UNITED SHOULD STEER CLEAR OF COUTINHO
Former Liverpool star ‘has the potential’ to be another expensive flop, like Sanchez
AT the time of signing Philippe Coutinho, Barcelona’s goals-pergame ratio was at their lowest since 2013-14, so the La Liga giants hoped history might repeat itself.
Back in 2014, they reacted by signing Liverpool’s Luis Suarez for £75 million (RM394 million). That turned out to be a masterstroke with them getting 177 goals in 247 games in return.
This time, they got Coutinho for £142 million. Since January 2018, they have seen a return of 21
in 75 from the Brazilian, paying £6.8 million per goal for their troubles.
That does not even take into account his reported £240,000a-week wages either. In 18 months, he has become the record signing who struggles for starts.
As a result, Barcelona are said to have lost patience and are searching for buyers, with Manchester United one of the few Premier League clubs who could afford him.
Chelsea are another, but a transfer ban has scuppered any chance of him succeeding Real Madrid-bound Eden Hazard and joining the Brazilian contingent at Stamford Bridge.
According to reports, Barcelona are ready to take a loss on Coutinho. They may be willing to sell for around £100 million but United should be wary of committing another costly mistake.
In Alexis Sanchez, they have a 30-year-old who is paid £391,000 per week but has scored three Premier League goals since signing in the same window that Coutinho joined Barcelona.
The form that Sanchez once showed for Arsenal never followed at Old Trafford.
Signing Coutinho screams of a similar risk, and the signs are there in the statistics.
In his final season with Liverpool, the Brazilian averaged 86 minutes per goal involvement and created 3.23 chances per game — the best statistics of his career. Last season for Barcelona, it was 289 minutes and 1.42 — the worst.
The 27-year-old was brought in as a replacement for Andres Iniesta. That was how the club’s sporting director, Roberto Fernandez, sold the new signing to supporters last year.
Yet that has not happened. Those boots proved too big to fill in midfield and Coutinho does not seem to have the defensive know-how to perform a job in the centre.
He was a square peg in a round hole, so manager Ernesto Valverde pushed him to the left of the forward line where he could cut inside. Trouble is, it is crowded there with £135.5 million Ousmane Dembele occasionally preferred in that position.
Not even Barcelona can afford to have two £100 million-plus players fighting for the same position so one is set to go. According to some reports in Spain, that could be Coutinho to United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s transfer strategy has been clear this summer. So far, they have got two 21year-olds — Daniel James from Swansea, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace.
Coutinho is 27, though executive vice-chairman and brandconscious Ed Woodward will still want his club to be seen leading the market. A big-name buy would do just that.
There is always the chance Coutinho will resurrect his form but really, there are safer options out there. Liverpool now have few regrets about letting him leave.
The Brazilian left in January 2018 and, in the same window, Jurgen Klopp signed Virgil van Dijk for £75 million. In the next window, they got goalkeeper Alisson for £65 million.
They made good use of the money, bringing in two players who led them to European glory.
In May, Coutinho made an anonymous return to Anfield, lasting just 60 minutes as Liverpool went on to win 4-0 and knock Barcelona out of the Champions League. He could not cause his old club any problems, but could cause United a big one if they buy him.