Liverpool Transfers: 5 Reasons Why Brendan Rodgers Must Sign Philippe Coutinho

4. The Questionable Longevity Of Gerrard

At 32-years old, you have to wonder how much longer Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard can go on for. He has played for Liverpool his entire career having emerged from the youth ranks in 1998 and has been a key figure for the cub this season with his six goals for the side. But his powers are wavering and the time to replace him is quickly approaching, and it is better to lay the seeds for his future successor now rather than in a year's time. Philippe Coutinho is only 20 and clearly has his best days ahead of him. By bringing him in this month, Rodgers would be providing the player with an opportunity to gel at the club and acclimatise to the much quicker tempo of the Premier League. If you look at Liverpool's central midfield players at the moment, you have to also question whether any of Rodgers' current players are capable of filling Gerrard's boots. Are Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen and Jonjo Shelvey capable of achieving that? If not, Rodgers needs to buy someone else in, and Coutinho would be a good fit.