Philippe Coutinho’s career has gone backwards since leaving Liverpool in January of 2018.

The Brazil international moved to Barcelona, and it looked as though it was the next step in an upward trajectory. However, after just 76 appearances for the Blaugrana, he was sent on loan to Bayern Munich at the start of the campaign, and it now looks as though he won’t be staying in Bavaria beyond this season either.

The big fat Liverpool quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Anfield?

According to El Desmarque, the Bundesliga champions do not want to pay the €120m (£101.2m) purchase option. The report also adds that Jurgen Klopp would have turned down the chance to re-sign the 27-year-old for €108m (£91m), with names like Fabian Ruiz and Isco being more of interest to the Liverpool manager.

Whilst he may not be the player he once was, the six goals and five assists he has managed in 16 Bundesliga matches indicate that the quality is still there.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Were Liverpool right to turn that offer down? Our writers give their verdicts.

Domagoj Kostanjsak

“Even though Coutinho used to be Liverpool’s key man, Jurgen Klopp has already long moved on from the system that made the Brazilian into the star he would eventually become. But both his failed stint at Barcelona and the ongoing campaign with Bayern Munich have proved that Coutinho is very much a system-specific player that needs the whole team centred around him in order to thrive. At the moment, I just can’t see him slotting into the current Liverpool squad nor do I feel Klopp needs a player of his profile at all. For me, this would have been a waste of money and honestly, it’s a spot-on decision by the German to decline the offer to take him back.”

Matt Dawson

“Jurgen Klopp has taken this Liverpool side from one that was quickly fading down the Premier League table to one now on the verge of winning the very same trophy. Their transformation has been nothing short of outstanding and the last thing they need is to bring someone like Philippe Coutinho back to Anfield. The Brazilian is a player of days gone by and has no future in the mesmeric team that Klopp is building. Coutinho may have creativity in abundance, registering five assists and six goals in the Bundesliga this season, but Liverpool are better off pursuing someone for the future – not an ex-player who could have cost them £91m. This is the right stance, one that shows just how far the Reds have come.”

James Beavis

“Liverpool are absolutely right to take this stance on Philippe Coutinho. Jurgen Klopp currently has a tight-knit squad who clearly have an exceptional attitude and mentality given how good they have been over the course of the last 18 months especially. The Brazilian blotted his own copybook when he handed in a transfer request via email at Anfield in the summer of 2017 in order to force through a move to Barcelona, and a potential bad egg to disrupt this settled team is the last thing the Merseyside outfit needs.

“That action in 2017 was perhaps a sign of his character, and Klopp has had the last laugh since his departure following two Champions League finals, 97 points in the top flight last season and looking to be on course to win their first-ever Premier League title this term.”

Jonathan Radcliffe

“Whilst the general opinion seems to be that Klopp was right to turn down taking Coutinho back to Liverpool, I believe that it could be a missed opportunity from the 52-year-old. Yes, the potential fee would have been a big one, but at 27 he still has plenty of football left in him. In the Premier League, the Brazil international was a revelation – in his last 45 matches in the English top tier, he had 20 goals and 13 assists. His work-rate is also underappreciated – he averaged 2.8 tackles per match at last year’s Copa America and managed well over one per game during his time in the Premier League. His career may not have gone on the trajectory many expected, but he still has the pedigree to be a star. In this case, Klopp got it wrong.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans have slammed this star after his dreadful display against Wolves.

According to The Evening Standard’s James Robson, Manchester United are planning a summer swoop for Birmingham’s Jude Bellingham.

What’s the word?

One of the undoubted starlets of the season thus far, Bellingham has been lighting up the Championship with his performances – despite only being 16 years of age.

He has already made a quite incredible 27 appearances across all competitions, and chipped in with four goals and one assist too.

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It was reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein a couple of weeks ago that the Red Devils were keen on signing him in January. But now, in an update from The Evening Standard’s James Robson, that does not appear to be the case.

Instead, he has revealed that United have put together a £20m package to land the teenager in the summer, and that he is considered a “perfect fit for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s cultural reboot at Old Trafford”.

One for the future

At just 16, Bellingham appears to be a precocious youngster, and it is easy to see why the likes of Manchester United are very much interested in securing his services. His remarkable versatility for such a young age (he has played in five different positions this campaign), shows that he also seems to have a team-first mentality too, simply playing wherever his manager wants him.

What could’ve been… Can you name the clubs these football legends almost joined?

