Manchester United have been linked with a transfer bid for Barcelona attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho, but former defender Rio Ferdinand does not think he fits the bill.
The Old Trafford club are expected to continue their rebuild with a couple of big-name additions to the squad in the summer—or whenever a moved transfer window allows—and Coutinho has been regularly linked with a move back to the Premier League.
Having starred for Liverpool for several years before moving to Barcelona, it’s easy to see why he would have admirers on these shores, but Ferdinand has listed multiple reasons why United should steer clear.
“At Liverpool he was an amazing player, but since he left Liverpool he hasn’t really done it yet,” Ferdinand said on Instagram.
“He struggled at Barcelona, struggled to fit in there and then he hasn’t done amazingly well at Bayern.
“I would have said Man United before Bruno Fernandes turned up, but not now.
“Would he be a good addition, yes? Not Man United though, and he played for Liverpool so it is a difficult one. The rivalry is mad.”
While United might not be an ideal landing spot for Coutinho in Ferdinand’s eyes, he acknowledges that a player of his quality would still be a big draw for other clubs.
Plenty of other teams are attempting to close the gap at the top, after Manchester City and Liverpool have pulled far ahead of everyone else over the past couple of years.
“I think he is a great player, a huge talent, I think he needs saving. Coming into the Premier League to the right team would be a saviour for him, he needs that,” Ferdinand continued.
“Would he improve Spurs? Yes he would, 100 percent. People like [Harry] Kane, Dele [Alli], Son [Heung-Min] etc. all feed off someone like him.
“I think he would be a great addition to Spurs’ squad. Arsenal he would definitely improve them, but where does he play in their system?
“Barely any team can afford him where he would fit in. He wouldn’t fit into [Man] City, Liverpool, not any teams like that.”
Recent speculation has suggested that Bayern will not look to make the loan deal permanent for Coutinho, who would instead return to Spain.
But with managerial changes, board upheaval and underperformance on the pitch all prevalent there, too, it may be that he needs to find a new third club to represent since leaving Anfield in 2018.
