It has not been a comfortable window for Liverpool fans, who have been frustrated with the club’s ability, or the lack of it, to land top transfer targets this summer. Jurgen Klopp has managed to land the likes of Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson for the first team next season but is unable to get deals done for the likes of Naby Keita and Virgil van Dijk, who are at the top of the wishlist for the club this summer.
And as if that was not discouraging enough for the fans, they were dealt a huge blow after it was revealed that their talisman Philippe Coutinho could quit the club this summer. According to a Catalan Radio Show, the Brazilian international has agreed to terms on a deal with Spanish giants Barcelona, who are yet to agree on a fee for the transfer with the English club.
Liverpool have slapped a price tag of £133m to try and scare Barca away but if the player wants to leave, they might not be able to keep him at the club beyond this transfer window. Liverpool will not want to sell, but the fact that they are already looking at replacements might tell us a story.
According to a few reports, Liverpool are looking at Argentine star Manuel Lanzini, as a possible replacement for the Brazilian this summer.
A product of the River Plate youth academy, the 24-year old first joined the Hammers on a season long loan in 2015 and did more than just enough to earn a permanent place at the club. The Argentine star has been the first choice for Slaven Bilic in both those seasons, which saw Lanzini pick up four assists and 14 goals in 61 Premier League appearances to date.
A versatile player who can play as a central midfielder or a winger, the Argentine star is an attacking midfielder, known for his creativity in the final third. With excellent dribbling and passing abilities, Lanzini is also a decent finisher and has the ability to play through balls to carve even the best of the defences open in England.
He has his frailties in the air and in putting in tackles and interceptions but at 24, he has shown great promise and will surely get better with more game time. He took over the responsibility as the creator in chief after West Ham lost Dimitri Payet in January and is more than a decent option for the Reds.
Coutinho is easily one of the best playmakers, not just in England, but also in Europe and Liverpool will not be able to replace him entirely in one season, even if they spend insanely on one player.
Lanzini has experience in the Premier League and will not take the time to adjust to the conditions at Anfield. He may not be the perfect replacement but Liverpool will surely buy more than one player to cover for Coutinho and there is no reason why Lanzini should not be one of them. But do you think Liverpool should look at him as a Coutinho replacement?