Whilst the price being talked about for a 16-year-old seems amazing, the Red Devils should be applauded for continuing to seek out the best young talent and bringing them to Manchester.

If they do manage to pull it off come the end of the season, then they could have a real talent for the future on their hands.

Meanwhile, James Ducker has provided a major update on the future of Ed Woodward.

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after a former transfer target for the Eagles – Allan Saint-Maximin – netted a stunning late winner for Newcastle in their FA Cup fourth round replay against Oxford.The Daily Mail revealed back in the summer that Saint-Maximin – who was playing in France with OGC Nice at the time – was top of the south Londoners’ list of players who could potentially replace Wilfried Zaha, who was then the subject of transfer interest from Arsenal.

However, the 22-year-old decided to join Newcastle in a deal worth £16.5m, where he has since dazzled the St James’ Park faithful by completing a huge 4.4 dribbles per game – his end product in the Premier League has been lacking however, with just one goal and one assist to show for his efforts.

On Tuesday evening, the Frenchman did add another goal to his tally, this time with a strike in the FA Cup – a stunning long-range effort in the 116th minute to help the Magpies progress into the fifth round.

After watching his exquisite strike, a number of Crystal Palace fans on Twitter have reacted…

To kick off the discussion, these two fans both felt the need to bring Wilfried Zaha into the equation and compare to Ivory Coast international to Newcastle’s No.10.

Kieran Potter said that Saint-Maximin is “better than Zaha” – a very bold statement.

Also, @CPFC_GH mentioned that “Wilf should be doing this more often” after watching the former Monaco winger smash his extra-time winner in.

Elsewhere, Aidan Keys added that Saint-Maximin “would have been perfect” – given the fact that Zaha completes 4.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League, the pair of them together certainly would’ve been entertaining to watch.

Meanwhile, these two Palace fans opted to play down the 22-year-old goal.

Luke said that Saint-Maximin is “not an upgrade on anything we have” as he only did one thing of note against Oxford and was poor for the whole 90 minutes before extra-time.

Then, Rowan echoed that point by saying the Frenchman “did nothing else” throughout the rest of the game.

Lastly, Daniel simply said that it’s “irrelevant” whether or not supporters wanted him or not, as the club “haven’t spent that sort of money recently”.

Who on earth is that?!?! Can you name all of these obscure January signings?

Since Roy Hodgson came through the door, his most expensive purchase has been Cheikhou Kouyate for £11m.

In other news, Max Meyer has responded to Connor Wickham’s second Instagram post since joining Sheffield Wednesday…

“I’ve been all over the world watching you” exclaimed one member of Chris Wilder’s staff on Sander Berge’s first day at Sheffield United.

The Norwegian was putting pen to paper on his club-record deal to sign for United in the final week of the January window, being greeted with gleeful smiles by a host of players and staff at the Blades’ training ground.

There was a sense of excitement but no smile or joke was bigger than their assistant manager’s.

Alan Knill was in one of the rooms and he shared a quick conversation with Berge, exclaiming that he was one of the people who had watched the 21-year-old on a regular basis.

“Barcelona was lovely,” he chirped to Wilder and their new signing, but despite this being nothing more than a joke, there is a more serious message to this discussion that took place last week.

Sheffield United were detailed in their approach to sign Berge and their meticulous nature when it came to scouting the player was evident.

Wilder even watched him in action for Norway against Sweden all the way back in September. This wasn’t a player they only just turned attentions to in the New Year. Instead, they tracked him for a considerable period and are now already reaping the rewards.

The Blades boss would have been impressed by what he saw during that clash over four months ago. Per SofaScore, Berge made three interceptions, won four aerial duels and was also successful with two dribbles.

Where is he from?! Can you name which obscure countries these famous players have represented?

The midfielder was in imperious form, just as he was on his Sheffield United debut – winning a colossal six tackles against Crystal Palace.

But what they saw during the youngster’s first appearance for the club will have been nothing new. Knill and Wilder knew what they were getting and it was the former who played the most vital part in assessing those qualities.

Scouting a player often doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves but when you consider the list of clubs who had previously been interested in Berge, it goes to show how important Knill was in the process.

Liverpool and Napoli had been parties to look at the holding midfielder but it was the Blades he eventually signed for.

Knill saw him in action on multiple occasions and something like that will have surely caught Berge’s eye when determining who to go to.

