The Brazilian ace officially left Liverpool for Barcelona yesterday.
Alan Shearer explained why Philippe Coutinho’s sale to Barcelona represents a big risk for the Reds, in spite of the astronomical transfer fee that they received for his services, when writing his regular column for the Sun.
The mercurial Brazilian officially completed his switch from Anfield to the Camp Nou yesterday, for a free believed to be worth in the region of £145 million, and Liverpool fans are now calling for that money to be reinvested back into the playing squad.
The Merseyside outfit have of course already signed Virgil van Dijk for £75 million this month, but the addition of a talented attacking midfielder or winger will be paramount to their chances of enjoying a successful campaign this term, following the exit of their talisman.
Shearer wrote his regular column for the Sun, and warned Liverpool how they might have sold Coutinho at the wrong time, what with Champions League football being far from secured this season:
“It is a hell of a lot of money but transfer fees have gone up by about 25 per cent since Neymar’s move to Paris Saint-Germain last summer. And while Liverpool now have the cash in the bank, selling Coutinho could cost them millions more if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.”
Only time will tell if the Reds made the right decision in selling the 25-year-old star, but if they are to have any chance of challenging for major honours, it will be vital for Klopp to bring another top-class winger into the club this month, to help soften the blow of Coutinho’s exit.
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