Liverpool's Next Coutinho: The Rise of Erik Farkas
Liverpool’s search for the next Coutinho has taken an unexpected turn – and it might not be the big-money signing everyone expected.
For years, Philippe Coutinho has been the benchmark. The Brazilian left under a cloud, yes, but time has softened the edges. His departure funded Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, transforming Liverpool into a trophy-winning machine. Barcelona paid the price, Liverpool reaped the rewards, and Coutinho’s Anfield legacy settled somewhere between regret and appreciation.
What remains beyond debate is his talent. Coutinho lit up Anfield as a classic no.10. He slipped past defenders as if they were training cones, saw passes others couldn’t, and executed them with a technique that bordered on arrogant. He could unpick any defence with a drop of the shoulder or a disguised through ball. He was Liverpool’s magician.
So when Liverpool splashed out on Florian Wirtz, it felt like the old magic might be returning.
Wirtz stalls as the ‘next Coutinho’
The German arrived with a reputation forged in the Bundesliga, where he had ripped teams apart and looked every inch a future star. For the first time in years, it seemed Liverpool had found a true heir to Coutinho’s creative throne.
But the Premier League has not rolled out the red carpet.
Wirtz has not yet caught fire in England. Where Coutinho settled quickly and began deciding games, Wirtz has looked a step off the pace. His decision-making has wavered, his confidence on the ball has flickered rather than burned. The player who once dominated in Germany has not yet appeared in full Anfield red.
Unlocking him has become one of the defining tactical puzzles of Andoni Iraola’s early reign. Solve it, and Liverpool’s attack could tilt into something devastating. Fail, and questions will grow over both player and manager.
Behind the scenes, though, Liverpool may already be nurturing another answer.
Erik Farkas: the academy magician
While the spotlight has shone on Wirtz, the club have quietly moved to secure two of their brightest young prospects: Joshua Abe and Erik Farkas.
Both have drawn serious interest from clubs across England and Europe. Both are seen inside the club as future first-team material. Liverpool’s priority this summer was clear – keep them.
Abe committed earlier in the summer. On Friday, Liverpool confirmed they had reached agreement with Farkas on a professional deal. It is a significant moment for the academy and, potentially, for the first team’s future.
Farkas is the one who makes coaches and scouts lean forward. He carries that Coutinho-like aura. The ability to see a gap where others see a dead end. The knack of threading passes through defensive lines that look secure. A sharp football brain, sharp vision, and the technical quality to make both count.
Like Coutinho, he has already mastered those wicked through balls with the outside of his foot – the kind that bend away from defenders and into a teammate’s stride. He plays with a flair that feels instinctive, not rehearsed. When Farkas is on the ball, people watch a little closer.
He is, by all accounts, a joy to watch. A pure creator.
Liverpool have now tied him down for the foreseeable future. Wirtz may yet grow into the role and justify every penny of his fee. But somewhere in the academy, a teenager with a magician’s touch is quietly preparing his own claim to Coutinho’s old throne.
