La Liga 2016/17: Luis Suarez and Neymar talk to Philippe Coutinho about moving to Barcelona
Spanish news outlet SPORT have claimed that Barcelona’s Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr. have been in talks with Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho over a possible transfer to Barcelona. The Brazillian midfielder has been linked with the Spanish giants in the recent past and a move to Catalonia is a very high possibility.
The trio are friends as Luis Suarez spent time with Coutinho during his time at Anfield. Neymar, on the other hand, shares the dressing room with Coutinho when they pair up for the national team and have been close friends for years. SPORT reports that they have spoken to Coutinho about life in Barcelona and also told him what is is like to play for one of the best teams in the world.
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The Brazillian has been fantastic for the Reds and has led them right to the top of the table. With five goals and 5 assists in 11 matches this season, Coutinho’s contribution to Liverpool has been unparalleled. He has also taken over as the talisman since Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling’s departure from Merseyside and has been growing from strength to strength.
On the other hand, Liverpool fans are worried about the prospect of losing their best player to Barcelona, just like they did with Luis Suarez in the summer of 2014. Raheem Sterling who looked to be their brightest star jumped ship to join Manchester City and keeping Coutinho at Liverpool could be a very tough task for Jurgen Klopp and co. if Barcelona come calling
Liverpool will be wary of the consequences that could follow after the departure of Coutinho should he chose to leave but they can take solace from the fact that Jurgen Klopp has done a fantastic job replacing players during his time at Borussia Dortmund.
Also Read: Real Madrid transfer news: Club ambassador Roberto Carlos says Zinedine Zidane wants Philippe Coutinho
On the other hand, Barcelona could be looking to replace Andres Iniesta with the former Inter Milan midfielder and he also looks the best choice. However, this could mean that at least one of Andre Gomes, Denis Suarez, Rafinha and Arda Turan could be making their way out of the club soon. Luis Enrique did a fantastic job bringing in Ivan Rakitic at the right time and could do the same with Coutinho.
In Xavi’s last season, the midfielder had a reduced number of appearances and was replaced by Rakitic which made the transition very smooth.
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