According to Calciomercato, Liverpool have submitted a loan offer to sign Philippe Coutinho this summer. It is believed that the Reds want the Barcelona star on loan for two years while leaving an option to buy clause at a staggering £88 million. The report further claims that Coutinho has given his approval for a return to Anfield following a disastrous spell at Catalonia.
Coutinho’s struggles at Barcelona
Coutinho initially joined Barcelona at the start of last year for a club record fee of £130 million. He was considered as a second replacement for Neymar following Ousmane Dembele’s struggles with injuries. The Brazilian enjoyed a promising debut campaign in La Liga as well, scoring eight goals and providing six assists in 18 league games during the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign.
However, Coutinho’s struggles in coping with the soaring expectations of Barcelona took a significant toll on his overall performances last season. Ernesto Valverde often overlooked him as the ex-Inter Milan star ended up featuring in a little over 2,000 minutes of league action, during which he scored only five goals.
And now Barcelona are ready to cash in on the Brazilian international, having completed the signing of Antoine Greizmann. They are also plotting a return for Coutinho’s compatriot Neymar, which could further lower his chances of becoming a first-team regular at the club next season.
Where will Coutinho fit in at Liverpool?
Coutinho predominantly featured as a left winger during his time at Liverpool. But, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane already occupying the wide attacking positions, we can expect the 27-year-old to be deployed in the extra midfield slot in Jurgen Klopp’s 4-3-3.
That means Coutinho will operate as the number ten, with either of Naby Keita or Georginio Wijnaldum and Fabinho or Jordan Henderson occupying the remaining midfield slots.
Both Wijnaldum and Keita have excellent technical prowess and could combine well with the Brazilian in half spaces while the likes of Fabinho and Henderson could protect the backline, thus adding another dimension to the Liverpool midfield.
Liverpool could strike gold with Coutinho’s potential loan deal
Unfortunately for Liverpool, Coutinho’s possible addition to the club will likely see the departure of at least one of their main players. Latest speculations have surfaced regarding Sadio Mane’s potential move to Real Madrid while Mohamed Salah also faces an uncertain long-term future at the club.
But one way or another, the Reds are destined to lose a star player within the next summer. And Coutinho, in that regard, will be a smart investment. Additionally, the fact that Liverpool will sign him for a two-year loan deal will provide Klopp with ample time to asses the situation in the attacking department upon the arrival of the Brazilian and then make an ultimate judgement.
