Who could step into Gerrard’s massive boots?
Whilst there is no doubting that Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is still an excellent player, it is also clear that the former England international’s powers are on the wane – as an ineffectual first half in the weekend win at Queens Park Rangers showed.
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Brendan Rodgers is known as a manager who likes to plan for the future and is certain to be looking for the man who can step into Gerrard’s boots as the club’s deep-lying playmaker, with both Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson being different kinds of midfielder.
Here are five young options that we believed should be on Rodgers’ radar:
Will Hughes (Derby County)
Making more than 50 Championship appearances whilst still a teenager is an impressive feat – but is just what Derby County and England Under 21 midfielder has achieved. The grounded Hughes has kept his feet on the ground and resisted the temptation to leave Pride Park so far – but next summer could well be the time, particularly if the Rams are unable to make it back into the top flight. Hughes is known as a Liverpool fan, which could give them first option on the diminutive playmaker.
Marcelo Brozovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Liverpool will have to move quickly if they are going to decide on Croatian youngster Marcelo Brozovic as their new playmaking star – the Dinamo Zagreb man is reportedly already in talks with Arsenal over a £6.4m January move. The Reds would be a more logical home for the player, however, whilst the fee represents something of a bargain for a player very much in the mould of Luka Modric.
Jordan Rossiter (Liverpool)
Teenage midfielder Jordan Rossiter scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup win over Middlesbrough recently – and there are plenty of hopes at Anfield that the youngster could be the man to step into Gerrard’s shoes, meaning that they wouldn’t even have to look outside the gates of Melwood for their next midfield star.
Asier Illarramendi (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid have a massive squad, which inevitably means that there are some top class players very much on the fringes of things at the Bernabeu. Former Real Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi is one of those, with the Spanish youngster too good to be sitting around twiddling his thumbs, a bargain could well be there to be snatched for a club like Liverpool.
Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain)
Another midfielder who is being targeted by other Premier League sides, notably Arsenal as well as Serie A outfit AS Roma, is Paris Saint Germain youngster Adrien Rabiot who continues to play hardball over a new deal at the Parc des Princes due to a dispute over playing time. Rabiot is wonderfully talented and would be available on the cheap if he does not sign a new deal before the end of the season, when his current contract expires.