Barcelona star Neymar has fuelled rumours of a potential move for Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho to the Camp Nou by saying he would like to join forces with his Brazil teammate at the Catalan club.

Coutinho is arguably Liverpool’s best player, but he is now being linked with a move to Barcelona after Neymar suggested he is good enough to join the European champions, per the Daily Mail‘s Pete Jenson:

“Coutinho is a crack (top player) and I would like to play alongside him for Barcelona. He has the level to play for Barca.”

Jenson suggested that the 23-year-old Coutinho could be a cheaper alternative next summer to Barca’s prime midfield target, Juventus’ Paul Pogba.

If the Brazilian midfielder were to depart Anfield for the Camp Nou in 2016, it would be the third successive season in which Liverpool have lost their best player—following Luis Suarez‘s move to Barca and Raheem Sterling’s switch to Manchester City.

Indeed, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has already warned of the dangers of losing Coutinho, per Bleacher Report UK:

However, it seems like a distinct possibility that the former Inter Milan man may not stay past next summer.

In a team now without Suarez, Sterling and Gerrard, Coutinho looks like the only player who is capable of consistently turning a game in Liverpool’s favour.

However, he has not been able to propel manager Brendan Rodgers’ side to a successful start to the new Premier League campaign, and Liverpool now sit in 13th place, having picked up just eight points from their first six matches.

Coutinho was suspended for the Reds’ biggest game of the season thus far against Manchester United, a match in which Liverpool looked devoid of ideas going forward and got on the scoresheet in the 3-1 defeat only because of a Christian Benteke wonder goal. 

If Liverpool fail to finish in the top four this season, at the least, Coutinho is likely to look elsewhere for Champions League football.

He arrived at Anfield from Inter in 2013 for a bargain £8.5 million transfer fee and is only in the first year of a new five-year contract signed in January.

Liverpool will thus be able to demand a big fee, should Barca or any other club come in for him next summer.

However, the big-money sales of Suarez and Sterling have yet to return any effective reinvestment, and should Coutinho leave the club, it will be another indication that Liverpool are no longer able to hold on to their best players.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1KwWYqE
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