15 Sept 2015

LFC Mega-deal: Liverpool Legend claims transfer for 'genius' £41m attacker 'will' probably happen 'in a few seasons'

A few months ago, Barcelona legend Ronaldinho urged Philippe Coutinho to quit Anfield for the Nou Camp, and although the Brazilian maestro claims he's 'happy' at Anfield, Reds legend Steven Gerrard is sure that Coutinho will end up in La Liga sooner rather than later.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in May, Ronaldinho - who spent 5 years at the Nou Camp - urged 'fantastic' Coutinho to set his sights higher than Anfield:

"I know what Barcelona look for in a player and he [Coutinho] has those qualities. Xavi has left and Iniestia is now in his 30's. Barcelona and Coutinho would be the perfect fit."

According to Gerrard, Coutinho - recently described as a 'genius' by John Aldridge - is Liverpool's best player, and in his new autobiography, the ex-Reds captain expressed his fears that the Brazilian will join Luis Suarez in jumping ship:

"He [Coutinho] has just signed a new deal...but I also know that Barcelona and Real Madrid will come looking in a few more seasons. That's when it will get tricky for Liverpool because the lure [of those clubs] is so strong."

If Liverpool want to keep Coutinho in the long-term, then it's imperative that Reds start challenging for major honours sooner rather than later.

Is the club capable of doing that under Rodgers? Absolutely no chance, which means Coutinho is likely to leave sooner rather than later.

If Liverpool do end up losing Coutinho, though, the club will make a massive profit on the deal.

In what is surely one of greatest transfer coups in the Premier League era, Liverpool signed Coutinho back in 2013 for a comparatively piffling £8m, but according to the recent CIES Football Observatory study:

* If Liverpool decided to cash-in on Coutinho the club could legitimately demand a whopping £41m transfer fee.

* The Brazilian is the 17th most valuable player in Europe, and is allegedly worth more than Karim Benzema, Mario Gotze, and Toni Kroos.

Coutinho is an exciting player, and Liverpool are lucky to have him, but £41m? That seems a little over-valued to me, especially for a player who consistently struggles to score goals.

Things may change, though. Coutinho is only 22, and he's certainly capable of upping his game over the next few years, and when that happens, his value may even exceed that amount.

There is a simple solution to the issue: replace Rodgers with a world-renowned manager, who's capable of inspiring players like Coutinho to stay at the club.

With, say, Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, the chances of keeping Coutinho will increase tenfold.

Author: Jaimie K


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