He raises a good point.
Plenty of Liverpool supporters will agree with Jamie Redknapp’s claim that it’s not as simple as taking the money that Barcelona would pay for Philippe Coutinho and using it to immediately replace the Reds talisman.
Quite frankly, there are few players in world football who could fill the void which would be left by Coutinho should he finally agree to join the Catalan club.
Coutinho’s potential switch to Barca was one of the longest transfer sagas of last summer with three bids, each substantially bigger than the one before, arriving for the midfielder but Liverpool held firm and the player has since dedicated himself to giving his all for the team’s cause this season.
But it’s understood that the La Liga leaders will return next summer, unwilling to take no for an answer.
Post-match interviews with Coutinho continue to be peppered with questions about his future, much to the chagrin of teammate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and it would not be surprising to see the Brazilian make the Camp Nou his home next season, even Liverpool supporters will admit to that.
And, if that deal comes to fruition, Jurgen Klopp will be faced with a difficult task when it comes to finding a player who can provide a similar impact to the team as Coutinho has managed on Merseyside since arriving in 2012.
Former Reds midfielder Jamie Redknapp has come up with an interesting solution.
“Philippe Coutinho was sensational for Liverpool at Bournemouth. The Reds should enjoy him while they can before Barcelona come calling again in the summer,” Redknapp wrote in the Daily Mail.
“Even if Liverpool receive in excess of the £138 million Barcelona bid last summer, there are few like-for-like players they can buy — while bringing in a number of players is not always the best option. Instead, Liverpool should ask Barcelona to swap Coutinho for Luis Suarez.
“The striker has not been as prolific as in recent seasons and the Liverpool fans would love a returning hero. It would be a great move for both the club and the Premier League.”
