Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that it was difficult to deny Philippe Coutinho his dream move to Barcelona in 2018.
The Brazilian midfielder finally got his move to the Nou Camp in January 2018 in a deal worth £145million after a six-month long discussion between the Premier League and La Liga clubs.
Coutinho wanted to leave Anfield in the summer of 2017 but stayed put out of loyalty to the Reds who needed midfield cover due to injury of Adam Lallana. But when Barcelona did not stop pursuing the Brazilian and came back in for him in the winter window to fill the void Klopp admitted he had no chance but to grant the Brazilian his dream move.
‘I really respected Phil’s switch from the first second. Not that I do that all the time but it felt “oh wow that could be difficult
So it’s not about yes we signed a new contract so many weeks before that but it was really clear he would not have asked me for any other club but for this club, there was no chance.
Then we had to be hard in the summer (2017) because we had no other solution. We lost Adam Lallana [to injury] in that time as well, we would have lost two players.
That’s (Bringing a temporary replacement) not possible, you cannot solve that on the transfer market.
He was open to that [staying at Anfield] and that was really cool. Then you have to be fair in the window (January 2018) and say we can do it, we don’t like it but we can do it.’
Speaking to the Pure Football Podcast, Klopp said
Coutinho has struggled to prove value for money though, struggling for form in his two years at the Nou Camp.
He was cast aside last summer and joined Bayern Munch on loan but again has struggled to put together a consistent run of form.
Talk of a return to England is on the rise and Manchester United reportedly lead Leicester, Chelsea and Tottenham in trying to bring him back to the Premier League.
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