Deano: Why Gylfi could be a red star

SWANSEA City talisman Gylfi Sigurdsson has been linked with the blue half of Liverpool for what feels like an eternity.

But former Swansea and Wales striker Dean Saunders believes that the other club on Merseyside should move for the Icelandic midfielder - if Barcelona swoop for Liverpool playmaker Phillipe Coutinho.

Saunders identified the £50 million-rated Sigurdsson as a potential replacement next to Real Madrid’s Isco, who kept Wales superstar Gareth Bale out of the Los Blancos side at times last season.

Somewhat bizarrely Saunders also advocates Manchester United’s Juan Mata - although a player has not moved between the fierce rivals since 1964.

Speaking to Alan Brazil on talkSPORT, he said: “For me, you could sign Isco for £30m. He’s not going to get a game for Real Madrid.

“Juan Mata, Sigurdsson there are players you can sign to replace Coutinho.”

And Saunders believes that, unlike Luis Suarez, who also swapped Anfield for the Nou Camp, Coutinho has a price.

“Luis Suarez, he was irreplaceable. There are ertain players that are irreplaceable but for me, he’s replaceable for £100m.

“If Barcelona knock on the door, I think as a player, he’s gone.”

Saunders was recently in the news after former England cricket star Keven Pietersen claimed he didn’t know who the former Wales international was after Saunders criticised Pietersen for slamming fellow cricketers on the radio.

The bizarre series of events even saw a tongue-in-cheek Twitter poll set up - with 38% claiming not to know who Saunders was.