Missing Out on a Winger Isn’t the End

Losing out on a player you’ve earmarked always stings a bit, especially when it feels like the obvious fit. I really wanted us to sign Semenyo. But the truth is, Liverpool can’t operate as if there’s only one good winger in the world, or even one in the Premier League.

If you’re looking for wide forwards who can run, carry the ball, hurt teams in transition and still work without it, there are names in our own league that make sense in different ways. And if you start from the basic need, at some point we’ve got to think about life after Salah, even if it’s just getting the squad ready for whenever that moment comes.

Short-term “Salah cover” versus proper succession

The tricky part is deciding what we’re actually shopping for. Are we talking about a short-term replacement who can do a job while the attack evolves, or a longer-term piece you build around? Those are two different conversations, and Liverpool generally lean towards the latter.

That’s why the age profile matters. A 28 or 29-year-old can still be a very good signing, but it comes with a different kind of planning. You’re buying a window of performance, not a project.

Wilson and Bowen: ready-made, but is it our usual route?

Harry Wilson and Jarrod Bowen are the obvious “plug-in” types. Both are right-sided and both have Premier League know-how, which always reduces the risk a touch. You can picture them stepping into a rotation, giving you output, and not needing months to learn the pace of it all.

The question is whether Liverpool would actually go that way. We don’t often do the older winger signing unless it’s for something very specific. Still, if you’re thinking two or three solid seasons while the wider squad gets refreshed, it isn’t the worst logic in the world.

Schade and Rogers: age profile, ceiling, and the price problem

Kevin Schade and Morgan Rogers fit the “usual Liverpool look” more neatly, age-wise. Schade, to me, has shades of Semenyo in the way he carries himself and attacks space, maybe just a step or two behind in development. That sort of player can be coached, sharpened, and suddenly you’ve got a proper weapon.

Rogers is the one who feels like he’d cost a fortune. He looks an excellent player and you can make the argument his ceiling is even higher, but the fee mentioned is massive and it’s hard to see it being straightforward with a club like Aston Villa.

Either way, missing out on one target doesn’t need to be the end of the world. Liverpool’s pull is still Liverpool’s pull, and there will be wingers across Europe who’d bite your hand off for a move. It’s just about picking the right one, not the first one.

Written by MK Scouser: 17 January 2026