Pep Guardiola has lit a fire under Liverpool with a bold claim following their clash against Bournemouth. The Manchester City boss insisted that the Reds are sitting on a player with the potential to be even better than Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Júnior — but warned that mismanagement under Arne Slot is holding him back.
> “For me, he’s already better than Vinícius Jr,” Guardiola said.
> “The problem is not his ability — it’s the way he’s being managed. Slot has failed him. With more minutes, he’d be scoring goals and changing games for Liverpool.”
Guardiola’s words came after the unnamed young forward delivered flashes of brilliance against Bournemouth. Despite his impressive performance, the player has struggled for regular minutes since Slot took over, raising eyebrows among fans and pundits.
This comes during a major shake-up of Liverpool’s attack. The club has already parted ways with Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez, while investing heavily in reinforcements such as Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. Yet Guardiola believes Liverpool’s most dangerous weapon may already be in their squad — overlooked and underused.
His comments leave burning questions for Anfield’s hierarchy:
* Why is this player still on the fringes?
* Is it down to tactics, stiff competition, or poor player management?
* And most crucially, could Liverpool be sitting on a superstar capable of eclipsing Vinícius Jr?
Given Guardiola’s track record in spotting world-class talent before it explodes, his warning is one Liverpool can’t afford to ignore. Slot must decide quickly: unleash this hidden gem, or risk losing him to another club willing to give him the stage he deserves.
