Liverpool considering move for unsettled Inter star
Liverpool are reportedly monitoring Brazilian attacker Coutinho’s situation at Inter Milan as Kenny Dalglish steps up his search for Luis Suarez’s replacement.
The Reds will be without the fiery Uruguayan striker for the next few months after he was suspended for eight games after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra last year. That has left Dalglish with only Craig Bellamy, Andy Carroll and Dirk Kuyt to choose from as he strives to get the club back in to the Champions League.
With record signing Carroll out of form and Kuyt seemingly set to depart Merseyside the Scot has seen Bellamy take up the striking mantle over Christmas but knows the 32-year-old could break down with injury at any time.
A move for Coutinho has now become a real possibility with Inter boss Claudio Ranieri prepared to let the talented 19-year-old leave on loan after he fell out of favour at the San Siro. Former Nerazzurri and Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez signed him from Vasco De Gama in 2010 and immediately labelled him as ‘the future of Inter’.
Events haven’t transpired as planned for the attacking midfielder who has found his role in the first team marginalised following the sacking of Benitez just six months after moving to Serie A and has found it difficult to convince Leonardo and Ranieri, both of whom succeeded the Spaniard, of his pedigree. Despite his lack of action Coutinho is still well regarded around Europe and Dalglish is reportedly very keen to bring him to Anfield and fill in for the suspended Suarez.
A fee of £7 million has been mooted although it’s thought the Premier League giants would like to bring the Brazilian in on a temporary basis with the option to make the move permanent in the summer.
