Liverpool already have their next Philippe Coutinho, Andoni Iraola just needs to trust him | OneFootball

Philippe Coutinho is arguably one of Liverpool's best creators in their modern era.

The Brazilian formed an incredible partnership with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge during his time at Anfield with the Reds' fanbase instantly falling in love with their magician.

During his time in L4, the midfielder contributed to 98 goals in 201 games and quickly became one of their best players.

Thanks to his impressive form, Barcelona chose to buy him for £144 million, a deal which will be forever etched in Liverpool's history.

And, that's because, without moving him on, the signings of players such Alisson, Fabinho and Mohamed Salah would've never happened and the club would've never been as successful as they were.

It's crazy to think that all this success came from one player but, if someone is good enough, they can do an awful lot for a club.

And, even though the Reds are looking for new attackers to bolster their ranks this summer, it feels like Andoni Iraola could already have his next Coutinho lined up and ready to go.

Harvey Elliott could become Liverpool's next Philippe Coutinho

Harvey Elliott is a player who's fairly well-liked among Liverpool's ranks.

However, since he didn't feel like he was getting the playing time he deserved under Arne Slot, he chose to exit Liverpool and join Aston Villa at the start of the 2025-26 season on a year-long loan deal.

Most people thought that would be the end of his Anfield stint, but, since the Villans didn't want to activate their £35 million buy clause at the end of the deal, he's set to return to Liverpool.

Now, if Slot was still at the helm, there would probably be no future for him in L4 and he'd have been moved on for a cut-rate fee.

However, now that Iraola is in charge, he could give Elliott a chance to prove his worth, especially after how poor Liverpool's attack was last season.

Indeed, they may have Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai who can both play as a number 10 but, every time Elliott put on the Liverpool shirt, he gave his all and often chipped in with a goal or two.

His versatility is also something that Liverpool could do with and, if he manages to re-find his form, he could easily become Liverpool's next Coutinho as he can play in the middle of the pitch or out wide and is clearly liked by fans.

Elliott staying put at Anfield makes plenty of sense, especially since Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones could both be leaving.

Harvey Elliott deserves another chance at Liverpool

Although some people may suggest that Elliott is too short to be a Premier League central midfielder, it's clear that this is the position he thrives in.

The Englishman was often one of the first names on Jurgen Klopp's team sheet which shows how good he actually is, especially when players such as Szoboszlai and Mac Allister were actually at their best.

As mentioned, even though Elliott is better in the middle, he could also be used as a right-winger which is another reason that he deserves a chance as, with Salah gone, there's a massive void for Liverpool to fill.

Of course, Victor Munoz could be used there if needed but if Cody Gakpo moves on and Hugo Ekitike takes a while to return from injury, Liverpool will need some more options to choose from.

Considering Elliott was used as a central midfielder during most of his games for Liverpool, he was fairly prolific as he managed to score 15 goals and assist his teammates on 21 occasions.

There are many things that could go against or for Elliott this summer but, with a new manager at the helm, it's now or never for the 23 year olds Liverpool career.