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Liverpool Face Familiar Situation If Philippe Coutinho Joins Barcelona

Liverpool Face Familiar Situation If Philippe Coutinho Joins Barcelona

The Reds need only look back to the 2010/11 season when Fernando Torres was sold to Chelsea...

Anonymous

Anonymous

Liverpool may be about to receive a significant fee for the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona but could soon find themselves in a familiarly difficult position in the transfer market.

Coutinho joined the Reds in 2013 from Inter Milan for £13 million and continues edging closer to signing for the Blaugrana in a deal estimated at over £100m.

Although a sizeable amount of money would be burning in Jurgen Klopp's pocket, Liverpool supporters may still have fresh memories of the 2010/11 season when similar circumstances were swirling around Anfield - the departure of Fernando Torres.

'El Nino' arrived in July 2007 from Atletico Madrid and was an instant Kop hero, scoring 33 goals in all competitions in his debut season alone.

Fernando Torres, Liverpool
Fernando Torres, Liverpool

Image: PA

But soon the relationship between player and club turned sour. Torres left Liverpool as a pantomime villain in January 2011 and headed south to league rivals Chelsea in a then-British transfer record for £58.5m.

At the time, nobody truly knew why the Spaniard had turned his back on the 18-time English League champions, but subsequent revelations in Simon Hughes' book 'Ring of Fire: Liverpool FC into the 21st Century' disclosed the true motives behind the move - namely the takeover of the club by Fenway Sports Group in October 2010.

With Torres gone Liverpool were lacking a focal point in attack, they needed a new talisman. Club legend Kenny Dalglish was now at the helm - the supporters were expectant of new arrivals with the money received for Torres' sale.

Liverpool's Fernando Torres appears dejected during the Barclays Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool.
Liverpool's Fernando Torres appears dejected during the Barclays Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool.

Image: PA

On January 31, transfer deadline day, Liverpool finally bit the bullet and signed Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez from Newcastle United and Ajax respectively.

Carroll was a club-recording signing at the time, costing £41m, Suarez arrived for a mere £26.5m. The former left a flop, the latter left Liverpool a legend.

Aged only 22 and burdened with the responsibility of wearing the famous number nine shirt, Carroll struggled to replicate his strong form for Newcastle at Anfield.

The England international netted just 11 goals in 58 appearances for the Reds before moving on loan to West Ham United and joining the Hammers permanently in July 2013 - a deal that meant Liverpool lost £24.75m over the 28-year-old.

New Liverpool signings Andy Carroll (left) and Luis Suarez (right) with manager Kenny Dalglish during a Press Conference at Anfield, Liverpool.
New Liverpool signings Andy Carroll (left) and Luis Suarez (right) with manager Kenny Dalglish during a Press Conference at Anfield, Liverpool.

Image; PA

Suarez, meanwhile, was a phenomenon. Leaving defences in his wake and opposition coaches bewildered as to how to stop him, the Uruguayan scored 82 goals in 133 appearances for Liverpool during his three-year spell.

The 30-year-old hit peak form in his final season under Brendan Rodgers, leading the club agonisingly close to their first-ever Premier League title in 2014 only for Manchester City to pip them to first-place.

But, just like Torres, Suarez was a prime target and when Barcelona came calling in July 2014 there was only ever one outcome as he headed to Catalonia to join forces with Lionel Messi and Co.

And here we are again. Three years after one Kop favourite departed, another in the form of Coutinho is on the cusp of leaving Liverpool.

Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho

Image: PA

Barcelona are still reeling from Neymar Jr's sensational £220m exit to Paris Saint-Germain on August 3 and are desperate to secure his Brazilian compatriot to fill the void.

Liverpool have so far rejected the Blaugrana's two offers for Coutinho in the form of an initial £72m and subsequent £90m bid.

The 25-year-old submitted a formal transfer request on Friday and now even Klopp is unsure about the Reds' chances of fending off the advances of the Catalan giants.

At the present time, it appears that Coutinho will get his wish but it will certainly leave Liverpool once again in a precarious situation in the transfer market.

Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho steps off the team coach as they arrive at Vicarage Road
Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho steps off the team coach as they arrive at Vicarage Road

Image: PA

Liverpool struck gold back in 2011 with Suarez as he took the baton from Torres but lost big hedging their bets on a then-fledgling Carroll - similar losses cannot be afforded to occur again this time around if Coutinho exits through the Shankly Gates and heads for the northeast of Spain.

Barcelona lost a star player in Neymar but quickly regrouped to focus their attention on securing a ready-made addition in Coutinho to complement Messi and Suarez in their attacking trident.

Whether or not Liverpool can also cope swiftly with losing their own Brazilian star - and without spending over the odds in the current market - remains to be seen.

WORDS BY Luke Salvin-Hughes - @salvhughes

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Topics: Liverpool, Coutinho