Rumor Mongering: PSG to Make Coutinho Bid

Philippe Coutinho, arguably Liverpool’s best player — though he does have some stiff competition nowadays — is forever being linked away from Merseyside to one of the rich super clubs on the continent. For several transfer windows in a row, it was Real Madrid that had the interest. Now it seems that PSG has joined the race, such that it is, to pry Coutinho away from Anfield.

It’s reported that the French powerhouse made an attempt to sign him in the summer with a £22m bid that was too low and insulting to even warrant an incredulous tweet by Liverpool owner John W. Henry. They may be set to try again this January with renewed interest and, presumably, a better offer, especially if Coutinho continues to perform as well as he has for Brazil and alongside Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané for the Reds.

It’s early days yet in the season, but if PSG continue to lag behind Nice and Monaco in the table through December, it may compel manager Unai Emery and the owners to pay over the top for a quick injection of talent into the squad. However, Coutinho signed a new contract in February 2015 that keeps him at Anfield until 2020, which would put Liverpool under no pressure to offload their biggest talent during the busiest time of the season.

Coutinho, for his part, seems happy at Liverpool. His and the team’s improved performances have them doing very well in the league, and he is on his way to becoming a mainstay for the Brazil national team. Maybe next summer these kind of rumors will be more worrying, but suggesting a January move for Philippe Coutinho seems extremely unlikely.