Liverpool started 2026 with a draw with Leeds United at Anfield, a game that highlighted the myriad issues with creativity and build-up that still plague Arne Slott.
After breaking British transfer records last summer and signing a number of elite attacking players, it’s quite a step back to take such a big step back.
All eyes are on Luis Dias and Darwin Nunez, but the South American duo continued to face their detractors during their stint on Merseyside, waxing and waning in front of goal. That’s worth keeping in mind.
Alexander Isak, who is currently out with a broken foot, is performing well below expected standards, and Florian Wirths has been deceiving with flattery, but could Liverpool already be planning an upgrade for the German playmaker?
Liverpool line up attacking midfielders
The core of Liverpool’s problems are tactical, but Wirtz is not without fault. The 22-year-old lacks the creativity, sharpness and athleticism expected after his £116m signing, but there is no doubt he has gone from strength to strength in recent weeks.
However, with Dominik Szoboszlai so strong in the number 10 slot, sporting director Richard Hughes may need to sign a touchline winger, even if it comes at a personal cost to Wirtz. After all, Liverpool need better balance and smoother fluency.
FSG seems to agree, with sources in Spain revealing that Liverpool are preparing an offer worth €90 million (equivalent to around £78 million) for Real Madrid star Rodrygo, who is considering his option at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Arsenal and Manchester City are also among those interested, so Anfield will need to act quickly.
Why Rodrigo could be an upgrade to Wirtz
Rodrigo, 24, is one of the best forwards in the world and when he leaves Real Madrid in January he will leave behind a two-time La Liga and Champions League winner with 70 goals and 55 assists in all competitions.
Los Blancos are nothing if not full of talent, and Rodrigo has rightly earned regular starts up front alongside Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe in recent years, but he has not impressed in 2025, not scoring in 32 games until December’s Champions League tie against Manchester City.
Although he has enjoyed a recent rise in form under Xabi Alonso, it is clear that Rodrigo needs a change of pace if he is to establish himself as a talisman for a team competing at the pinnacle of European football.
After many battles in recent years, Liverpool may give him an olive branch.
Given Rodrygo’s natural skills as a winger and his desire to cut inside and score goals, he could be exactly the player the team needs in the slot, offering more depth and balance than Kodi Gakpo and a better fit than Wirtz, whose future is firmly in the central position.
A look at the metrics for each of the “superstars” over the past year highlights this.
Rodrigo vs Florian Wirtz (last 12 months) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90) | rodrigo | Worts |
Number of points scored | 0.31 | 0.15 |
assist | 0.19 | 0.24 |
shot taken | 2.80 | 2.15 |
The action that creates the shot | 4.94 | 4.64 |
touch (to pen) | 6.40 | 5.03 |
Pass completion rate (%) | 85.4 | 79.3 |
progressive path | 4.10 | 6.25 |
progressive carry | 5.79 | 3.20 |
successful take-up | 2.34 | 2.12 |
Number of balls collected | 4.02 | 4.28 |
tackle + interception | 2.07 | 1.47 |
Data via FBref | ||
Rodrygo and Wirtz are not all that similar as players, but while the Whites man has more pace, Wirtz is a nimble dribbler but clearly not a player who can dominate up and down the wing.
For this reason, Rodrigo will be an “upgrade” to the German international, correcting distortions in Liverpool’s attacking system and resolving an equilibrium that has been out of whack for some time. Liverpool’s 52% win rate over the course of 2025 highlights the depth of Slott’s struggles in the dugout.
That, and the fact that Rodrygo himself is a “world-class superstar”, as Real legend Luka Modric has said. He has the potential to be a mainstay in the Premier League and has the track record to back it up.
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