The 55-year-old coach isn’t just useful on the training ground, but behind the scenes, he is an imperative cog who is trusted to make judgement calls on potential new recruits.

The addition of the former Genk man was a coup, but United’s methods were thorough and they deservedly got their man at the end of it.

Meanwhile, check out what Chris Wilder had Berge do on his first day as a Blades player…

City rivalries often create the most intense and fiery fixtures in the world of football and Birmingham is certainly no exception to the rule.

West Bromwich Albion may not be based directly in Birmingham but their close proximity to the city makes for a relatively tense rivalry with Birmingham City FC.

But if Jude Bellingham’s latest Instagram post is anything to go by, that relationship has not deterred young players from forming relationships with other youngsters contracted to the rival club.

Birmingham’s young starlet posted a new snap on

/B8dW_oVgSg4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram celebrating his team’s recent 1-0 victory over Barnsley.

It didn’t take long for Nathan Ferguson, a rising youngster from West Brom, to like the image and show his support for his friend who happens to play for their Championship rivals.

Even though this might be unusual to see, it also shows how friendship can transcend the fires of derbies, with rivalries put to one side until the day when the two sides go head-to-head, of course.

Elsewhere, many West Brom fans were in a heated debate on one of their players that seems to be a dividing figure at the club…

Tottenham Hotspur go into battle in the Champions League this evening as they welcome Bundesliga outfit, RB Leipzig, to north London.

It’s the first leg of their Round of 16 tie, so there will be a premium on still being in the encounter for the return leg in a couple of weeks.

Although Jose Mourinho’s chances of progressing have taken a devastating dent following further injury crisis as Heung-min Son could miss the remainder of the season, joining their other primary source of goals, Harry Kane, on the treatment table.

With the away goals rule still intact under UEFA regulations, Spurs could do with keeping a clean sheet as they are at home first, but that won’t be an easy task either as the goal-laden Timo Werner comes to town.

The north Londoners know all too well about the 23-year-old as multiple reports have linked the club to his signature in the past.

Now chairman Daniel Levy and the rest of the Spurs hierarchy are going to get to witness the prolific marksman first-hand at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium tonight.

Werner has been in rampant form for the German side this campaign, scoring 23 goals and providing seven assists across the Bundesliga as well as the Champions League.

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Also per WhoScored, the striker averages 3.7 shots, 1.5 dribbles and 1.4 key passes per game, proving he’s not just a one-trick pony and rather an all-rounded threat that could cause Mourinho’s backline serious damage.

BILD’s head of football, Christian Falk, reports that Werner currently has a €60m (£49.8m) release clause that expires at the end of April, so if Levy were to reignite interest in the frontman, he’d have to act quickly to do so especially given Liverpool’s interest.

It remains to be seen if Spurs will indeed go back in for him this summer – given that Kane and Son should be back from injury ahead of next season – but if Werner is the man to have Mourinho’s men on the ropes with a goal or two this evening, you’d imagine that Levy will be sitting in his director’s box trying his best to not reach for his tight wallet.

What could’ve been… Can you name the clubs these football legends almost joined?

Either way, Spurs could be about to witness why it was a mistake to not sign him last month and why it would be an even bigger catastrophe to not continue their interest in the German international.

And in other news, Jamie O’Hara believes Spurs should have signed this Premier League STAR…

When you’re cantering towards the Premier League title in quite remarkable fashion, injuries aren’t exactly the end of the world.

Liverpool find themselves a whopping 19 points clear of Manchester City in second, and could extend that gap even further when they take on West Ham on Monday evening.

But one man who Jurgen Klopp will of course have to do without, is Jordan Henderson. The Reds boss confirmed that having been forced off late on in the Champions League last 16 clash against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, the club captain will “miss three weeks or so”.

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Naturally, Henderson’s absence will be somewhat of a blow as Liverpool look to retain their European crown, and also make an assault on the FA Cup too. But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another door opens. And Naby Keita could well be the man to step through.

The Guinea international has endured a really tough campaign this year for the Merseyside outfit, playing just 17 times across all competitions. The 25-year-old has had some wretched luck with niggling injuries, and he only returned from a recent groin strain in the 2-0 win over West Ham late in January.

And with Liverpool doing so well, Klopp naturally would have been reluctant to make any serious changes to his starting line-up heading into the business end of the season. However, now that Henderson has been ruled out for the foreseeable future at least, there is a massive chance for Keita to really stake his claim that he is deserving of a longer run in the team.

