Chelsea should not have been put off by the Brazilian ‘s recent injury problems by Philippe Coutinho, says Rivaldo, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be on the move in the next transfer window.
Speculation about the future of the 27-year-old has been rife for some time, with everyone at Camp Nou supposed to look forward to moving him on at the next opportunity.
A loan move to Bayern Munich was approved in 2019, but not as expected has a season-long stay in Germany worked out. After being forced to undergo ankle surgery, Coutinho is reportedly back on the treatment table, leaving it uncertain if he will again play in the Bundesliga.
Bayern won’t take up a buy offer, but several Premier League teams are said to be keen to take the former playmaker back to England from Liverpool.
Rivaldo suggests the interest will be maintained, explaining to Betfair: “Chelsea is the hope of signing Coutinho, and I don’t think his latest injury would put them off. Next season is still very distant, after all, and he will have some time to recover fully.
“On the other hand, if the move does not go ahead and he remains in Barcelona may be a pay cut, based on the player’s decision, might gain plaudits from the board of the club and maybe let him demonstrate that he is willing to remain in the club and prove his worth at last.”
Some clubs are now lowering their players’ wages due to the coronavirus epidemic, but if the team takes a further step in this it will be seen as the actions of those interested in remaining at the club itself. Things can change by the next season, so we can only wait for the next chapters of this story.
