Liverpool came perilously close to never earning the £142million they eventually received from Barcelona in the sale of Philippe Coutinho
New Barcelona signing Philippe Coutinho poses for a photograph next to his new shirt as he is unveiled at Camp Nou on January 8, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain
Philippe Coutinho's move from Liverpool to Barcelona almost never happened(Image: Getty)
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The £142million sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona will go down as one of the greatest pieces of transfer business in Liverpool's history. But incredibly, it almost never happened.
Not because the Reds had second thoughts about cashing in on the Brazilian in January 2018, or because an injury threatened to scupper the transfer. Instead, it was because Coutinho very nearly signed for Southampton shortly before his Liverpool move.
According to former Saints executive Les Reed, Southampton were on the brink of signing the midfielder from Inter Milan for just £500,000 in 2012, shortly after securing promotion back to the Premier League. The deal was effectively complete before chairman Nicola Cortese had a dramatic late change of heart and opted to sign a different player instead.
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"The chairman [Nicola Cortese] decided against it," Reed explained on the Fozcast podcast. "We went for another player - and no disrespect to the other player, because he was a good lad - but he didn't go as far as Philippe."
Les Reed, Southampton Executive Director talks during day 1 of the Soccerex Global Convention 2016 at Manchester Central Convention Complex
Reed claims the Saints almost signed Coutinho(Image: Getty)
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That's something of an understatement. The star it is presumed Reed is referring to is Gaston Ramirez. He managed just eight goals during his four-year spell at St Mary's and Coutinho developed into one of the finest creative midfielders in the world.
It was just six months after Southampton walked away that Liverpool swooped to sign Coutinho for £8.5m in January 2013. The Brazilian quickly established himself as the Reds' creative spark, becoming the heartbeat of the side that narrowly missed out on the Premier League title in the unforgettable 2013/14 campaign.
Five years after Southampton's costly decision, Barcelona came calling. Liverpool negotiated a deal worth an initial £105m, with a further £37m available in add-ons - taking the total package to £142m.
Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool scores his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Swansea City at Anfield
The Brazilian developed into a world-beating talent(Image: Getty)
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It remains one of the savviest transfers Liverpool have ever completed, not only because Coutinho struggled to live up to the enormous price tag at the Camp Nou, but because the money generated helped transform Jurgen Klopp's side into one of the dominant forces in world football.
The funds helped bring in Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Fabinho - three players who, alongside stars such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, formed the backbone of a team that conquered both England and Europe.
Had Southampton beaten Liverpool to Coutinho's signature, the course of both clubs' histories could have looked very different. Without that huge transfer windfall, the Reds may never have made the statement signings that moulded Klopp's team from contenders to champions.
Then again, given Southampton's track record of selling talent to Liverpool, Coutinho may simply have taken a different route to Anfield anyway.
Philippe Coutinho poses for a photograph with his new shirt as he is unveiled at Camp Nou
The Coutinho deal has defined Liverpool's modern era(Image: Getty)
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Between 2014 and 2018, the Reds signed Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne, Mane and Van Dijk from the Saints in deals worth more than £170m.
Yet over a decade on, the Coutinho decision remains one of the biggest "what ifs" in both Southampton's and Liverpool's history - a tiny fork in the road that helped shape the future of English and European football.