Liverpool have suffered extreme heartache over the years as they’ve watched some of their best players leave for pastures new. The likes of Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez not only left a hole in the hearts of fans, but a huge void in the squad too. It simply wasn’t the luck of the draw for the Reds to do enough to keep hold of their star players.

The same can be said for Philippe Coutinho, who is still a hot topic amongst Kopites two years on.

When and why did Philippe Coutinho transfer to Barcelona?

Arguably up there as one of the club’s most creative midfielders to date, the day he left for Barcelona changed Liverpool forever. Little did fans know, the bad tide would eventually turn into something they could never imagine.

The Brazilian had recently signed a new five-year deal with the Merseyside outfit, but shortly after became heavily linked to the Catalonians. Sure enough, in January 2018, Coutinho completed his move to Spain and lined Liverpool’s pockets with a handsome sum of £142million (via The Guardian).

The playmaker had secured his dream move and must have thought he had hit the jackpot, set for a career of medals and milestones. Unfortunately for him, his future is now an uncertain one after falling drastically down the pecking order at Barca. He has spent the last year on loan with Bayern Munich, who don’t want to make his move permanent.

Coutinho could flourish under Klopp

With no concrete destination on the cards, Coutinho’s next move is very much a grey area. A lot of clubs are currently interested in his services, but no official talks have been held.

A likely option for him lies in the Premier League, with the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Newcastle all monitoring his situation. However, it has also been reported that Liverpool are considering a reunion with Coutinho, with Jurgen Klopp said to not be cancelling out the idea of his return.

The Brazilian’s exit split the Liverpool fanbase, but a lot of supporters stayed true to the former Red. They’ve made this clear by backing the decision to re-sign the old flame and believe he would excel in the team’s current midfield. Coutinho bagged a total of 54 goals and 45 assists during his time on Merseyside, which are numbers that could make Liverpool even more deadly this time round.

How has Coutinho helped Liverpool win the Premier League?

Despite the fact Liverpool have missed his chance creations from midfield, selling him has been one of the most beneficial things to happen to the club in recent years. Cashing in for £142m, the Reds made a stunning profit of £133.5m, considering their initial payment of just £8.5m back in 2013.

After bagging the money, Klopp and Co were able to strengthen Liverpool’s weakest element – their defence.

For years, the Reds suffered blunder after blunder with the likes of Loris Karius and Alberto Moreno shielding the goal. There was worry that top signings Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane would soon be fed up of their contributions being cancelled out by poor defending.

The cries for help were heard. Splashing a combined total of £141.8m on Virgil van Dijk and Alisson could have been written in the stars. Essentially the entire amount made from Coutinho’s sale bought two of Liverpool’s most game-changing signings. As a result of their now world-class defence, the Reds are the current holders of four major honours.

Reigning champions of Europe, current Super Cup and Club World Cup holders, Liverpool have finally achieved the dream and secured their first ever Premier League title.

Could the Anfield outfit re-sign Coutinho? That remains to be seen for now, but the club owe a lot to the little Brazilian, who helped them achieve their dreams without even being part of the club.

Do you think there’s a chance Philippe Coutinho could rejoin Liverpool? Join the conversation in the comments below!