Former Manchester United FC striker Dimitar Berbatov has warned his former club about signing former Liverpool FC player Philippe Coutinho. Berbatov has expressed his belief that the Red Devils would be foolish to get involved in a bidding war for the Brazilian playmaker who is being outcast by FC Barcelona.
Coutinho’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, has confirmed media speculation that his client is seeking a move back to the Premier League, where Coutinho played for nearly five years for Merseyside club Liverpool FC. A host of Premier League teams, including the Red Devil’s rivals Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC, are believed to be interested in securing Coutinho’s signature to bolster their squads.
Coutinho is currently on loan at reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Still, the German club has opted not to exercise the buyout clause in his loan agreement and sign him permanently. This means that Coutinho will head back to his parent club FC Barcelona after the expiry of his loan deal with Bayern. However, Barcelona is looking towards offloading the player, who has struggled to display impressive performances while playing for the Spanish club.
Berbatov said that despite a lot of Premier League clubs being interested in securing Coutinho’s services, Manchester United FC should not follow them.
Speaking to Betfair, the ex-Red Devils player suggested that to move forward in his career, Coutinho might have to take a step backward. Terming new Manchester United signing Bruno Fernandes as an incredible influence on the team, and with the returns of midfielders Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay, Berbatov feels that The Red Devils are better off without signing Coutinho.
Coutinho is yet to replicate his majestic Liverpool FC performances while playing for the Spanish champions FC Barcelona. A sub-par first season in the Spanish League compelled the Barcelona management to loan out the player to Bayern. It remains to be seen what the next step is in Coutinho’s career and whether there is a move to Premier League on the cards for the player, with a host of English clubs interested in signing the Brazillian.
