Coutinho Barcelona – five possible replacements for Liverpool.
A look at five playmakers Liverpool could sign if the rumoured Philippe Coutinho Barcelona deal goes through, with the Reds likely to revive interest in two Bundesliga stars…
1) Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
Linked many times with Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus would be a fine like-for-like replacement for Coutinho if he left for the Nou Camp. The German international would likely cost £50m or more, but is the kind of big name Liverpool need to be competing for to get back into the Champions League.
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2) Isco (Real Madrid)
A superb playmaker with no guarantee of first-team football in this star-studded Real Madrid team, Isco has also been on Liverpool’s radar and would be a fine replacement for Coutinho if the Brazilian made the move to La Liga.
3) Dries Mertens (Napoli)
Not an identical player to Coutinho, Napoli star Dries Mertens is more of a winger, but is generally a very capable attacking midfielder who has emerged as a target for Liverpool ahead of January – possibly with the anticipation of Coutinho heading to Barca?
4) Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich)
Linked with both Liverpool and Manchester United this summer, Bayern Munich star Mario Gotze is a potentially world class player who looks like he needs a move to boost his career after falling out of the first-team picture at the Allianz Arena.
5) Nabil Fekir (Lyon)
One of the top young talents in France, Lyon star Nabil Fekir has been superb in recent times and has attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, but Liverpool should certainly look at him if they do lose Coutinho.