Former Liverpool captain would welcome Philippe Coutinho back at the club 'in a heartbeat'

Aditya Devavrat 21:46 14/05/2019
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  • Former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson believes the club should be open to welcoming back Philippe Coutinho, who left for Barcelona in January 2018.

    The Brazilian playmaker has “suffered” while at Barcelona, according to Thompson, who believes Coutinho has been used in the wrong position at his new team but has the ability to return to being the impact player he was at Liverpool.

    Barcelona made Coutinho a club-record signing last year, in a deal that could be worth up to £142million, but are now reportedly open to selling him. The Reds’ Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United both having been linked with a move for a player who turns 27 this summer – and Thompson believes Liverpool should also be in the running.

    “I would take him back in a heartbeat,” the ex-Reds defender told Sky Sports.  “But it would have to be now. You don’t want to leave it another 12 months.

    “I think he still has the ability,” Thompson added.

    “He’s suffered at Barcelona. We’ve seen him playing out wide on the left, but he’s not Neymar. He likes to be in the middle where he can pull strings and is getting on the ball to hurt teams. He doesn’t do that and he’s not a left-winger and that’s where he’s playing at Barcelona.

    “They don’t love him like Liverpool loved him.”

    Coutinho left Liverpool having made just over 200 appearances over four-and-a-half seasons, scoring 54 goals and adding a further 45 assists, and Thompson cited the Brazilian’s performance during that spell as enough evidence that he could still make an impact if he returned.

    “He was that little bit clever, that creativity behind those front three that you could go to in games where you knew you were going to have the majority of the possession,” said Thompson.

    “He could open that door, he could score the goals that would get you the win.

    “I would have him back, I don’t know about the football club, but he is the one with that ability.”

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    Thompson, who won seven league titles and three European Cups with Liverpool, captaining the side for four of those honours, hopes his former club included a buy-back clause when selling Coutinho last winter.

    “Knowing our club, we’ve been very shrewd, maybe there’s a buy-back clause in there for maybe less than half what we sold him.”

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