Liverpool may sign 'future Ballon d'Or winner'

LiverpoolBack to UEFA Champions League It was a success on Tuesday night as they battled hard to secure a 2-1 win over Lille in the French league at Anfield.

The Reds needed a second-half goal from youngster Harvey Elliott to secure the three points in the European encounter, after Jonathan David's goal canceled out Mohamed Salah's lead.

Arnie slotThe men have now won all seven of their matches in the league stage so far, and have already qualified for the next stage of the competition, with one match still to play.

It was just Elliot Second goal this season In all competitions, the other will come against Southampton in the League Cup, in a frustrating campaign for the 21-year-old.

England Under-21s haven't done that yet Start the match In the Premier League, he has come off the bench just eight times so far, struggling to establish himself as a regular starter under Slott.

The Liverpool manager has preferred the more diligent, but still technically excellent, options available to him, with the likes of Alexis McAllister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch.

Slott 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 career with Liverpool

Like Elliott, the Brazil international was a diminutive attacking midfielder who wanted to make an impact at the top of the pitch with key dribbles, shots and passes.

During his time on Merseyside, Coutinho made a comeback 54 goals and 43 assists He made 201 appearances for the club in all competitions, showing quality as both a goalscorer and goalscorer.

Not only was the former Inter wizard's performance in the final third impressive, but he was also a pleasure to watch as a midfield dynamo and a player who has the quality to score goals out of nothing.

Coutinho was a mercurial talent who could cut off his right foot to score incredible goals at his best, thanks to his incredible ability to strike the ball and his creativity from distance and inside the box, as you can see in the clips below.

Eventually, the Brazilian sensation's form over the years caught the attention of Spanish giants Barcelona, ​​who swooped in to sign the midfielder on a contract basis. The reported fee is £142m In January 2018.

This represents a huge profit On £8.5 million The amount the club spent to sign him from Inter made the initial fee they paid the Italian team look like a bargain in hindsight.

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

Liverpool's interest in French League talent

Recently reported Liverpool are one of a number of clubs eyeing a potential deal to sign attacking midfielder Leon Ryan Chergui before the February deadline.

The Reds are said to have ramped up their interest in the France Under-21 international and are willing to pay the £19m fee the Ligue 1 side are demanding for the 21-year-old magician.

Lyon's financial situation has allegedly forced them to consider making a move on Shirkey 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 Premier League leaders are not the only interested party, as is the case with Turkish giants Fenerbahce. It is said in conversations To sign the midfielder, while he joined Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich. It has also been linked With the French star.

This means that there could be a lot of competition for his signature and it will not be easy for Liverpool to get over the line, as they may need to beat these clubs in the race for his services.

However, Slott should push the board to finalize Cerkey's transfer before the end of the January transfer window because he could provide a spark in midfield, similar to what Coutinho provided during his time at Anfield.

Why could Rayyan Chergui be Philippe Coutinho 2.0?

Like the Brazilian, Liverpool could sign the Lyon attacking midfielder for a reasonable fee, as £19m would hardly break the bank for a potentially exciting addition to the squad, and leaves room for the club to make a profit from him in the future. .

Chergui is also a mercurial attacking midfielder, like Coutinho, who possesses tremendous technical quality and the ability to score great goals, due to his striking skills, which were on full display in France training in the clip below.

The 21-year-old dynamo, who StatsBomb founder Ted Knutson Described as a “brilliant dribbler”, he has already achieved great success 22 goals and 33 assists In 163 matches in all competitions with Lyon so far, despite his age.

Given that he only made his debut in the 2019/20 season, it is easy to forget that Chergui is still an incredibly young player who has plenty of time to develop and improve. In fact, Alex Parker of The Athletic went so far as to say that “Future Ballon d'Or winner“In 2023, we still have many years to go until that happens.

Although he has not reached Ballon d'Or level yet, the French playmaker's form with Lyon, both domestically and in Europe, has been very impressive in the 2024/25 season.

As you can see in the table above, Chergui has scored five goals and created 16 big chances in 14 Ligue 1 and Europa League appearances combined, which speaks to his ability to make things happen in the final third on a regular basis.

Like Coutinho, the £19m magician has the quality to constantly dribble past opponents while also influencing games with goals, key passes and assists, which is why he can be a joy for fans to watch.

So, Slott could get the next version of the Brazilian genius at Liverpool by signing Cerkey to come in and display his magic week after week at Anfield.