Liverpool started 2026 with a labouring draw against Leeds United at Anfield, and it was a match that illustrated the myriad of creative and build-up problems Arne Slot is still puzzling over.
It is quite a thing to have smashed the British transfer record last summer and signed a number of elite attacking players, only to regress so significantly.
Rueful gazes have been cast back at Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, but the South American duo faced their detractors throughout their stints on Merseyside, ebbing and flowing in front of goal. That's worth bearing in mind.
Liverpool's Darwin Nunez reacts
Liverpool's Darwin Nunez reacts
Alexander Isak, currently out with a broken leg, has been well below the anticipated standard, and Florian Wirtz is flattering to deceive too - might Liverpool already be planning to upgrade on the German playmaker?
Liverpool lining up attacking midfielder
The crux of Liverpool's problems are of a tactical nature, but Wirtz isn't blameless. The 22-year-old lacks the creativity, sharpness and athleticism that have been expected after a £116m purchase, though he has undoubtedly gone from strength to strength in recent weeks.
But with Dominik Szoboszlai so strong in a number ten berth, it might be necessary for sporting director Richard Hughes to sign a touchline winger, even if that comes at Wirtz's personal expense. Liverpool need better balance, smoother fluency, after all.
It appears FSG are on board, with Spanish sources revealing that Liverpool are preparing an offer worth €90m (converting to about £78m) for Real Madrid star Rodrygo, who is considering his options at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Brazil's Rodrygo celebrates
Arsenal and Manchester City are also among the interested parties, so the Anfield side will need to act quickly.
Why Rodrygo could be a Wirtz upgrade
Rodrygo, 24, is one of the finest forwards in the world, and if he were to leave Real Madrid this January, he would leave a two-time La Liga and Champions League winner, having posted 70 goals and 55 assists in all competitions.
Real Madrid star Rodrygo
Los Blancos are nothing if not stacked with talent, and Rodrygo has rightly taken a regular starting berth along with Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe in the frontline in recent years, but he's suffered a less-than-impressive 2025, going 32 games without a goal before bagging against Manchester City in the Champions League in December.
He's enjoyed something of an uptick in form in Xabi Alonso's system recently, but it's clear to see that Rodrygo needs a change of scenery if he is to establish himself as a talismanic force for a team competing at the apex of European football.
Liverpool could give him that olive branch after many battles in recent years.
Given Rodrygo's natural skill as a winger and his desire to cut inside and score, he could be just what Slot's side need, providing more depth and balance than Cody Gakpo and more suitability than Wirtz, whose future surely sits in a more central position.
Looking at the respective 'superstars' metrics over the past year emphasises this.
Rodrygo vs Florian Wirtz (past 12 months)
Stats (per 90)
Goals scored
Assists
Shots taken
Shot-creating actions
Touches (att pen)
Pass completion (%)
Progressive passes
Progressive carries
Successful take-ons
Ball recoveries
Tackles + interceptions
Data via FBref
Rodrygo and Wirtz aren't too dissimilar as players, but it's clear that the Los Blancos man is more snappy with his pace, whereas Wirtz is a fleet-footed dribbler, but not someone to dominate up and down the wing.
It is for this reason that Rodrygo would be an 'upgrade' on the German international, ironing out the creases in Liverpool's attacking system, settling the equilibrium that has been out of kilter for a while - Liverpool's 52% win percentage across the 2025 annual year underscores the depth of Slot's struggles in the dugout.
wirtz-slot-liverpool
That, and the fact that Rodrygo is a "world-class superstar" unto himself, as has been said by Real legend Luka Modric. He has the potential to become a leading man in the Premier League, and he has the track record to confirm this.
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