Liverpool Tried To Use Coutinho To Sign One Of World's Best

When it comes to transfer sagas Philippe Coutinho's was one of the most drawn out of recent times but Liverpool nearly made it a lot more interesting when they tried to sell him elsewhere to get another player in return.

Coutinho to Barcelona was one of those rolling news stories of the summer, whether it was on these very pages or on Sky Sports News or anywhere you could barely go an hour without another story about his move to Spain.

It took Coutinho ages to get his move. Image: PA Images

And yet somehow the sun and warmth in England disappeared without the Brazilian taking a step outside of Anfield and he stayed in the Premier League for the first part of the season.

Of course he would eventually move in January to La Liga for a ridiculous amount of money and another opening of the saga, fortunately lasting far less time on this occasion.

However things could have been a lot different according to new book, weirdly about PSG. In 'PSG: revelations of a revolution' it reveals that the Reds actually tried to use Coutinho and the offer of €70 million to get Real Madrid to sell them Gareth Bale.

Liverpool tried to sign Bale in the summer. Image: PA Images

The book suggests that the deal was also tied up in everyone's second favourite transfer in the summer, Neymar's move from Barcelona to PSG. Agent Pini Zahavi and his friendship with Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett comes in to play.

Madrid of course rejected the move and Bale stayed in the Spanish capital, although it seems like we won't be saying the same thing about the Welshman at the end of this summer.

The former Spurs winger has never really been loved at the Bernabeu and is now behind the likes of Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez in Zinedine Zidane's pecking order for Los Blancos and looks certain to leave.

_{Check out our video on the evolution of Gareth Bale:}

For a long time it was expected that the one time world's most expensive footballer would make the move to Manchester United when he left Real but that looks unlikely after Jose Mourinho signed Alexis Sanchez in January.

Not getting Coutinho in the summer didn't affect Barcelona badly as they sit so far ahead of the pack in the league, would Real's season have been any different with the Brazilian?

Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho, gareth bale, Real Madrid

Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a writer for SPORTbible. He covers all sport from football, formula one, cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics, mma and wrestling. He obviously hates YOUR football team and has no interest in synchronised swimming.

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