Eight years on from making a damning prediction about Philippe Coutinho's desire to leave Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp's stern warning is now coming back to haunt Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Reds manager had a way with words during his time at Anfield, and most things he said had a habit of coming true.
From his mantra of turning supporters from doubters to believers and delivering their first league title in three decades, he came closer than anyone to rekindling the spirit of the wondrous Bill Shankly days. But he did so much more than win the Premier League and Champions League - the culture he built and his words of advice still echo around the place following his departure two summers ago.
A man of the people and the city he held the keys to, Klopp had a knack for seeing into the future and making sense of things before they even happened. With Coutinho, he gave him a stern warning about his £142 million move to Barcelona, and it now looks as though two players from the Klopp era have paid the price for not heeding his wisdom.
The Advice Jurgen Klopp Gave Philippe Coutinho in 2018
Jurgen Klopp and Philippe Coutinho
Jurgen Klopp and Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool signed Coutinho from Inter Milan for just £8.5 million during the Brendan Rodgers era, and he would go on to become one of the best bits of business in Premier League history as a result of the profit he generated upon his departure. A magician in every sense of the word, the Brazilian attacking midfielder had the innate ability to decide matches by himself.
At one stage of his time on Merseyside, it’s easy to argue that there was no more popular player than him. That admiration ultimately led him to believe he could make a success of playing in a “better” team - but it also prompted Klopp’s timeless pearl of wisdom. He told the No.10, as per talkSPORT:
“Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.”
Coutinho only lasted four years in Spain, which included unsuccessful loan spells at both Bayern Munich and Aston Villa. There was a quality player in there somewhere, lost amid a team trying to move on from Lionel Messi and already getting far more success from the likes of Luis Suarez.
Had he listened to Klopp and continued working under his revered man-management - the same approach that saw countless players improve exponentially under his careful guidance - he could have gone down as a Liverpool legend.
Trent Already Facing the Music at Real Madrid
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Klopp’s quote to Coutinho could just as easily be applied to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is unlikely to ever be seen as the biggest star at Real Madrid - a role he could very well have claimed at Liverpool. The “prediction” that Klopp's players would be just another player at the previously mentioned clubs has so far proven true, as he now finds himself third in the right-back pecking order.
Dani Carvajal remains Xabi Alonso’s go-to man in that position, while Federico Valverde also fills in effectively, dropping back from his usual midfield role. These are worrying times for Trent, who once said he’d rather win the Ballon d’Or than the World Cup, only to tarnish his once-immortal Anfield legacy by taking on a challenge where he was supposedly destined to become one of the best players in the world.
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A recent run in the side has done little to shake the perception of a catastrophic decline. He has been labelled “clueless,” “a rabbit in headlights,” with his influence described as “non-existent.” Adjusting to life in Madrid is no doubt difficult - with Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, and best friend Jude Bellingham among those holding the steering wheel - yet he would surely have wanted to put his foot down far more than he has so far.
In 15 appearances for his new club, he has scored zero goals and contributed just two assists. It’s a stark contrast for a player who holds the record for most assists by a defender in Premier League history, and he now finds himself almost entirely out of Thomas Tuchel’s plans for England ahead of next summer’s World Cup. From hero to zero, those dreams of captaining the Reds and being mentioned in the same breath as fellow local lad Steven Gerrard are no longer a possibility, either.