For Florian Wirtz, Philippe Coutinho is arguably the benchmark at Liverpool when it comes to modern attacking midfielders, the Brazilian was huge during his Anfield heyday.
Coutinho, who was sold to Barcelona for £142m, knows all about price tags and expectations, it’s fair to say he never got close to the player who dazzled on Merseyside.
In Wirtz’s case, the 23-year-old was a talismanic figure at Bayer Leverkusen, but his big-money move has so far backfired, with the Reds yet to see the best from their £116million player.
His recent struggles beg the question – will Liverpool sign another number ten in January?
Should Liverpool sign to rival Wirtz in January?
Let’s face it, it was a forgettable first season in English football for the German, capping it all off with just eight goals and an assist in the Premier League.
For a man who has reached double figures for each of those two metrics in each of the last two Bundesliga campaigns, the fall in a Liverpool shirt has been sharp.
New boss Andoni Iraola has stuck with him so far in the opening weeks of 2026/27, although Wirtz has only one assistant to show for it, leading to calls for him to be dropped from the starting line-up, along with the likes of Jamie Carragher.
The problem is that the Reds don’t have a great alternative at number ten, having sent Harvey Elliott back to Valencia on loan.
Dominik Szoboszlai is, by his own admission, at his best in a box-to-box number eight role, shedding some light on Iraol’s options to partner Aleksandr Isak in attack.
There are whispers that Barcelona’s Dani Olmo could be on the agenda until 2027 as the Reds look for reinforcements, although FSG could be targeting someone more in the mold of Coutinho instead.
How Liverpool can sign a new Coutinho in January
Coutinho’s departure came amid a sliding door moment for the Jurgen Klopp era in January 2018, having arrived at the club five years earlier in the winter window.
The Reds, then managed by Brendan Rodgers, splashed out around £8.5m to sign the 20-year-old from Inter Milan, with Daniel Sturridge set to arrive mid-season.
Coutinho, in particular, was small and diminutive at the time, but his quality shone through immediately, scoring ten goals and assisting the following season as Liverpool almost claimed their first Premier League title.
Coutinho – Premier League career | ||
|---|---|---|
The season | Games | Goals (Assists) |
23/24 | 2 | 0 (0) |
22/23 | 20 | 1 (0) |
21/22 | 19 | 5 (3) |
17/18 | 14 | 7 (6) |
16/17 | 31 | 13 (7) |
15/16 | 26 | 8 (5) |
14/15 | 35 | 5 (5) |
13/14 | 33 | 5 (5) |
12/13 | 13 | 3 (0) |
Letting him sleep for the first six months was certainly a wise move, with Iraola and his chance to repeat the trick with the signing of Gilberto Mora.
According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are the main contenders in the Premier League for the Mexican teenager, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United also involved.
Both Borussia Dortmund and Benfica held talks with his agent, although the Anfield side opened their own talks after contacting his representatives directly.
Still only 17, Mora will be able to move to Europe when he turns 18 later this month, opening the door to a potential January or summer move.
The Club Tijuana player would command a Liga MX record fee if he were to go somewhere north of £21m, although, as in Coutinho’s case, this could represent a bargain given his high potential.
Unsurprisingly, given his age, Mora is another overlooked, underrated talent, but he is already making waves at the senior levels, viewed as the next star of Mexican football.
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, he was part of the squad for this summer’s World Cup hosts and reinforced why he is considered “one of the most exciting young talents in world football”.
He is arguably among the most highly rated rookies or prodigies at the moment, having only recently scored his first goal for his country against Peru during the international break.
Like Coutinho, he gets into the pocket, perhaps best in the top ten, but is also very comfortable on the left, cutting inside to wreak havoc from distance.
In seven matches in Liga MX this season, he has already scored five goals and provided one assist.
Being agile and nimble, prolific and creative, he boasts all the qualities that make Coutinho such a force at his best.
Although patience is required given his youth, Mora could be the man to challenge Wirtz long-term at Anfield.