It’s been four seasons since Philippe Coutinho last graced the Premier League with his samba magic. The Brazilian was always the centre of attention – whether it was scoring freekicks, dribbling through defences or scoring audacious long-range goals – he’s certainly been missed.
The news of a potential return comes after Spanish publication, Sport, claims that Philippe Coutinho will be sold by Barcelona in the summer, with an asking price of just £35million.
Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in 2018 in a deal worth £142m, making the Brazilian the third most expensive player in history at the time.
Coutinho has struggled for form at Barcelona and his loan move to Bayern Munich last year epitomises his time in Spain. Coutinho scored twice against Barcelona in an 8-2 quarter-final thrashing, before going on to win the Champions League.
In his time at Liverpool the attacking midfielder played 152 matches, notching an impressive 41 goals and 35 assists – averaging a goal contribution in 50% of his games.
In comparison, Coutinho has played 64 league games for Barcelona, scoring 14 goals and assisting 10 times – a goal contribution in only 37% of games.
The drop of form could be attributed to other players taking his limelight, after all he did join one of the best-attacking teams in the world, playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, and Luis Suarez at one point.
The news that Barcelona are willing to sell is not necessarily a surprise, but the price that has been reported is a lot lower than many would have imagined – especially after the Catalan giants paid £142million for his services.
Liverpool are reported to have received most of the £142m from the deal, but Barcelona still owe £35.5m in both short and long-term payables. If Coutinho moved back to Liverpool it would help Barcelona clear their debt with the current Premier League champions.
Asked if he would ever return to Anfield, Coutinho told World Soccer: “The Premier League is one of the most exciting leagues in the world and to have the chance to play there with a team like Liverpool will always be something I will feel grateful for.
“It is impossible to say what might or might not happen in the future – but what I know is that right now my only focus is on being successful with Barcelona.”
As with most Liverpool transfer news, these rumours come with a pinch of salt, as the financial pressure from FSG often throw a spanner in the works.
What is for certain, is that if Coutinho was to return to Anfield, he would significantly bolster The Reds attacking artillery and make them even more formidable going forward – which is a frightening prospect for rival fans.
