Philippe Coutinho remains a “really good player” but Liverpool no longer need him and should not be considering another big-money deal with Barcelona, says John Aldridge.
The former Reds striker told the Liverpool Echo: “I see the topic of whether Liverpool should try and bring Philippe Coutinho back to Anfield has reared its head again.“For me, he was and still is a really good player and, with the squad we've got now I'm sure he'd do very well but I lean more towards the 'never go back' argument.
“We went out and brought in Van Dijk and Alisson for pretty much the same money and you have to say we haven't looked back since - European champions, world champions and a 22-point lead at the top of the league as we look to end this 30-year weight for a league title.“I wish the lad well but at the end of the day what's happened to him shows that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
“It used to be said years ago if you left Liverpool there was only one way to go and that's down, and it's a sign of the times that some players are now discovering that again.“Another in the same boat is Emre Can. To be honest I always felt he was punching above his weight at Liverpool but he thought he could do better by moving on and it hasn't worked out for him at Juventus.
“He scored a fine goal on his debut for Borussia Dortmund at the weekend but the fact he's had to go back to Germany to try and salvage his career says a lot and is a warning to others that you walk away from Liverpool at your peril.”