

The Reds, then managed by Brendan Rodgers, had forked out round £8.5m to pluck the 20-year-old from Inter Milan, with a sure Daniel Sturridge additionally arriving mid-season too.

Coutinho, notably then, was small and slight, but his high quality shone via instantly, racking up ten targets and assists the next season as Liverpool so practically claimed a primary Premier League title.

Permitting him that first six months to mattress in was little question a sensible transfer, with there an opportunity for Iraola and co to now repeat that trick with the signing of Gilberto Mora.

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are the main contenders, throughout the Premier League, to signal the Mexican teenager, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United additionally within the combine.

Each Borussia Dortmund and Benfica have held talks together with his agent, though the Anfield facet have opened negotiations of their very own, after making direct contact together with his representatives.

Nonetheless solely 17, Mora will be capable of transfer to Europe after he turns 18 later this month, opening the door to a possible January or summer time transfer.

The Membership Tijuana playmaker would fetch a Liga MX document charge if he had been to go away, someplace north of £21m, though like within the case of Coutinho, that would characterize one thing of a cut price contemplating his sky-high potential.

Unsurprisingly, given his age, Mora is one other quite waiflike, diminutive expertise, however he is already making waves at senior stage, seen as the subsequent star of Mexican soccer.

He was notably a part of this summer time’s World Cup squad for the hosts, reinforcing why he’s thought of “some of the thrilling younger skills in world soccer“, within the view of journalist Graeme Bailey.

He’s definitely among the many most highly-rated youngsters or wonderkids on the market proper now, having solely not too long ago scored his first objective for his nation towards Peru over the worldwide break.

Like Coutinho, he pops up within the pocket, arguably at his finest as a quantity ten but additionally notably snug off the left, chopping inside to wreak havoc from vary.

REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

In seven Liga MX appearances this season, he is already scored 5 targets and assisted one, notably averaging 1.2 key passes per recreation and one profitable dribble per recreation.

His nimble and agile, prolific and inventive, seemingly boasting all of the qualities that made Coutinho such a pressure at his finest.

Whereas persistence will probably be wanted contemplating his youth, Mora may effectively be the person to problem Wirtz in the long run at Anfield.