The Brazilian has flattered to deceive since making the £142million switch from Merseyside in January 2018.
Liverpool did everything they could to keep Coutinho, but Jurgen Klopp was forced to concede defeat five months after rejected three bids from Barcelona.
The German revealed the decision became easier for the club once they realised that there was “no chance” of keeping him committed until the end of their campaign.
But now, just 14 months on from what was described as Coutinho ‘childhood dream’ move, the La Liga giants look as if they’re preparing to cut their losses on their record signing.
According to ESPN FC, sources at Barcelona have told them that they’ll be willing to sell the 27-year-old this summer if they receive an offer in excess of £90million.
“Barcelona do not have a firm offer from any club at this point, but some have expressed an interest in the player,” a source at the club told them.
“Key people, who are either directly or indirectly linked with various clubs have been following the situation closely.”
While Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked since January, it’s likely that Liverpool will be the frontrunners for any potential return to the Premier League given that he’s a former Anfield favourite.
Hypothetically, the move would make plenty of sense for the Reds considering they’re still yet to replace his magic in midfield.
Draws with Leicester, West Ham, Manchester United and more recently Everton has seen the Premier League title race fall out of Liverpool’s hands and perhaps surprisingly, it was their fortunes in front of goal that cost them.
With Mohamed Salah without a goal in seven matches and a lack of invention from midfield, Klopp’s team were lacking the creative spark that Coutinho once was.
If Nabil Fekir’s proposed transfer from Lyon hadn’t of collapsed last summer, things may have been different. But there is now still a space at Liverpool for an attacking midfielder which will surely be high on their priority list when the window reopens.
The finances also add up for Coutinho’s return, if they were willing to fork out £90m it would see them overturn a profit of £52m from his sale. That’s a large proportion of Alisson’s £65m fee and it easily covers what was paid for Fabinho from Monaco.
But beneath the fantasy of a sensational return lies something much more important.
Klopp places huge value on character and squad harmony and to him, Coutinho chose to leave all of that behind.
While second chances can happen in football, this Liverpool side have evolved leaps and bounds since they started life without him. They have reached a Champions League final and could do it again this season, while they are also firmly in the hunt of their first Premier League title.
Klopp called it, way back on the final day of the Premier League season in May 2017 vs Middlesbrough, he was pressed for clarity on Coutinho’s long-term Anfield future.
“Stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honour,” he said.
“Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.”
The sometimes goofy German knows that things are never as special as they once were second time around and he will want to use Coutinho’s case as evidence that the grass isn’t greener beyond Liverpool anymore.