Florian Wirtz will undoubtedly have envisaged a wide range of scenarios after completing his (briefly) record-breaking £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool during the summer, but it's unlikely the German would have thought he'd be without a goal or an assist in the Premier League just before Christmas.
But that is Wirtz's reality, with the silky playmaker having struggled to adapt to the English game. That being said, Arne Slot's system has been so dysfunctional that it's been difficult to dovetail into - Alexander Isak is struggling too.
Still, the 22-year-old is considered a "generational talent" in his homeland, as has been said by media professional Cristian Nyari, and he needs to crank up the gears over the next few months, especially with the Reds scraping to retain their place in the Champions League, let alone challenge for the league title.
There remains anticipation that Wirtz will come good, but he's got a long way to go before he begins rivalling like-styled predecessors like Phil Coutinho, and the hierarchy have already begun to sniff around for an upgrade.
Liverpool eyeing Wirtz upgrade
Wirtz's place in Slot's Liverpool squad is not in jeopardy, but the Germany international will need to start hauling more weight if he wishes to become a focal part of this new era.
florian-wirtz-liverpool
Coutinho would be the benchmark, the star to aim for. Sold to Barcelona for a jaw-dropping £142m sum in Janaury 2018, the nifty Brazilian was the star of the show in those early Jurgen Klopp days, and to land a new version would be quite a thing.
Wirtz has been envisaged as that man, but transfer insider Graeme Bailey has revealed that Como talent Nico Paz has been earmarked as a potential signing for the Anfield side, with initial enquiries already made from the Reds and their elite Premier League rivals.
nico paz-1
However, Real Madrid are firm favourites to bring the 21-year-old home, having nurtured the Argentine playmaker through his formative years before sending him to Italy with a buyback clause embedded in his contract.
Valued at £70m, Paz would mark a significant outlay, but there's no question that he's going straight to the top.
Why Nico Paz would be the new Coutinho
Paz has many qualities, but he's been singled out as a "magician" of an attacking midfielder by talent scout Jacek Kulig, a natural creator cut from the same cloth as someone like Coutinho (and Wirtz, for that matter).
Napoli's Giacomo Raspadori in action with Como's Nico Paz
Napoli's Giacomo Raspadori in action with Como's Nico Paz
Under Cesc Fabregas' wing in the Italian top flight, Paz is developing his skills as a crafty and entertaining attacking midfielder, one whose defensive work rate is second to none too.
Well, not quite, but he does rank among the top 5% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles per 90, as per FBref, illustrating that point.
This, too, was true of Coutinho when in his Liverpool pomp, the Brazilian winning so many duels to complement his flashy passing and stunning strikes.
Coutinho (17/18) vs Paz (25/26)
Stats* (* per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Shots (on target)*
Pass completion
Key passes*
Dribbles*
Tackles*
Duels won*
Stats via Sofascore
Perhaps it's something taught when out in Serie A. Liverpool, after all, signed their little magician from Inter Milan for a crisp £8m fee way back in January 2013, moulding him into a superstar.
Paz is further back in his development, but he's already shining, proving himself to be a player capable of surviving the toughness of the Premier League and indeed thriving for a club like Liverpool.
Wirtz is Liverpool's man, and fans want nothing more than to see him click into gear and start proving to FSG that they have received bang for their buck.
However, if FSG's desire for Paz is genuine, then it's understandable. He's the real deal and has the potential to become a bona fide sensation at the top of the global game.
If Liverpool can sign a star with shades of Coutinho back in his heyday, they might just be onto a winner. Given that Paz has the pizzazz but also the tenacity and grit too, he might just be the man for the job.
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai Related
[The new Szoboszlai: Liverpool "have every chance" of signing £35m "monster"](https://www.footballfancast.com/the-new-szoboszlai-liverpool-have-every-chance-of-signing-guehi/ "The new Szoboszlai: Liverpool "have every chance" of signing £35m "monster"")
Liverpool are getting ready to add to their ranks in the January transfer window.