Brazilian World Cup winner Lucio has urged Philippe Coutinho to forego any potential move to Barcelona and remain at Liverpool if he wants to become one of the best players in the world.

Coutinho has been a key part of Liverpool’s resurgence under manager Jurgen Klopp, but people have previously linked him with a move away from Anfield to Barca, per Spanish outlet Sport (via MailOnline’s Nicholas Godden).

Lucio, who played alongside Coutinho at Inter Milan between 2009 and 2012, believes Liverpool is the ideal place for the 23-year-old to develop, per Sky Sports:

I am very happy that he is having success at Liverpool. There is potential to be the best player in the world, of that there is no doubt. But it will depend on what happens around him. He is only going to get better.

[…]

I think that is a personal decision for him [Barca move], but Barcelona have a lot of great players, but that can put a shade [sic] on his play. Liverpool is the right place for him to become the best. He has his space, and can play where he wants.

Coutinho was absent for the Reds’ recent 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League, and they sorely missed him, per former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann:

The Brazilian is arguably Klopp‘s most important player, and his influence on Liverpool’s creativity is huge.

Lucio is correct in saying that Coutinho would be far less prominent if he were to move to Barca, not least because of the presence of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Any potential move to Barca would undoubtedly attract him, given how competitive they are at the top of the European game.

But Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe believes Klopp‘s arrival has made Liverpool genuine Premier League title contenders once again:

Even if the Reds do not win the title this season, if they can make a genuine tilt for the top four and display a marked improvement, they are much more likely to be able to keep hold of the vital Coutinho.

Elsewhere, Liverpool legend John Barnes has urged the club to keep faith with striker Daniel Sturridge despite his persistent injury issues.

The team recently ruled the Englishman out of action again for 10 days, per MailOnline’s Dominic King.

Fitness worries have consistently plagued the 26-year-old, and he has reportedly spent more than half of his Liverpool career absent through either illness or injury, per the Telegraph‘s Alistair Tweedale.

As a result, Hamann recently suggested the Reds cut their losses on Sturridge, but Barnes has urged Liverpool to keep the faith, per Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast (via talkSPORT’s Joe Moore):

He’s one of our very important players and we need him. He, along with Coutinho, gives us that little bit of extra class. As to what the solution is, whether you give him four months off to get everything right… I just don’t know. But because of his quality I don’t think it’s necessarily time to cut our losses with Sturridge. He’s obviously still a great player and we need to keep our quality players at the club.

When he is available, Sturridge is fantastic, and it would be wasteful to get rid of him any time soon.

But should he not be able to prove his long-term fitness in the future, the Reds may yet show him the door at Anfield.

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