Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher opines that Philippe Coutinho’s move to Barcelona is similar to that of Luis Suarez when he wanted to leave years back.
The Uruguayan left the club in 2014 even though he hoped to exit a year earlier. Arsenal met his release clause of £40 million and added just one £1 then but the bid was laughed off at Anfield. Suarez asked for a transfer as he had grown frustrated at the club but the move did not happen.
Coutinho also wants to move to Barcelona even though there is no release clause saga but Liverpool want to retain him to remain competitive this season. Losing the player this late and not getting a suitable replacement on time would derail the dreams of the club this term and Coach Jurgen Klopp is desperate to avoid it.
“It’s a similar situation to Suarez. He put in a transfer request. It was actually Arsenal he wanted to go to. Before Philippe Coutinho put in this transfer request, I felt Liverpool would keep him but he would probably go in 12 months,” Carragher said. The pundit added that if a bid of £100 million had come at the end of the last season, the club might have searched hard for a replacement and allowed the deal.
For now it would be hard to get a suitable replacement in a key season for the club so forcing the deal could lead to bad blood. Klopp insists that the club would keep him and the owners would not be fazed by the huge bid.
Carragher says Liverpool would never sanction the deal this year as “a riot” could happen. Liverpool started the season with a shock 3-3 draw, further bad news for the player.