In his new autobiography, Reds legend Steven Gerrard predicts that Liverpool will lose attacking maestro Philippe Coutinho to 'Barcelona or Real Madrid' in a 'few seasons', and admits that the 'lure' of the Nou Camp may be too hard to resist.
With Brendan Rodgers at the helm, there's an everpresent risk of LFC's top players jumping ship, in my view, Coutinho will be looking for a move away much sooner than a 'few seasons' in the future.
Consider his latest comments, for example. When asked about life at Liverpool this week, Coutinho admitted that he's not a fan of British food, and made it clear that he hates the weather on Merseyside. He told Football Focus:
"It's hard. I'm still not totally used to it, and every time it's cold, it's really tough. I'm making do as best I can."
This may seem like an innocuous comment, but if Liverpool continue to be mediocre under Rodgers, this minor issue will become one of a number of major reasons to leave Anfield.
Like Mascherano, Alonso, Torres, and Suarez, Coutinho - described by Brendan Rodgers as 'sensational - will only 'make do' for a certain period of time before he gets fed up and deserts the sinking ship.
It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Coutinho is already thinking about leaving Liverpool, and unless he lives in cave, he will be aware of Ronaldinho's recent comments about moving to Barcelona.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in May, Ronaldinho noted:
"I know what Barcelona look for in a player and he [Coutinho] has those qualities. Barcelona and Coutinho would be the perfect fit - Not only would he win trophies, but playing with Neymar, Messi, Suarez, Iniesta, is going to make him a better player".
Unfortunately for Liverpool, £25m-rated Coutinho idolises Ronaldinho, and he confirmed this once again back in January, when he told the official LFC website:
"I’ve always enjoyed seeing Ronaldinho play and I watch videos of him to take as an inspiration."
Coutinho referenced Ronaldinho last season, too, when he named the former world 'player of the year' as one of his idols:
“My idols are Kaka and Ronaldinho, who play in the same position”
Coutinho recently insisted that he's 'happy at Anfield', but let's be realistic: if Barcelona come calling, there's only going to be one winner.
I've already accepted that Coutinho will leave the club at some point in the next two years, and under the current regime, I won't blame him for ditching Anfield.
Mark my words: transfer speculation will intensify in December and January, and when the summer comes, Coutinho will be the big transfer story of the window, just as Sterling was in the recently closed window.
Unlike Sterling, though, Coutinho will conduct himself with dignity and humility, just as he always has at Liverpool.
In the words of of Ellis from 'No Country For Old Men':
Author: Jaimie K
With Brendan Rodgers at the helm, there's an everpresent risk of LFC's top players jumping ship, in my view, Coutinho will be looking for a move away much sooner than a 'few seasons' in the future.
Consider his latest comments, for example. When asked about life at Liverpool this week, Coutinho admitted that he's not a fan of British food, and made it clear that he hates the weather on Merseyside. He told Football Focus:
"It's hard. I'm still not totally used to it, and every time it's cold, it's really tough. I'm making do as best I can."
This may seem like an innocuous comment, but if Liverpool continue to be mediocre under Rodgers, this minor issue will become one of a number of major reasons to leave Anfield.
Like Mascherano, Alonso, Torres, and Suarez, Coutinho - described by Brendan Rodgers as 'sensational - will only 'make do' for a certain period of time before he gets fed up and deserts the sinking ship.
It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Coutinho is already thinking about leaving Liverpool, and unless he lives in cave, he will be aware of Ronaldinho's recent comments about moving to Barcelona.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in May, Ronaldinho noted:
"I know what Barcelona look for in a player and he [Coutinho] has those qualities. Barcelona and Coutinho would be the perfect fit - Not only would he win trophies, but playing with Neymar, Messi, Suarez, Iniesta, is going to make him a better player".
Unfortunately for Liverpool, £25m-rated Coutinho idolises Ronaldinho, and he confirmed this once again back in January, when he told the official LFC website:
"I’ve always enjoyed seeing Ronaldinho play and I watch videos of him to take as an inspiration."
Coutinho referenced Ronaldinho last season, too, when he named the former world 'player of the year' as one of his idols:
“My idols are Kaka and Ronaldinho, who play in the same position”
Coutinho recently insisted that he's 'happy at Anfield', but let's be realistic: if Barcelona come calling, there's only going to be one winner.
I've already accepted that Coutinho will leave the club at some point in the next two years, and under the current regime, I won't blame him for ditching Anfield.
Mark my words: transfer speculation will intensify in December and January, and when the summer comes, Coutinho will be the big transfer story of the window, just as Sterling was in the recently closed window.
Unlike Sterling, though, Coutinho will conduct himself with dignity and humility, just as he always has at Liverpool.
In the words of of Ellis from 'No Country For Old Men':
Author: Jaimie K
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