Liverpool rejected the opportunity to re-sign Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona, according to reports.
The Telegraph claim there was a ‘package conservatively worth £100 million’ that would have seen Coutinho return to Anfield.
Barcelona offered that, of course, who appear to want the player off their books quite badly – we figured it left Liverpool with an opportunity. Liverpool turned it down, however.
Objectively, this was a great chance to make a top signing. Coutinho is a player unlike any at Anfield, while they know full well he can play the style.
He can press, can pass, and play multiple positions – the ideal addition, really. The fact that Liverpool rejected Coutinho is quite a statement.
It suggests that not signing anyone wasn’t just a matter of circumstance but the preferred choice.
You can always end up signing no one because ‘the right player’ doesn’t come along. You’re looking for something specific that isn’t there and so nothing happens.
But Coutinho ticked several boxes and, you’d have to imagine, would happily return. By leaving him in Catalonia, Liverpool have shown real commitment to not doing anything this summer.
Will they regret passing on this chance and sticking with their plan? We won’t know for a couple of months. Instinctively, it’s probably best to trust the club – they are getting a lot of things right these days.
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