Not that they’ve struggled since his January exit, but Liverpool have yet to replace Philippe Coutinho in their squad, leaving a creative void in the side.
The Brazilian playmaker joined Barcelona in the last transfer window, but the Reds have overcome their loss by going on to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League while also reaching the Champions League final without him.
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On that basis, it’s questionable as to whether they need to replace Coutinho, with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane not only scoring plenty of goals, but also creating for each other to find an impressive balance.
However, in the interest of quality depth and having different dynamics in the final third, Jurgen Klopp will arguably be keen to bolster his squad where possible, and West Ham United star Manuel Lanzini could certainly provide something different.
According to The Mirror, Liverpool are still interested in the Argentine international, with the 25-year-old enjoying a decent if not overly impressive campaign with the Hammers having scored three goals and provided nine assists in 28 appearances this season.
That form has earned him a place in the initial Argentina squad for the World Cup this summer, as seen in the tweet below, albeit it will be whittled down and he’ll hope to make the final cut.
Given Klopp’s track record at Anfield of signing players and significantly improving them, as seen with the likes of Salah, Mane, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and many others, perhaps joining Liverpool could allow Lanzini to take his game to the next level and be capable of filling Coutinho’s shoes.
Time will tell though if such a transfer materialises as a good showing at the World Cup could see his valuation increase.
[SELECCIÓN MAYOR] Jorge Sampaoli dio a conocer la nómina de 35 jugadores preseleccionados para el Mundial de #Rusia2018. pic.twitter.com/skT2VIZ6Wh
— Selección Argentina (@Argentina) May 14, 2018