The summer of 2017 saw a number of explosive, record-breaking transfers.
Barcelona lost Neymar to Paris Saint Germain. The French club shocked the world by paying out the Brazilian’s release clause, a whopping £198m. Barcelona have been chasing Philippe Coutinho as his replacement ever since.
While Coutinho never tried to force his move like Dembele did at Dortmund, the Brazilian never came out in the open either to quash the rumours. Mysterious injuries kept the Brazilian out until the transfer window was shut and it became common news that Coutinho would prefer a move to Catalonia but Liverpool were adamant to hold on.
There were reports of Barcelona offering their midfielder Andre Gomes as an added weight to the deal to push it through. However, Liverpool were unmoved.
With Gomes moving to the other side, it possibly could have benefited both parties.
Gomes’ career at the Catalan club has failed spectacularly. Signed after Portugal’s impressive win in Euro 2016 from Valencia for £31.50m, the Portuguese has failed to make his mark at the club.
He is yet to nail down a starting spot and the fans are not particularly fond of his game. He has had a rough time at the club and maybe a move to Liverpool would give him the opening he needs to reignite his career. The English club under Klopp plays more expansive football, something Gomes is suited for rather than Barcelona’s intricate passing game.
Then later there were other reports saying that Liverpool were angling for a deal for Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic as a swap deal if Coutinho is to move the other way. This might be a bit far-fetched as the 29-year-old Croatian plays in the centre of the midfield and is a vital cog in Barcelona’s midfield.
The midfielder provides the perfect cover in the middle of the park for his front-men to attack while also supplying sublime balls from time to time for them to finish. He also has a rare knack for popping up on occasions to finish off moves by scoring goals from both inside and outside the box.
There is a third player now linked with a swap move for Coutinho. It is Barcelona B midfield, Carles Alena. The 20-year old Spaniard has played only 5 times for the Barcelona team scoring once but is highly rated at Camp Nou having come through as a graduate of the famous La Masia Academy. Liverpool could now want the promising young midfielder as a bargain for Coutinho when Barcelona come calling for the Brazilian.
Of the three possible moves, Liverpool are not really interested in Gomes and Barcelona are clearly unwilling to part ways with Rakitic which leaves Alena as the only viable option. It will also involve a gamble on both clubs’ part as to how the player’s future will turn out to be.
Given that Gomes’ move is redundant to follow through for Liverpool and even though Rakitic is just a perfect move for them Barcelona are unlikely to sell, it seems that Alena is the only plausible way out for them.
Whether with Klopp at the helm, they would be willing to invest in youth or will Liverpool simply refuse to sell Coutinho remains to be seen. Who do you think Liverpool should demand as part of the deal for Coutinho?
