Speaking on the BBC Match of the Day top 10 Podcast, Micah Richards and Gary Lineker have been discussing Philippe Coutinho.
The Brazilian is back in the Premier League at Aston Villa, but it’s his exploits at Liverpool that earned him a place on Richards’ list of top 10 number 10s in Premier League history.
The pundit was, quite simply, in awe of Coutinho’s ability at Liverpool, stating that he was the best player in the Premier League at the time he was sold by Jurgen Klopp.
What’s been said?
Lineker and Richards were waxing-lyrical over Coutinho’s spell at Anfield.
“Coutinho, he’s a breathtakingly talented footballer, he didn’t quite do it at Barcelona though did he? We saw him at Liverpool, bending them into the top corner,” Lineker said.
“I’m surprised it didn’t work out for him though, I thought it would have been perfect for him, when he left he was the best player in the league wasn’t he?” Richards said.
The right decision
Coutinho may have been the Premier League’s best player before he was sold to Barcelona, but letting him go was certainly the right decision.
His sale provided the funds to sign Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, and while Coutinho was excellent, those two signings were utterly transformative.
It’s hypothetical, but Liverpool probably wouldn’t have won the Champions League or the Premier League if Coutinho hadn’t been sold back in January 2018.
Fortunately though, Coutinho is back shining in England with Aston Villa, and if he keeps up his current form, he may well move up even higher on Richards’ list of best number 10s.
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