Liverpool would be no higher in the Premier League table had they signed Rayan Cherki instead of Florian Wirtz, according to Reds legend Steve Nicol.

Arne Slot met with Cherki last summer as a back-up target in case the deal for Wirtz fell through, but was seemingly happy to let him join Manchester City instead.

Since then, the two No. 10s have been regularly compared, with Cherki shining during City’s FA Cup win over Liverpool on Saturday and generally outperforming Wirtz all season. But, when asked if his former team would have been better off signing the Frenchman, Nicol said he’d rather the Reds stick with what they’ve got.

Comparisons with Cherki have not helped Wirtz this season, with the City man being signed for a fraction of his cost.

However, when asked which team would be higher in the table if the two players had joined opposite clubs last year, Nicol said he didn’t believe Cherki would have changed Liverpool’s fortunes at all.

“It would take more than just Cherki to make Liverpool...