Philippe Coutinho left Liverpool in January of 2018 for a club-record departure of £142m, and it’s safe to say that the transfer was a good one for the Reds.

The deal allowed the Anfield side to bring in the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker as Liverpool went on to win the UEFA Champions League a year on from Coutinho’s departure, with the Premier League to follow in 2021.

Although Coutinho never lived up to expectations at Barcelona, there was a certain magic that the Brazilian wielded that hasn’t been seen at Liverpool since, with no player yet to capture the creative quality and flair that the former Inter Milan star had despite years of success since the playmaker’s exit.

However, that could all change this summer, with Liverpool now eyeing Morgan Rogers, with the Aston Villa attacker potentially being the player who could be brought in to finally succeed Coutinho’s place at Anfield.

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An argument could be made that Liverpool don’t necessarily need a successor to Coutinho, with the Merseyside giants becoming one of the most successful teams in England since the attacking midfielder’s exit with Arne Slot looking to build a new dynasty in the Premier League.

Yet a lack of creativity has been an issue for Liverpool this season despite winning the title and topping the UEFA Champions League standings, with Slot yet to find a player in his squad beyond Mohamed Salah who can be a reliable provider of goals and offer that X-factor that has been lacking in some games.

And this is where Rogers comes in, with Glenn Hoddle lauding the Villa star as ‘excellent’ via TalkSport as the England legend also likened the 22-year-old to Premier League icon Wayne Rooney, a comparison that should excite Liverpool fans.

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Indeed, although Rogers could cost a pretty penny for Liverpool this season, the forward’s form for Villa should more than convince the Reds to break the bank for the England international, who could be the missing piece in Slot’s attack going into the new campaign.

Van Dijk remains Liverpool’s all-time record signing with the Dutch international since becoming a club legend and captain at Anfield, with the defender now regarded as one of the best in Premier League history having won two titles with the Reds.

And when it comes to signing a player that could cost more than Van Dijk, Liverpool know that they need to settle on the right name who can make an instant impact, something Rogers can do if the Reds decide to move for the Villa star.

Rogers made the leap from the Championship to the Premier League like a duck taking to water, and if the Villa forward were to move to Liverpool, the youngster could make the same seamless transition, with Slot in need of a player like the former Manchester City academy star.


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