Liverpool could sign “future Ballon d’Or winner”

Liverpoolreturn to Champions League action was successful on Tuesday night as they battled hard for a 2-1 win over Ligue 1 Lille at Anfield.

The Reds needed a second-half strike from youngster Harvey Elliott to secure all three points in the European clash, after Jonathan David’s strike canceled out Mo Salah’s opener.

Arne SlottThe teams have won all seven games in the league stage so far and have already qualified for the next stage of the competition, with one game to play.

It was only Elliott’s second goal of the season in all competitions, the second coming against Southampton in the League Cup, in what has been a frustrating campaign for the 21-year-old.

The England U21 national team is yet to be played start the match in the Premier League, coming off the bench just eight times so far as he struggled to become a regular under Sloto.

The Liverpool manager preferred the most industrious but still technically excellent options at his disposal, such as Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch.

The slot does not have a first-team star, who is ready to play week in and week out, with the midfield wizardry provided by former Reds star Philippe Coutinho.

Philippe Coutinho’s Liverpool career

Like Elliott, the Brazil international was a diminutive attacking midfielder who looked to influence the upper half of the pitch with dribbling, shots and key passes.

During his time on Merseyside, Coutinho made a return from 54 goals and 43 assists in 201 appearances for the club in all competitions, showing that he offered quality as both a scorer and goal creator.

Not only was the former Inter wizard’s performance in the final third impressive, but the dynamo in midfield was a joy to watch and a player who had the quality to score goals out of nowhere.

Coutinho was a lively talent who could cut down on the right foot and score incredible goals at his best, with his great ball-striking ability and creativity from distance and from inside the penalty area, as you can see in the clips below.

The Brazilian sensation’s form over the years eventually caught the eye of Spanish giants Barcelona, ​​who jumped in and signed the midfielder for reported fee of £142m in January 2018.

This was a huge profit to £8.5 million which the club spent to sign him from Inter, making that initial fee they paid the Italian outfit look like a bargain in hindsight.

Liverpool could now strike a similar deal to land their next version of Coutinho by signing one of their reported targets in the January transfer window.

Liverpool’s interest in Ligue 1 talent

It was recently published that Liverpool are one of a number of clubs considering the potential signing of Lyon attacking midfielder Ryan Cherki ahead of the February deadline.

The Reds are said to have stepped up their interest in the France U21 international and are willing to pay Ligue 1’s £19m fee for the 21-year-old wizard.

It is claimed that Lyon’s financial situation has forced them to consider cashing in on Cherki this month, and a £19m fee would be enough to secure the young star’s services before the end of the January transfer window.

However, the leaders of the Premier League are not the only interested party, as is the Turkish giant Fenerbahce allegedly in negotiations to sign a sensation in the middle of the field, while Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich is also connected with the French ace.

This means there could be plenty of competition for his signature and it won’t be easy for Liverpool to get over the line, as they could beat these clubs in the race for his services.

However, Slot should push for the board to complete a move for Cherki before the end of the January transfer window as he could provide a spark in the middle of the park, similar to that provided by Coutinho during his time at Anfield.

Why Rayan Cherki could be Philippe Coutinho 2.0

Like the Brazilian, Liverpool could sign the attacking midfielder from Lyon for a reasonable fee, as £19m hardly breaks the bank for a potentially exciting addition to the squad, while leaving room for the club to potentially cash in on him in the future.

Cherki is also a lively attacking midfielder, like Coutinho, who has immense technical quality and the ability to score impressive goals, thanks to his ball-striking skills, which were on full display in training for France in the clip below.

21-year-old dynamo, who StatsBomb founder Ted Knutson described as a “master dribbler”, he was already on a roll 22 goals and 33 assists in 163 games in all competitions for Lyon to date, despite his age.

Considering he made his debut in the 2019/20 season, it’s easy to forget that Cherki is still an incredibly young player with plenty of time to develop and improve. In fact, Alex Barker of The Athletic went so far as to say that “future Ballon d’Or winner” in 2023, and there are still many years left for that to come true.

Although not yet at Ballon D’or level, the French playmaker’s form for Lyon, domestically and in Europe, has been very impressive in the 2024/25 season.

As you can see in the table above, Cherki has produced five goals and 16 ‘big chances’ created in 14 starts in Ligue 1 and Europa League combined, which speaks to his ability to make things happen regularly in the final third.

Like Coutinho, the £19m-rated wizard has the quality to constantly dribble past opponents while influencing games with goals, key passes and assists, making him a joy to watch for fans.

So Slot could land Liverpool’s next version of the Brazilian genius by signing Cherki to come in and show off his magic week in and week out at Anfield.