Amidst frequent reports doing the rounds regarding Philippe Coutinho’s Barcelona links, Liverpool legend Danny Murphy has claimed the Brazilian is replaceable, but he is far from suggesting that the midfielder should be gotten rid of.
In Murphy’s evaluation, retaining Coutinho against his wishes, as opposed to cashing in wouldn’t make sense.
During a chat with talkSPORT, the one-time Reds midfielder said of Coutinho, “He’s not worth £150m, could they get £100m for him? Maybe. If Barca are prepared to pay over £80m for Coutinho, I think that’s good business.
“They’d lose a bit of creativity that Coutinho brings, but there are players out there you could get for less money who might give you just as much output.
“Coutinho scored 14 goals last season and that was his best return… I’m not saying Liverpool should get rid of Coutinho, because he’s a wonderful footballer and there’s no doubt about that. But if he wants to go and we get £80m for him, I’d take that.”
Reports in Spain suggest the 25-year-old has long set his heart on a switch to Spain, and has already told Liverpool of his wishes to leave.
The club, however, aren’t keen on letting their gem go, and have slammed a hefty £150million price tag on him.
While it’s not totally impossible, replacing Coutinho could prove to be a daunting task for the Reds, and they are better off convincing him to stay than allowing an exit.
With no official response from Liverpool over the saga till now, it is safe to say the rumours are merely what they are; rumours!
