Barcelona name their price for Philippe Coutinho- Will Liverpool pounce?
Barcelona are willing to sell Philippe Coutinho this summer and a sensational return to Liverpool could be in the cards for the Brazilian attacker.
It’s fair to assume that multiple people at Barcelona will pay the price for their Champions League capitulation at Liverpool. Ironically, one of the first scapegoats could be former Reds’ star Philippe Coutinho.
AS are reporting that Barcelona are willing to let the Brazilian leave this summer and they’ve already settled on an asking price. Any club that wants to rescue Coutinho from his Spanish nightmare can do so for £100 million.
News of his impending departure from Barcelona will certainly spark rumours about a potential return to Anfield. In fairness, it’s where Coutinho played his best football. Jurgen Klopp sanctioned his sale when he first arrived in England, but it’s not as if there was a rift between the manager and attacking midfielder. It’s fair to wonder whether or not Klopp might want to bring Coutinho back into the fold.
At the very least, it’s something the transfer committee at Anfield will consider. It’s not as if the Reds are short on attacking firepower at the moment, but the club do need to brace themselves against future bids for players like Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. Having Coutinho back in the squad would do a lot to soften the potential departure of either big name attacker.
That doesn’t mean Liverpool fans should go scurrying into their closets to dig out their old Coutinho kits. It’s highly unlikely that Klopp would sanction a £100 million bid for a player who is so clearly out of form. There’s a reason Barcelona are willing to let Coutinho go. The obvious truth is that he’s been a massive disappointment since arriving in Spain. Liverpool might be interested in a reunion, but only if the price for the player drops rather dramatically.
It’s also worth mentioning that no one should expect to see significant player movement at Barcelona until the future of manager Ernesto Valverde is sorted out. Assuming he gets the axe for his Champions League failures, it’s fair to think the new manager will be given some input regarding the construction of next season’s squad. It’s possible a new boss might want to give Coutinho a lifeline.
Next. 5 potential candidates to replace Valverde at Barcelona. dark
With all that being said, there are still quite a few twists and turns left in Coutinho’s summer transfer saga. No one should rule out the potential of a sensational return to Anfield for the talented Brazilian.