Gabriel Jesus has given his fellow Brazilian and former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho some serious praise.
Speaking to media while on international duty, the Arsenal striker named Coutinho as one of the two best teammates he shared the pitch with.
He told Romario TV: “I’ll name two, Neymar and Philippe Coutinho.”
That’s some serious company to be in, but Coutinho’s prime at Liverpool was of the very highest class. We all remember how magical he was on the ball, creating and finishing chances at a world-class level.
What makes his inclusion alongside one of the greatest players of this generation even more impressive is who he got in ahead of.
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Gabriel Jesus rates Philippe Coutinho higher than some of the greats
Jesus has had a long, successful career in the Premier League. First at Man City, where he won four titles under Pep Guardiola, and then at Arsenal where he looks likely to win a fifth — albeit in a smaller role.
At the Etihad, he played with Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Riyad Mahrez, Rodri and Bernardo Silva.
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Those are some Premier League greats who he has below Coutinho in his mind.
Arsenal have no real superstars to point to. The best is probably Bukayo Saka. This list isn’t including defenders, but Jesus would be prioritising those he actually linked up with.
For the national team, names like Vinicius Junior and Raphinha are snubbed too.
Liverpool fans revere Coutinho for his magical stint at Anfield, but it sometimes feels like he is underappreciated by other fanbases. Jesus, though, sees the former Red for the footballing genius he is.
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Florian Wirtz could be the new Coutinho
When Coutinho left Liverpool for Barcelona in a deal worth £142 million.
Since then, there hasn’t been a player of his profile at the club, not a star player anyway. Jurgen Klopp’s heavy-metal style demanded engines in the middle of the park rather than maestros.
That changed last summer when Florian Wirtz arrived — for not much less money — and was introduced to the attack. There have been teething issues, but there’s been plenty of evidence that he is going to be a fantastic player for Liverpool.
If he can do anything like what the Brazilian consistently produced, it will have been money well spent.
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