Liverpool are ready to sell want away midfielder Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona and the club have already lined up a replacement for the outgoing Brazilian. With Coutinho expected to leave now, Liverpool are being linked with the purchase of Napoli star Lorenzo Insigne.
Coutinho did not appear in Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Watford on Saturday as expectations of his departure grew further. Coutinho has drawn the ire from Liverpool supporters after finally submitting a transfer request to leave Anfield this summer. It now appears the club have softened on their “no sale” stance, and will allow the player to leave.
According to the Metro, Liverpool have already taken down the player’s displays in the team’s store at Anfield. Despite the panic, there is no official word on Coutinho leaving, yet.
ESPN is reporting Liverpool will buy Napoli star Insigne for around £60 million when the Coutinho deal is finalised. However, it is believed Napoli will resist selling their homegrown star. One problem with Liverpool’s attempts to buy the Napoli star is the Italian club’s participation in the Champions League playoff round. The club will take on Nice in their tie while Liverpool face off with Hoffenheim on Tuesday.
Writer’s take: While Insigne is a very good player, he isn’t the playmaker that teammate Marek Hamsik is. Hamsik may be 30-years old, and didn’t have the goal scoring record Insigne had in 2016-17, but as a central playmaker, Hamsik is the type of player Liverpool is missing.
Insigne played every Serie A game on the left wing last season, and cuts in much like Coutinho. However, Hamsik would provide something completely different to what Liverpool already have in the side. The Napoli star offers a central attacking midfielder that the club don’t currently have. He can not only create goals, but he can dictate the pace of the attack from his central position.
Have you signed up to play in our fantasy football league?
If you haven’t already signed up to play in the FantasySports.co.uk fantasy football league then this is the perfect time to do so! Our journalists will be reporting on your progress throughout the season, so here is your chance to showcase your football knowledge to several hundred thousand FantasySports.co.uk readers.
We will be using the official Premier League fantasy game, where you’ve got a £100m budget to pick a squad of 15 players. So if you see yourself as the next Conte, Guardiola, Klopp or Mourinho, then sign up here.
Add Comment