5 players who could replace Barcelona-bound Philippe Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho looks almost guaranteed to leave Liverpool for Barcelona. Even Barca's kit manufacturers, Nike, accidentally leaked information about the transfer, though many took it with a pinch of salt. The text was in all languages of the website and was quickly removed when many users on Twitter pointed it out.

The clubs haven't confirmed any deal as of yet, but Coutinho has been a long-term target for Barcelona, and if the 'Little Magician' does make the move in January, who could Liverpool go for to replace their star man?

Here are five options for Liverpool...

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#5 Thomas Lemar

A bid for Lemar was made in the summer but was rejected

Thomas Lemar could be a possible signing, as Liverpool were interested in him last summer but failed to secure his signature during the last few hours of the window. His preferred position is on the left wing, but he can also play in the attacking midfield role; similar to Coutinho.

He came to the spotlight last season with the young Monaco side, as they shocked the world by making it to the semi-finals of the Champions League and beating Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title. In the 2016/17 season, Lemar scored 14 goals and bagged 17 assists in 55 games.

This season he has mustered 2 goals and 4 assists in 18 games but has been sidelined due to injury a lot more. Thomas Lemar is a player who has a lot of potential and at an attacking club like Liverpool, he could blossom into a fine player.

#4 Julian Draxler

Julian Draxler is frustrated by the amount of game time at PSG

Also from Ligue 1, Julian Draxler of Paris Saint-Germain is another player who was linked to Liverpool during the summer, due to his lack of game time at the French club. The German plays a more central role but has also been utilised on either wing.

He is a little older than Lemar, at 24 years of age, but already boasts a large amount of talent as a playmaker. He has got 3 goals and 5 assists in 23 games this season, which is impressive considering he has only played the full 90 minutes on 5 occasions.

Draxler has previously expressed his concern regarding his minutes on the pitch, and should he still feel the same, moving to Anfield could be a good option.

#3 Max Meyer

Meyer scored during the 2016 Olympic final against Brazil

Another German, Max Meyer of Schalke is young at 22 and has shown bags of potential in the both the Bundesliga and for the national team. He was part of the Germany Under 21 squad that won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2017 and has already made 4 appearances for the senior national team, scoring 1 goal.

He has only scored and assisted once each this season, but this is mainly because he has been often deployed as a defensive midfielder, rather than his preferred attacking midfield position. Like Coutinho, when he first came to Anfield, Meyer is a young player with glimpses of talent who could become something special.

#2 Manuel Lanzini

Lanzini currently plays in the Premier League at West Ham

Manuel Lanzini of West Ham is one of the more likely targets, as he is proven in the Premier League. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder has spent two and a half seasons in the Premier League with West Ham and is their creative spearhead.

This season, he has scored 1 goal and assisted 7 in 15 appearances, despite playing in a struggling side, and if he can produce numbers like that for West Ham, he could be a serious threat at Liverpool. Because of his experience in the Premier League, he may have an edge over the other players on this list.

#1 Dani Ceballos

Dani Ceballos was the Player of the Tournament at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship

The youngest of the lot, 21-year-old Dani Ceballos is one of the brightest prospects of world football. He was awarded the Player of the Tournament at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship where he came runners-up with Spain.

His talent secured a move to Real Madrid last summer, but he has only appeared in 13 games for the club, playing a mere 457 minutes. A player with his potential would be looking to play a more consistent role, and Klopp has been rumoured to have taken an interest in the young Spaniard to replace Coutinho.