Philippe Coutinho was warned by Jurgen Klopp that he'd be 'just another player' if he left Liverpool for Spain - a message Trent Alexander-Arnold really ought to heed
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Klopp and Trent
Jurgen Klopp's words should serve as a warning for Trent Alexander-Arnold
As the old adage goes, the grass isn't always greener - something Jurgen Klopp cautioned long before Trent Alexander-Arnold's looming Liverpool departure. The 26-year-old defender looks poised to join Real Madrid when his contract at Anfield expires this summer, bringing an extraordinary 21-year chapter with the club to a close.
Should he move to the Bernabeu, Alexander-Arnold would join up with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, and fellow England international Jude Bellingham. Yet history suggests that not every Liverpool star flourishes after making a high-profile switch to Spain - with Philippe Coutinho's ill-fated transfer to Barcelona a prime example.
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Back in 2018, the Brazilian playmaker left Merseyside for the Camp Nou in a staggering £142million deal. However, he struggled to cope with the weight of expectations, failing to replicate the brilliance he displayed week in and week out for Liverpool.
Before the move, then-manager Klopp warned him that he'd be "just another player" at Barcelona - a prediction that turned out to be painfully accurate. "Stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honour," Klopp advised him. "If you go to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, you will be just another player. Here you can be something more."
Coutinho's arrival in Catalonia coincided with a turbulent period for the club, both on and off the pitch. Although he won consecutive La Liga titles in his first two seasons, his inconsistent displays led to him being sidelined before he was eventually loaned out.
By 2021, he had returned to the Premier League with Aston Villa, initially on a temporary deal before securing a permanent move a year later. Yet his revival was short-lived, and he soon found himself out of favour once again.
Philippe Coutinho at Barcelona
Coutinho's decision to swap Liverpool for Barcelona in 2018 backfired
Now 32, Coutinho is a forgotten figure in elite football, currently on loan at Brazilian outfit Vasco da Gama - a stark contrast to the record-breaking transfer that once made him the third-most expensive player in history.
While Alexander-Arnold's situation is significantly different from the one Coutinho faced seven years ago, Klopp's words remain just as pertinent.
As a homegrown talent with an undeniable connection to Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has the chance to cement his place in club history. His bond with the team and its supporters runs deeper than silverware - it's rooted in a lifelong attachment to the city. Such a connection isn't easily replicated elsewhere, regardless of how successful the transition may be.
Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold looks set to join Real Madrid this summer
The nature of his departure also raises questions. Leaving on a free transfer rather than generating a fee for the club that nurtured him could taint his legacy in the eyes of some fans. For someone long viewed as the embodiment of Liverpool's spirit, that could be a bitter pill to swallow.
That being said, a move to Spain isn't necessarily doomed to fail. Steve McManaman took the same path in 1999 and became a two-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid. Likewise, Luis Suarez departed for Barcelona in 2014 and went on to score 198 goals while securing 13 major trophies with the Spanish giants.