Former Tottenham Hotspur man Jermaine Jenas believes Philippe Coutinho will do all he can to earn Barcelona move – even feign injuries, as reported by the Daily Star.
It is no secret that Barcelona have been desperate to sign a replacement for Neymar and have identified Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho as the ideal candidate to fill in the void left by the Brazilian superstar.
Liverpool have been adamant that they will not look to sell Coutinho at any price but as a huge shock to the Reds, the attacking midfielder recently handed in a transfer request and it is clear that the 25-year-old wants to leave Anfield for the Nou Camp this summer.
The Premier League outfit are still hopeful that they will be able to hold on to the services of Coutinho despite the transfer request but former Tottenham Hotspur star Jermaine Jenas is fearful that the ex-Inter man could go to great lengths this month in order to force a move to Barcelona.
Jenas told 5Live: “It is going to get messy because the player wants to leave and inevitably what will probably happen [is that] he will probably either fake injury or just say, ‘Look, I’m not available for this club right now so you need to take this money’.
“The club have given him almost nowhere to move. If this was done in a situation where people [at Liverpool] would say [to him] ‘Remain professional’, and [then] obviously he’d continually train, be playing his football and be out there playing in a Liverpool shirt and what will be will be.
“The problem is with Barcelona, are they ever going to come back? If they go out there and find somebody else that chance has gone.
“He’ll be looking at this from a player’s perspective going, ‘This is my opportunity, I’ve given everything I can for Liverpool Football Club, this is my one chance to get to Barcelona and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get there.’
“There’s so many risk elements, as well, from a player’s perspective as well. You’ve got to get through a whole season unscathed – no big injuries. You’ve got to maintain your form, there’s a World Cup year coming up.
“We know how many times the big clubs love to sign a player that’s had a great World Cup. This is his opportunity to get to one of, if not, the biggest club in the world.”
Comments
Sarad Bade Shrestha
Hailing from the beautiful Himalayan nation of Nepal, I am an avid football follower with an enormous passion for the world game. I believe that nothing in the world can match the emotional roller coaster which fans experience while supporting their beloved teams. Founder & Owner of TheEaglesFC.com