Liverpool cashed in on Coutinho – but did it cost them too?
A year on since Philippe Coutinho landed his dream move to Barcelona there is trouble in paradise.
Barcelona’s plan to play him in a deep role as a replacement for Andres Iniesta has fallen flat and the Brazilian is yet to show why he was worthy of becoming the club’s record signing.
Liverpool cashed in for a fee The Telegraph reported at the time cost Barcelona £142 million.
Along with fellow new boy Malcom, Coutinho is under fire.
A stinging editorial in Spanish newspaper AS has criticised Barcelona’s transfer policy, specifically the total of 200 million Euros wasted on the paid, equating to £173m.
Two ways for Liverpool to look at it
On one hand Liverpool should smirk, that the player who walked out on them is suffering.
The Reds landed a huge fee, more than they had any right to ask for. Financially they are laughing all the way to the bank.
Yet there’s something sad about it all. Coutinho has missed out, and so have Liverpool.
The Brazilian inexplicably walked out on the Reds midway through the season when he could have waited until the summer.
He missed out on the culmination of Liverpool’s Champions League campaign, which fell short in the final against Real Madrid.
With Coutinho in the side, Liverpool could have won the trophy.
They will never know. It’s Coutinho’s loss, but it’s also Liverpool’s too – and seemingly it was all for nothing.
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