Liverpool did manage to tie their best player Philippe Coutinho down with a new contract just about two weeks ago, but considering the buzz the Brazilian had already created around Europe and a recent dip in performance of the Reds, the fans would still be worried about the future of their club's prized asset. Additionally, signing a new contract does not mean that a player will surely stay at the club and no one will know it better than a Liverpool fan.
Luis Suarez had also committed his future to Liverpool just months before he moved to Barcelona and if Liverpool do not qualify for the Champions League football next season, the same could repeat at Anfield with Coutinho.
Coutinho has been regularly linked with both Spanish giants, Real Madrid and especially Barcelona. His friend Neymar and former teammate Suarez both have made it known quite a few times that their club is eager to raid Liverpool yet again. So, what happens if Coutinho leaves Anfield in the summer? The fans will experience a heartbreak but not for the first time. They are habituated to seeing their best players getting lured away while the club keeps struggling with mediocrity.
In this article, we will take a look at five players who can possibly replace Coutinho if he does leave Anfield. Though he is predominantly a number ten, Klopp has mostly used the flamboyant attacking midfielder on the left flank this season. Liverpool do have a number of options in the number ten position with Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum.
If Coutinho does leave the club, we will probably see Klopp signing a winger in order to replace 'the little magician'. Here are five players Liverpool are likely to go for.
#1 Maximilian Meyer
In Klopp’s system at Liverpool, the front three have to be very mobile and often switch positions among them. This is why he does not use out and out wingers. And even though Sadio Mane is a winger naturally, he hardly plays like an orthodox one.
A player who would really thrive under Klopp in this system is young German attacking midfielder Maximilian Meyer of Schalke. Klopp will know the 21-year-old really well from his time in Germany with Dortmund and those who follow Bundesliga should know about the potential of Meyer.
The German wonderkid is predominantly a number ten just like Coutinho but can play equally well on either flank as well as the focal point of the attack. Having already played 147 times for Schalke and having represented Germany internationally, it is high time for the youngster to take the next step in his career and he should thrive under his countryman Klopp at Anfield.
#2 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Unlike Meyer, Chamberlain is more of a winger but has what it takes to taste success under Klopp. The Englishman joined Arsenal six years ago from Southampton as the most promising young player in England but after many a year, he has hardly made his big mark. Now aged 23, he deserves first-team football on a regular basis which he is not getting at the Emirates. And that’s a big reason, he could consider a move to Anfield.
Even though Chamberlain has not been able to hit the ground running at Arsenal yet, he could prove to be a quality player for the Reds with his pace and directness. In Mane’s absence of late, we could see how Liverpool were lacking that cutting edge and Chamberlain could be an easy fix for that. Tested in Premier League as well, the risk factor in this deal is also much lesser.
#3 Julian Brandt
Julian Brandt is one of the biggest talents right now not only in Germany but also in Europe and he could be a worthy successor of Coutinho at Liverpool. Even though the fleet-footed winger is still just 20 years of age, he already boasts plenty of experience in Bundesliga and also represents Germany internationally.
However, the 20-year-old still has a long way to go and needs a quality mentor to achieve big things in his career. If you are a German player and that too an attacking player, who could be a better mentor for you than Jurgen Klopp.
An exceptional burst of pace, an amazing versatility which makes him capable of playing anywhere in the final third and a gifted composure- Brandt has it all to become a world-class attacker in future. Klopp masterminded the likes of Mario Gotze, Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Robert Lewandowski and many more in making the bracket of world-class players down the years and Brandt could be the next superstar he makes.
#4 Lorenzo Insigne
Ideally, Insigne would be the best possible replacement for Coutinho that Liverpool can get at the moment. The 25-year-old is having an exceptional season with Napoli this time around and his best position is the left flank where Klopp is playing Coutinho this season. The Italian winger suits Klopp’s system to the core. He has blistering pace, possesses a deadly eye for goals and with his energy, he can press hard when not in possession as well.
Earlier this season, Insigne was being heavily linked with a move to Anfield and also stated in public that he is looking for a move. He is already an experienced campaigner in Serie A and also in Europe and at the peak of his career. Regardless of Coutinho's future at Anfield, Insigne is a player they must go for in the summer.
#5 Marco Reus
Well, this would be a dream signing for the Liverpool fans. Reus is a player who is dearly loved by most fanbases in the world and bringing him to Anfield would be quite a big statement by the Merseyside club. Klopp and Reus together again with the Liverpool crest on their chests- imagine the scenes at the Kop end!
The 27-year-old has struggled with injuries badly in recent times but his productivity is insane for a winger. 5 goals and 6 assists from just nine games in all competitions this season- is a figure that cannot be bettered by most strikers as well.
Can you remember the last time when Liverpool signed an already world-class player? Even Luis Suarez was not world class when he arrived at Anfield. Probably, Fernando Torres was the last player to move to the red half of Merseyside after making it to the ‘world-class’ bracket.
Liverpool fans have voiced their concerns time and time again over their owners’ lack of ambition. And a signing like this would definitely bring the fans’ faith back and also would bolster the squad to a huge extent.
