Liverpool have boasted plenty of magical gamers in recent times, with the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino the pillars of a frontline who’ve achieved nice issues.
Their type has been pivotal for the Reds as they gained their first Premier League title, in addition to a Champions League below the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp.
With Michael Edwards additionally on the membership’s disposal, it was a dream crew so far as the Anfield outfit are involved.
Edwards was the brains by way of recruitment, with the previous sporting director gifting Klopp gamers who he engineered into stars on the sector of play.
Maybe one in all their most staggering offers concerned Phillipe Coutinho. The Brazilian wasn’t arriving in Merseyside however as an alternative was heading for the departure lounge at John Lennon Airport.
The switch chief at Liverpool managed to barter a outstanding payment of £146m for Coutinho’s companies, with the gifted playmaker heading to Barcelona in what represented a dream transfer for the now 30-year-old.
Famend for a spectacular long-range purpose, he left the Reds behind having scored 54 instances in 201 outings, with an additional 45 assists dolloped on prime.
Arguably, Liverpool haven’t had a participant like him since he left, with Klopp preferring to function with extra direct wingers and with out a quantity 10.
Nonetheless, the addition of Xavi Simons in January, or additional into 2023, might evoke reminiscences of Coutinho.
Experiences from Spain on the again finish of final month claimed that the German tactician was an enormous fan of the Dutchman with Liverpool trying on the midfielder to unravel their midfield woes.
The centre of the park has been an enormous problem for them all through 2022/23, with the likes of Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Arthur Melo all spending durations on the sideline via harm.
Additionally an ageing midfield, the addition of 19-year-old Simons would match the invoice.
Like Coutinho, he’s mesmerising within the closing third with {the teenager} being billed as “one of many greatest skills in world soccer” way back to 2018 when he was simply 15 years of age.
On the time, the attacking midfielder was studying his commerce in Barca’s well-known La Masia academy, a faculty of soccer to show the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi their craft.
Simons would by no means play below his namesake at Barca, ultimately signing for PSV Eindhoven on a free switch final summer time after refusing to signal a brand new take care of French giants PSG.
Their loss has been PSV’s achieve with the teenager actually glowing this marketing campaign, displaying qualities that Coutinho would definitely be happy with.
Certainly, the £15.6m-rated expertise, who will little doubt fetch way over that if he does go away the Eredivisie, has scored ten instances already this time period whereas supplying 4 assists for his teammates.
A kind of targets ought to have come towards the Premier League’s prime performers this time period, Arsenal, as he twinkle-toed his method via the Gunners’ defence earlier than discovering the web in a 2-0 Europa League victory. Sadly, the dazzling effort was dominated out for offside however it was an thrilling glimpse of the large expertise in his locker.
With the power to play out vast in addition to via the center, the comparisons to Coutinho don’t cease together with his skillset.
That similarity, nonetheless, needs to be sufficient to persuade Liverpool supporters and Julian Ward that this needs to be their go-to man in 2023.
It might be an excellent signing in the event that they select to pursue a transfer, with it certainly solely a matter of time earlier than Simons will get his probability within the Premier League.
