Transfer Centre

Jamie Carragher: 'Philippe Coutinho not worth £142m'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 03 February 2018

Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher insists that Philippe Coutinho is "not worth" the £142m that Barcelona paid to sign the Brazil international.

Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher has insisted that Philippe Coutinho is "not worth" the £142m that Barcelona paid to sign the Brazil international during the January transfer window.

After being strongly linked with a move to Barcelona last summer, Coutinho finally joined the Spanish giants last month.

Liverpool fought hard to keep the playmaker, but Carragher has claimed that his former club did well to sell for such a high price.

"I think if you lose your best player there's no way you can dress it up as a positive window," Carragher told Sky Sports News.

"I think every Liverpool fan, when Philippe Coutinho stayed in the summer, thought 'okay, we know he's leaving next season. Lets enjoy this 12 months'. To lose him mid-season, I don't agree with it but for that fee... Coutinho's not worth that. He's not that good.

"I would have taken £20m-£30m less in the summer to know that Liverpool would have had him for the second half of the season because at that time we were still in the FA Cup, still a Champions League to play for."

Coutinho has made three appearances for Barcelona since moving to Spain last month.