Goretzka and Eriksen lead possible Liverpool candidates to replace Barcelona target Coutinho

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  • Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool’s owners will stand firm and refuse to sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona but admits any decision is not his to make.

    The Reds are battling to keep Coutinho after rejecting a transfer request from the winger on Friday.

    It is understood Coutinho, who missed the 3-3 Premier League draw with Watford on Saturday because of a back problem, told the club of his desire to leave via email. The request was turned down.

    If Liverpool are forced to sell, though, we’ve put together a list of five players they should sign.

    LEON GORETZKA

    CLUB

    Schalke

    POSITION

    Attacking midfielder

    AGE

    22

    VALUE

    £25million

    SUITABILITY

    Formerly a winger, Goretzka has adapted his playing style over the last season to become the archetypal box-to-box midfielder.

    While he’s previously highlighted Germany team-mate Toni Kroos is a role model, the 22-year-old is a fundamentally different style of player, one with positional awareness in the box and an ability to finish opportunities.

    He scored eight goals in all competitions last term and made a big impression for the national side during the Confederations Cup.

    As a replacement for Coutinho, he’s younger with the added dimension of being tough in the tackle but he’s more of a complete package with plenty of potential to grow into a premier playmaker.

    ATTAINABILITY

    Rumours surfaced earlier this summer that Bayern Munich had agreed a deal with his Schalke contract expiring in 12 months.

    That’s since been refuted, though, and given his importance to the team the Royal Blues are prepared to let him leave on a free next summer.

    However, if Liverpool are in the market for an attacking midfielder then the Bundesliga side would be naive to reject a big-money offer given he’s unlikely to sign a new deal.

    Leon Goretzka

    Leon Goretzka

    CHRISTIAN PULISIC

    CLUB

    Borussia Dortmund

    POSITION

    No10

    AGE

    18

    VALUE

    £70-80million

    SUITABILITY

    An emerging star rather than the finished product, the 18-year-old embodies the next generation talent and within that would fit FSG’s blueprint perfectly, while his nationality would also be extremely enticing for Liverpool’s Boston-based owners keen to sell the club as a product to an American audience.

    Firstly, he’s versatile having adapted to play anywhere across the front three and as a No10 with the US national side.

    Off the ball, his intelligent movement would fit seamlessly into Liverpool’s fluid four and he marries that with a determination to break up the play in the final third from a defensive standpoint, too.

    On the ball, his dribbling speed is frenetic as he regularly slalomed through Bundesliga backlines last season, contributing to nine goals (three scored, six assisted) in his 29 appearances (14 from the bench).

    Confident in his creative ability, Pulisic earned a consistent starting spot with Dortmund towards the back-end of last season although the initial drawback for Liverpool is that he’s yet to prove he can consistently hit top form, which is obviously to be expected from a player of his age.

    ATTAINABILITY

    Jurgen Klopp is a known admirer and Pulisic has already reportedly rejected the chance to move Anfield in favour of signing a new deal at Westfalenstadion in January.

    The contract keeps him at the club until 2020 so and given they value fellow teenage prodigy Ousmane Dembele at £100million+ the American would be in a similar bracket.

    The possibility of selling Coutinho would add extra zeroes on any deal as well considering clubs will know they are short of time but deep in pocket.

     Christian Pulisic

    Christian Pulisic

    CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN

    CLUB

    Tottenham

    POSITION

    Attacking midfielder

    AGE

    25

    VALUE

    £100million

    SUITABILITY

    A dictator of tempo and an ingenious creator, Eriksen’s importance to Tottenham is undeniable but it’s those same qualities which would make him one of the best options to replace Coutinho.

    An underrated talent in the wider context, there’s an argument Eriksen is among the top three Premier League playmakers having racked up 31 goals and 41 assists in his 134 league games since joining Spurs for £11.5million in 2013.

    The Denmark international is another flexible option given he’s played in wide positions, in behind the striker or even as a deep-lying midfielder.

    We’ve seen the best of him when he’s operated in a central berth meaning he would combine well with Liverpool’s interchangeable front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

    He’s a different style of player to Coutinho in that the Brazilian is a dribble-first operator while Eriksen is much more considered in his approach but his vision and technical abilities make him more than a suitable replacement.

    ATTAINABILITY

    Now, out of the five options we’ve examined, he’s arguably the most difficult to attain.

    The Dane is said to be on weekly wage packet of £70,000 and he conceivably double, even triple that elsewhere – Coutinho, for example, is on more than double that at Anfield earning a £150,000 per week.

    However, he’s contracted with Spurs until 2020 and it’s highly unlikely they’ll sell a key asset to a direct rival with so little time to replace him in the window.

    Christian Eriksen

    Christian Eriksen

    THOMAS LEMAR

    CLUB

    Monaco

    POSITION

    Left-winger/No10

    AGE

    21

    VALUE

    £80million

    SUITABILITY

    The France international has predominantly been used on the left-wing of Leonardo Jardim’s potent Monaco attack but he has the freedom to drift in and link up with Kylian Mbappe and Radamel Falcao.

    He’s a hybrid winger in that he smoothly switches between an inverted forward and an out-and-out wideman but Coutinho often roams in similar territory, drifting in from the left to rifle strikes home on his right.

    For his age, Lemar is one of the most complete attacking midfielders in Europe, and at 21 he is another to fit in with FSG’s blueprint.

    Comfortable with both feet, he’s a dangerous set-piece taker which would help fill the void left by Coutinho who takes the majority of Liverpool’s free-kicks.

    There are drawbacks to Lemar, he can sometimes drift in and out of games and he’s not the strongest or biggest of players. Coutinho has a slight frame but he’s tough, the same can’t necessarily be said of Lemar.

    ATTAINABILITY

    If Mbappe departs it significantly reduces to possibility of Lemar following suit and regardless it will take big money to prize him away from the Ligue 1 champions.

    Arsenal have been linked with him all summer and have struggled to get an asking price, though £80million is the touted fee.

    He appears to be the ideal fit for Liverpool but at that price, they would need him to hit the ground running.

    Thomas Lemar

    Thomas Lemar

    HAKIM ZIYECH

    CLUB

    Ajax

    POSITION

    Right winger/attacking midfielder

    AGE

    24

    VALUE

    £20million

    SUITABILITY

    Further down the chain in terms of price tag, the Moroccan is one of the most creative players in the Eredivisie as he helped guide Ajax to the Europa League final.

    He has all the credentials to replace Coutinho but would arrive with the sense of pessimism players from the Dutch league tend to attract.

    Still, he’s talent, that much is true and 11 assists (joint second-highest in the Eredivisie last term) and seven goals point to a player with creation and potency.

    Ziyech is an elegant attacker, his feet are silk and his balance is perfect but his greatest attributes are also his weakness.

    He has a tendency to over complicate his ventures forward and his passing ability is way behind the level of Coutinho.

    He’s 24 but still relatively raw in that he has the ability become a more complete attacking midfielder but it’s yet to be properly refined.

    Again, plenty of potential but not a ready-made replacement.

    ATTAINABILITY

    Ziyech is arguably one of the biggest names in the Eredivisie is Ajax’s gem, no doubt they would be reluctant to let him leave but a move to the Premier League would be difficult to ignore.

    He signed for the Dutch giants last summer so is only 12 months into a contract which runs until 2021 but a serious offer could force their hand.

    A move would represent a risk on Liverpool’s part but could end with plenty of reward.

    Hakim Ziyech

    Hakim Ziyech

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