When did that happen?! Premier League experts will know which surprising clubs these stars once played for…

The £37.8m-rated ace can emerge from the shadows and lay down a marker, not just for this season, but for his Anfield career as a whole. When everyone is fully fit and firing, the midfielder will have a major job on his hands to convince Klopp that he is the man to trust. It is exactly why he must take his chance over the coming weeks with both hands.

Circumstances have dictated that Keita could be the man to benefit the most from Liverpool’s Henderson setback. Now it’s up to him to deliver on the goods.

Meanwhile, this is how Liverpool could line up against West Ham.

As per the division’s official site, Andre Marriner has been appointed as the referee for Wolves’ Premier League match against Brighton – and the fans are not happy…

Wolves, who have suffered some harsh marginal decisions in the Premier League this season, including a disallowed goal for handball on the opening weekend of the season at Leicester – a game reffed by Marriner.

The official is rumoured to be an Aston Villa fan given he has never referred a game (per BBC Sport), raising questions among the Wolves fanbase as to his impartiality, given the strong rivalry between the two West Midlands clubs.

That being said, Wolves’ record with Marriner as referee is not bad at all. During the 2019/20 season Wolves has won three, drawn two and lost just one match that Marriner has taken charge of. They also have a strong record when Chris Kavanagh, who will be the VAR for the Brighton game, has been in charge.

But it hasn’t stopped Wolves fans from talking conspiracy theories. Here’s what some said on Twitter…

What do you think Wolves fans? Does Marriner’s appointment make you less confident about beating Brighton? Join the discussion in the comments below!

Responding to a post by Manchester City YouTuber Esteemed Kompany , simply enquiring over whether RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann could be a suitable successor for Pep Guardiola, loads of Sky Blues have approved of the notion – with one fan in particular claiming he is ‘the man we need’. 

Nagelsmann, who has guided Leipzig to third in the Bundesliga so far this campaign, competing for their first league title alongside established German giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, is seen by these City fans as a real candidate to eventually replace Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

Indeed, according to France Football via Bundesliga, Nagelsmann hugely admires the Spaniard’s Barcelona team of the late 2000s to early 2010s – going on to suggest Guardiola’s past Barca side is his ‘role model’. Since signing as manager for the Blues, the ex-Bayern boss has delivered trophies galore – winning eight in total (two Premier League titles, three Carabao Cups, one FA Cup, two Community Shields).

However, given that his tenure will not last forever, these supporters have eyed the debatably perfect replacement – here’s what they had to say on Twitter.

Would you take Julian Nagelsmann as a Guardiola successor? Join the discussion by commenting below…

After enjoying an electric start to the season following his arrival from Championship side Swansea last summer, Daniel James’ form has tailed off considerably over these past few months.

The Wales international struck three times in his opening four Premier League games for Manchester United, including a strike on his top-flight debut against Chelsea. But ever since those early weeks, it has been rather downhill for the young winger – particularly in terms of delivering an end product.

Aside from his goal in the Europa League against LASK recently, James has been woefully out-of-form, failing to net once in the Premier League since August 31. Despite not having his shooting boots on, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has kept faith in the 22-year-old, but that is perhaps more of an indication of his genuine lack of options than the winger’s excellence.

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James has already played 37 games across all competitions, and with this being his first at Premier League level, he was bound to hit a brick wall, particularly after playing week-in and week-out for a while now. And that is one of the reasons why the Red Devils’ potential swoop for Leon Bailey could help him unlock his true potential.

According to The Daily Express, Chelsea are lining up an £85m move for the Bayer Leverkusen winger, and that United are ready to battle their rivals for it. If they do manage to land him ahead of the Blues, then it could have the added bonus of revitalising James.

Solskjaer would have more options to play with out wide, and rather than having to stick with James, he can bring Bailey into the team and allow the latter to rest more and find his feet again. Further to that, it could also help with the former Swansea ace going under the radar again.

When he first burst onto the scene, he was bit of an unknown entity and there may not have been much expectation on him to produce. It was no surprise that the early weeks were his most successful in a United shirt. Signing Bailey would cause opposition teams and the Red Devils themselves to focus on the Jamaican a lot more, leaving James to come in and do his damage from out of the shadows.

It’s a move that makes a sense on a lot of levels, not least the potential impact it could have on James.

Meanwhile, Man Utd must swoop for this Barcelona star.