Liverpool fans have been watching the soap opera unfold for weeks now. Philippe Coutinho to join Barcelona, Liverpool to hold onto Coutinho, Coutinho requests transfer to Barcelona, Liverpool reject Barca offers, and on and on and on. Coutinho hasn't played for Liverpool in over a month due to a mysterious back injury that miraculously healed instantly when he joined Brazil for the International break.
Stories out of Spain reported that Barcelona were confident they would land their target even after repeated denials from Liverpool. Part of Liverpool's reluctance to sell is not only because of the loss of a great player, but also do to the precedent it would set. What happens next year if Madrid come calling for Sadio Mane? Liverpool want to take a firm position and tell both their players and other clubs that they will only sell players they wish to sell and will not be bullied into selling players.
There was also another twist to the drama. Philippe Coutinho is good friends with former Barcelona star Neymar. The Barcelona / Neymar relationship ended in a bitter divorce when Neymar left for PSG. In fact, there are lawsuits now between the two. The experience has resulted in Neymar speaking outwardly about his disdain for Barcelona management. He loves the Barcelona supporters and his former teammates but does not have a nice word to say about the Barcelona management.
So how does this impact Coutinho? Again, he is good friends with Neymar. And, now the two friends are together in Brazil, training and preparing for World Cup qualifiers. During this entire International break, Neymar will be talking to his good friend about Barcelona. And what he is saying to Coutinho is not good if you are a Barcelona supporter. Reports are that Neymar had told Coutinho he would not regret the fact that Liverpool did not allow Coutinho to transfer to Barcelona.
Now that both the Premier League and La Liga transfer windows have ended, we know Philippe Coutinho will stay at Liverpool. But how will he return to the club? I believe Coutinho will say he was truly injured, he never wanted to leave Liverpool and never spoke negatively about the club or about Klopp and all of the reports were rumor and hearsay. He will likely issue an apology and say he stated before the window that he was a Red and happy to be here and wants to put this behind him and move forward helping his club.
Will Jurgen Klopp accept this and welcome Coutinho back? Absolutely! That has been worry among some Liverpool supporters that Klopp can be stubborn and point to his reluctance to make peace with Sakho but that doesn't hold water to me. Klopp's frustration with Sakho was over repeated discipline issues. This is different and is typical of footballers during the transfer saga. I expect both manager and player to put this behind them and move forward together.
What about the concern that Coutinho is upset with Liverpool and may continue to not play? It's rubbish. He is a professional footballer and will return and play for Liverpool. The actions he took, agreeably selfish, were typical of players trying to force a move (see Virgil Van Dijk) and were done at the recommendation of his agent. Coutinho must now face the reality that the ploy did not work and he remains with the club.
Another reason he will return and play at a high level........the 2018 World Cup. If Couthinho wants to be a key component for Brazil (he does), he must play this season and play well. If he thought he could sit out or go through the motions and then immediately step in for Brazil as a star this International break should tell him otherwise. Coutinho returned to Brazil and received a clean bill of health. He thought he would start for Brazil and not skip a beat. However, he was relegated to the bench and only appeared as a substitute in their game versus Ecuador. The reason? Brazil indicated because of his lack of play they were not comfortable with Couthinho starting and playing significant minutes. If he wants to feature for his country he has to feature for his club.
The drama is nearing an end. Coutinho and Klopp still need to meet and clear the air. All indications are this will occur after the International break ahead of Liverpool's game versus Manchester City. Will this all be put to bed prior to that game? Perhaps not, but certainly after that Coutinho will return to his significant role with the Reds and will be a huge asset to Liverpool this season. Rest assured, the business side is over and its a return to football for all!