Liverpool Have Found Their Philippe Coutinho Replacement in £125m Move | OneFootball

The Wirtz Signing Would Bring The Magic That Coutinho Brought

As Liverpool basks in the glory of their 20th English league title, attention has already turned to what comes next. With Jeremie Frimpong reportedly already signed and Florian Wirtz potentially arriving for a British record £125 million, the vision under the esteemed Head Coach, Arne Slot, the ambitious Sporting CEO,  Michael Edwards, and the eager-to-impress Sporting Director, Richard Hughes is clear: evolve, excite, and dominate again. In Wirtz, they may be signing not just a player, but the closest thing Anfield has seen to Philippe Coutinho since his infamous departure.

A Creative Void Ready to Be Filled

For all of Liverpool’s success in recent years, the departure of Coutinho in 2018 marked the end of a certain type of playmaker in Jürgen Klopp’s system, one that was needed to supplement more glaring needs in the team. In place of his trickery, long-range goals, and line-breaking passes came a more direct, powerful model. Sadio Mané stepped into prominence—initially from the right and later from the left—with a blistering pace and a ruthless edge that took games away from varying opponents. He was followed by Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz, who continued the theme of relentless verticality.

But that emphasis on physicality left a creative vacuum when teams sat deep. With Trent Alexander-Arnold now poised to depart, the internal source of invention needs to be reimagined. Florian Wirtz could be that solution—someone who doesn’t just fill a gap but redefines how Liverpool manipulates space and tempo. The era of Klopp ended a year ago, and now, after a remarkable title-winning season under the initial year of Arne Slot, the new dawn can finally start to take shape, and it looks like a world-class landscape.

Flair, Vision and Final Third Intelligence

At 22, Wirtz has matured into one of Europe’s most exciting creative midfielders. Under Xabi Alonso’s stewardship at Bayer Leverkusen, he has become the heartbeat of a side that plays with precision, patience, and purpose. His game is built on intelligence: receiving between the lines, dragging defenders out of shape, and threading impossible passes into stride. He’s less about volume and more about timing—less chaos, more composition. This idea is not a reactionary thing and would have been considered by the executives, as they lay the groundwork for a busy summer.

Slot will appreciate the traits of someone more considered and refined. Unlike Klopp’s gegenpressing-obsessed sides, Slot’s Feyenoord deployed a more structured buildup and rotational movement. Wirtz, as a roaming creator who would start from the left, fits that framework perfectly. Whether used as a number ten, an advanced eight, or drifting in from that left-hand berth, he could offer Liverpool what they’ve missed since Coutinho—artistry in tight spaces which would finally overcome that common deep line.

Diaz Departure Clears the Path

There is also a practical dimension. With Díaz potentially set to be sold this summer—either to a Saudi club flush with cash or a Barcelona side desperate for dynamism on the flank—there is space not just in the wage bill, but the positional hierarchy. Replacing him with a different kind of attacking weapon makes sense. Rather than finding a like-for-like winger, Liverpool can change the profile of the team and replace the invention that Trent Alexander Arnold once brought.

The Wirtz deal would represent a major investment, but one with long-term upside. In a squad already brimming with speed, physicality, and depth, it’s the sparkle of creation that must now be prioritised. The value of the asset is extraordinary, however, it merely matches the value of such an audacious acquisition.

A New Era Begins With a Familiar Magic

Philippe Coutinho left Anfield as a divisive figure, but his ability was never in question. He made Liverpool unpredictable and allowed continual moments that beat down stagnation. Florian Wirtz, in many ways, carries the same promise—albeit with the chance to do so on a more complete and balanced side. If Edwards and Hughes seal the deal, Wirtz could become the architect of Liverpool’s next title charge—and the new magician of the Anfield stage.

Here we go.