Alan Shearer has shared that he believes Philippe Coutinho’s Liverpool exit could cost the Reds millions as it might lead to them failing to qualify for the Champions League.
The pundit gave his opinion on the Brazilian’s move to Barcelona in his latest column for The Sun and revealed that, while £146million is a fantastic fee, it was still a risk for Liverpool to accept.
Shearer claims he would be stunned if manager Jurgen Klopp can secure a bona fide replacement for the Brazil international this month.
“Philippe Coutinho leaving is going to severely dent Liverpool’s top-four and Champions League hopes,” admitted Shearer.
“Of course, £145million is a fantastic fee for a player they signed from Inter Milan for just £8.5m five years ago.
“But I’ll be amazed if they can find a replacement for him this month, and it’s a big risk for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.”
Shearer continued stating that Coutinho showed a fantastic attitude for the Reds this season after missing out on his Barcelona move in the summer.
Ahead of his January move, the midfielder made 20 appearances for the Reds, scoring 12 goals and grabbing nine assists.
However, the pundit was quick to reiterate before finishing his column that Liverpool may have “cash in the bank” now but the deal could cost them “millions” if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
OPINION
Alan Shearer really is being pessimistic about Liverpool’s chances of success without Coutinho. It’s true that the Reds will miss the midfielder, any club would, but they still have a side capable of qualifying for the Champions League without signing a replacement. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane should all be enough to fire Liverpool to a top four finish this season. Especially when you consider the Reds have strengthened at the back by signing Virgil van Dijk, whose presence should see the side earn more clean sheets in the second-half of the season.