No sooner had Philippe Coutinho’s frenetic scribble sealed a £142m transfer to Barcelona than he was forced to hurdle the first attempted tackle on him at Camp Nou. What, one interrogator asked at his unveiling, did he make of his fee? “It’s an honour but I’ll leave the topic of money for the clubs,” he deftly replied. Yet the question is bound to scratch and linger, and could potentially turn poisonous. Is such a sum – the second biggest transfer in history – for the 25-year-old Brazilian justified?
Barcelona’s thinking is easy to grasp. They are scooting away with the league title but their goals per game rate is at its lowest since the 2013-14 season, after which they subsequently rearmed by signing Luis Suárez from Liverpool for £75m. Their squad clearly needs freshening up too. For while Lionel Messi has 60 goals and assists in La Liga since the start of last season – more than anyone in Europe’s top five leagues – and Suárez is second with 53, both are closing in on their 31st birthday. Sports Science 101 tells us that physically they are on the decline, even if the eye test does not always back that up.
Related: ‘I have dreamed of playing here’: Philippe Coutinho finally arrives at Barcelona
Related: Philippe Coutinho’s exit is a blow. How Liverpool react will shape Klopp’s legacy
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