Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that the club could not afford to sign Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona, following his switch to Bayern Munich.
Following Philippe Coutinho’s loan move from Barcelona to Bayern Munich, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that the Reds could not afford to bring the Brazilian playmaker back to Anfield, in an interview with Goal.com.
Coutinho had a five-year spell at Liverpool between January 2013 and January 2018, before he got his dream transfer to Barcelona. However, things did not quite work as per plans for the Brazil international at Camp Nou, as he struggled to establish himself as a regular in Ernesto Valverde’s side over the past season and a half.
Speculations surrounding his future at the club had been doing the rounds all summer, especially with Barcelona keen on bringing back Coutinho’s compatriot Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain. There had been plenty of interest in the former Liverpool man with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and PSG all linked at some point or the other.
All the speculations finally came to an end earlier this week, when it was confirmed that Coutinho would be joining German champions Bayern Munich. The 27-year-old has joined the Bavarian giants on a season-long loan deal, with the club retaining the option of making the transfer permanent at the end of the season.
Despite the way he left Liverpool last year, Coutinho is a loved figure at Anfield. And Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hinted that the club did consider the possibility of signing the Brazilian international back from Barcelona, but did not have the financial muscle to pull off the deal.
“It sounds a bit strange, but we could not afford it, we have already spent the cash that we got for him,” the German tactician said. “We were reluctant to hand him over, but Barcelona forced us with money, so to speak.”
“The move makes sense for both sides. He’s a super player and a great boy. He is a world-class footballer who can change games in the right environment,” he added speaking of Coutinho’s move to Bayern.
Coutinho leaves Barcelona for Bayern after having made 76 appearances in the past eighteen months for the La Liga champions. The German heavyweights have paid an €8.5 million loan fee to acquire his services and will have to shell out €120 million to make the transfer permanent, should they exercise their purchase option.
