Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has provided an update on the Philippe Coutinho transfer situation amid reports that he wants a return to Liverpool.
The Brazil international has struggled badly since leaving Liverpool for Barcelona in January 2018, and hasn’t really done enough on loan at Bayern Munich this season either.
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It now seems likely Coutinho will be on the move again this summer, with Kevin Palmer recently claiming the 28-year-old had been in touch with Jurgen Klopp about returning to Anfield…
Still, Balague has told Sport that he doesn’t believe LFC have any interest in taking their former player back, and instead believes a move to Newcastle United under their new wealthy owners could be more realistic.
“We know the ‘new’ Newcastle, when their takeover is confirmed which everyone expects it to be, will enter a new era and Coutinho is waiting for that to happen,” Balague said.
“His representatives believe Newcastle will make an attempt to get him because he is the kind of the player they can have as I have said before, they should go for players who are finishing their contract like Cavani.
“The biggest effort Coutinho’s representatives are doing is towards the Premier League and the idea is for him to go to the Premier League.
“There has been talk of Arsenal but nothing has arrived from them, and also talk of going back to Liverpool on loan.
“No truth whatsoever. So we don’t need to talk about it any more, do we?
“Liverpool are not interested, no offer has existed and I understand that the work the representatives have to do is to make it look like there is an auction but there isn’t such a thing at the moment.
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“The favourites if you have to choose from the Premier League are Newcastle if the (takeover) bid comes in and if they make an offer for him of some kind that Barcelona is happy with.”
This could be a fine move for the Magpies, but the Reds may well live to regret it if Coutinho can get back to his best at St James’ Park.
The South American playmaker was a world class performer in his first spell at Liverpool and surely hasn’t lost all that talent overnight.