Liverpool eyeing Coutinho 2.0 in £34m ace who’s “more talented than Ronaldo”

With the Premier League campaign now past its halfway point, it’s safe to say that Liverpool’s hold on first place puts them in contention for the trophy.

Of course, this might sound obvious but there’s the unwritten and somewhat hackneyed rule that credible assessments of the title race cannot be drawn up until the festive period concludes, and the fact that Liverpool have emerged in pole position suggests that silver-laden success is very much attainable.

Largely, this is down to the sweeping summer changes made to the midfield by Jurgen Klopp, and while further incomings appear unlikely, news has filtered through that the Reds could yet lodge a bid for a rising star this month.

Liverpool’s transfer targets – January

When Liverpool lost Joel Matip to an ACL injury last month, there was always going to be noise around a possible new centre-back, and while the likes of Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande have been linked, Anfield is unlikely to grant such an expensive outlay this month.

However, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Liverpool have ‘moved into sign’ Juventus prospect Kenan Yildiz alongside German sides Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, who is believed to have a price tag of around €40m (£34m).

As much as Liverpool want to wrap a deal up this month, the Old Lady are desperate to keep a hold of their talented teenager, and it might be difficult to get it over the line by the end of the month.

Kenan Yildiz’s style of play

Yildiz, aged just 18, has only made 11 senior appearances for Juventus this term but he has already posted three goals, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to praise his “simply brilliant” start to life on the major stage.

As per Sofascore, the Turkey international has completed 84% of his passes, succeeded with 89% of his dribbles and won 71% of his ground duels in Serie A this season, highlighting a rounded skill set that could be moulded into something great under Klopp’s tutelage.

A mobile attacking midfielder with an innate eye for goal, Yildiz has impressed with his breezy gait and natural strength and athleticism, with his former coach Sokyan Baskar even claiming that he’s “more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Of course, such effusive praise might be a little lofty, but then there’s no denying that Yildiz offers flair and quality in abundance and could enjoy a prosperous career at the forefront of the European game.

Given that Liverpool would bring him in from Italy, he could even be Philippe Coutinho reincarnate, which would be quite the thing for the red shades of Merseyside.

Why Kenan Yildiz could be Liverpool’s next Coutinho

Back in 2013, Liverpool completed the signing of Brazilian midfielder Coutinho for just £8.5m, and after scoring 54 goals and supplying 45 assists from just 201 outings for the club, he cemented his name as one of the most exciting and influential in the Premier League.

Rising to the next level under Klopp’s wing, Coutinho plundered 20 direct contributions from as many fixtures in the first half of the 2016/17 season before Barcelona came in and offered a simply staggering fee of £142m to swipe him away from the Reds.

Liverpool acquiesced and have since gone on to reach new heights, reinvesting the money into the signings of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk.

But none dispute the prowess that Coutinho boasted during that period, described as a “magician” by one-time teammate Lucas Leiva, and Yildiz could emulate this with a transfer to English shores.

He has the ability and is young enough to be shaped by Klopp’s creation, and this would be a good time to sign Coutinho 2.0 by returning to Serie A and signing a No. 10 with a future of glittering possibilities.