Such is the inevitability of Philippe Coutinho‘s move to Barcelona, the reaction to recent suggestions Liverpool are softening their stance over a sale was met with cries of “not in January” rather than not at all.
Credit to the Brazilian, he has as promised got his head down and continued to bamboozle defenders all season – the peak of course arriving in midweek – despite a summer of unrest following Barca’s trio of offers.
With the captain’s armband tied to his bicep, the coveted playmaker flexed his vast skill to score the first hat-trick of his Anfield career in the 7-0 thrashing of Spartak Moscow, the Reds taking their tally to 12 goals in two before Sunday’s Merseyside Derby.
But it was a performance which swelled talk of an exit, the Liverpool Echo’s respected journalist James Pearce penning a piece suggesting the rhetoric has changed regarding a potential sale with Coutinho himself circumspect when asked his future by Brazilian TV post match.
“I do not know how the future is going to be,” he said. “What will happen in January, we will know it in January. I do not know if there will be an offer.
“I am at Liverpool and I always do my best when I have the opportunity to play, respecting the jersey and the supporters. Last summer there was a job offer in the same way that happens with any employee and I was interested in it. Since I stayed, I have played with will and desire.”
While the 25-year-old and his manager Jurgen Klopp have been non-committal on a January departure, it’s obvious to all that allowing him to leave before June is utter suicide.
In truth, it doesn’t even need to be said. The finance should be in place to sign Virgil van Dijk so a sale shouldn’t be needed to facilitate that transfer.
Bringing in a quality replacement will be difficult because rather sensibly no one sells their top players in the middle of the season.
Even if a player is bought, you only have to look at the bedding in processes for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andy Robertson as justification for the time it takes to be brought up to speed tactically and in terms of fitness when adapting to Klopp’s philosophy.
Selling Coutinho in January makes even less than June because the team would be so obviously weakened at a crucial time of the season.
Of course, Liverpool have a strong footing at the negotiation table with Coutinho signed up until 2022 so fears of a January sale should be tempered.
But what the club must do is consider and identify their alternatives early. Indeed, if the question is ‘when’ and not ‘if’ Coutinho departs, the answer to finding a replacement should be ‘now’.
It would be negligible for Sporting Director Michael Edwards and co. not to have plans for reinvestment in place and in reality they should start next month because if history tells us anything it’s that Liverpool are far from trustworthy with money to burn.
Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert, Lazar Markovic and Divock Origi were all acquired from the pot of Luis Suarez’s £75million fee after he left for Barcelona in 2014 and are a testament to the club’s laxity.
Mario Balotelli was one of a series of Liverpool flops
Make no mistake, a replacement for Coutinho will be required even if Liverpool’s reliance on him has diminished.
Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are all arguably more pivotal players but none have the versatility of the Brazilian to operate in Klopp’s three-man midfield.
Coutinho provides creative thrust when he moves into the attacking-midfield role and although Adam Lallana can replace him, his injury record is hardly room for confidence.
So that brings us to the possible transfer targets.
West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini, Monaco’s Thomas Lemar, Lyon’s Nabil Fekir and Schalke’s Leon Goretzka are all attainable options Liverpool should be exploring.
All offer versatility between an attack-mid position and further afield but are still yet to hit the peak of their powers. Lanzini is a mazy dribbler who possesses an imagination to unlock defenses with quickfire passes.
West Ham score more goals, have more shots and pass the ball better in games he starts and lately he’s embraced a deeper role to give the Hammers their attacking fluency.
Goals would be an obvious area of concern, he’s scored just once in the league – against Liverpool – and that mark matches Lemar’s current total.
Lanzini's goal. He's on 🔥.#lfcpic.twitter.com/TFE3oAwnQu
— Liverpool Gifs (@lfcgifz) November 4, 2017
The France international was linked heavily with Liverpool in the summer, and although he is largely stationed on the left of Monaco’s midfield, has fared well centrally in the past.
Fekir is arguably the best of the four mentioned with his brilliance on the ball married to excellent link-up play. He’s a major threat from set pieces, too, and has contributed to 15 goals (11 scored and four assists) in 13 Ligue 1 games this term.
Another man in the form of his life this season is Goretzka. The Schalke sensation has adapted his playing style of the last season to become a more central figure and the 22-year-old has the added dimension of being a much more robust playmaker.
These are just four possible targets and it’s perhaps moves for players like the aforementioned which minimise the fear of a Coutinho exit.
Regardless, Reds fans are right, just not in January.
