Former Liverpool player Jason McAteer has urged Chelsea to sign Philippe Coutinho, as a return to Anfield is not the right move for the club or player.
Rumours of the 27-year-old midfielder’s return to the Premier League have surfaced because of his inability to settle at parent club Barcelona, since signing from Liverpool in January 2018. After just 18 months with the Spanish giants, Coutinho was shipped out to Bayern Munich on a season-long loan, where Coutinho has started just 12 league games this term.
Ex-Reds midfielder McAteer told the Racing Post: ‘Coutinho served a purpose at Liverpool and was a great player for a period of time – but that time has gone. Selling him was a superb piece of business for the club.
‘He would still grace the top clubs in Europe, as he’s showed at Bayern Munich where he’s done okay – but he needs to be the centre of attention.’ McAteer suggested Frank Lampard’s club would be a much better fit for the South American player.
Jason added: ‘I could see Philippe Coutinho slotting in perfectly at Chelsea, where Frank Lampard is doing unbelievable things trying to reboot the club using a lot of young talent bedding in alongside some experienced stars.’
On Thursday, the Blues announced the signing of Moroccan star Hakim Ziyech for a reported fee of £36.7 million from Dutch club Ajax.
The 26-year-old’s modest price may free up cash to bolster the squad in different areas. With the rumoured exit of Olivier Giroud, Michy Batshuayi, Pedro and Willian, Frank may be targeting the forward positions. However, interest in landing Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho has reportedly cooled due to the £100 million fee being demanded for the English winger.