Are Liverpool lacking No.10 magic as Cole Palmer, Bruno Fernandes & Rayan Cherki prosper? Reds legend makes transfer call amid struggles from £116m Florian Wirtz

The Germany international was, on the back of Bundesliga title-winning exploits at Bayer Leverkusen, supposed to become the new creator-in-chief at Anfield following his big-money transfer to English football in the summer of 2025.

He posted just seven goals and as many assists last season, while teeing up only one effort through the early weeks of action in 2026-27. More was, and still is, expected of the talented 23-year-old.

With Wirtz toiling, as questions begin to be asked of his long-term future on Merseyside, Liverpool have also lost the talismanic presence of Mohamed Salah - with the ‘Egyptian King’ leaving as a free agent after posting 257 goals across nine memorable years.

A creative spark has been lacking at times, with Hugo Ekitike still recovering from a serious Achilles injury, and the Reds have been left watching on as rivals such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal have all found ways of picking locks in the final third of the field.

Asked if Liverpool are lacking in the No.10 department - given the numbers being posted by Fernandes, Palmer and Co - Reds legend Houghton, who was speaking in association with IrishBetting.ie, told GOAL: “I think we could do with another one. I said that the other week, I think if you had two number 10s, because we've got two strikers, we've got four wingers, two for either wing, or wherever you want to look at it, we've got four central midfielders, I just don't see us having two number 10s, and I think that's an area where you need a bit of magic.

“If one number 10's not doing it, then you can bring another one in. Interesting to see what the manager does. I mean everyone's looking for them, because they could be game changers.

“There's other aspects of Liverpool I think will improve as the season goes on. I think last season they played too narrow, the wingers came in and the midfielders were all tight together, so there was no space, whereas this season, playing with a bit more width, whether that would be Cody [Gakpo] on the right, or Victor [Munoz] on the right, Rio [Ngumoha] or Bradley [Barcola], you've got options now to keep the pitch nice and wide.

“That should free up that central area for Florian Wirtz, but Florian's got to show that consistency now. He's going to be given more game time I think, he's going to be playing in his favourite position, he's not going to be farmed out to the left or the right, as he was sometimes last season, he's got to be in that central role, so it's up to him now to show that consistency, game in, game out.

“When you come for a big price tag and you come to Liverpool, you have to be playing well, because the fans are going to be looking at you and asking why, if you're not producing it, what's the reasons behind it.”

Luck has not always been on Wirtz’s side during his time in England, with tight decisions and fluffed chances by others conspiring against him, but it is clear that he must offer more to the collective cause.

Liverpool need somebody to fill the Fernandes/Palmer role for them, despite remaining unbeaten this season, and may be forced to dip back into the transfer market if those already on their books show little sign of scaling the heights expected of them.