Former Liverpool star Luis Suarez (it is funny to say that he is ‘former’) has spoken about Philippe Coutinho raising alarm bells in the transfer market. According to RAC105 (h/t Sky Sports), Suarez indicated that Coutinho is the type of player that Barcelona want to sign.

The Uruguayan hitman has said that Liverpool’s Coutinho and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann are “elite” players that fit Barcelona perfectly.

This is interesting because Coutinho and Barcelona had a love-hate relationship throughout the summer. The Catalans wanted to sign the Brazilian playmaker, but Liverpool rejected three bids. It was reported that even a £113million bid was not enough to get us do business.

Coutinho too did his part by handing in a transfer request but we have held firm. The player has since integrated back into the Reds team and has pledged his commitment. But Suarez, who made the switch from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2014 feels that Coutinho is ready to play for the Spanish side.

“Both Griezmann and Coutinho are elite players that are playing at the top level,” Suarez told RAC105 (h/t Sky Sports).

“They are where they are for a reason. They’re both young and have long careers ahead of them. And Barca always want the best players.”

Is this part of the charm that the Spanish clubs use, before landing their player? I certainly think so because you can clearly see a pattern here. As we approach the January transfer window, we are bound to see more of these.

There will be public appreciations of what Coutinho did and does at Liverpool. This is part of their strategy to make sure that they get their target signed – by hook or crook!

Happened In The Past Too!

Suarez will do well to remember that before his transfer materialised, there were a lot of similar statements from the players – about Suarez being one of the best in his position, about how he can improve the squad, about what he’d bring to La Liga etc.

So, to be honest, I am not surprised by this statement from Suarez. As a fan, I foresee the departure of Coutinho – if not this winter, at least next summer. I would be happy if Klopp and co. manage to settle down on alternatives and not make his departure weaken our team.

What do you think?