Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and sporting director Michael Edwards deciding against re-signing Philippe Coutinho following a discussion where they agreed he would not instantly improve the team.

Coutinho left Liverpool for Barcelona in January last year for a deal worth €142m, but struggled to justify the big money deal at the Camp Nou.

 



After spending a lacklustre 18 months in Catalunya, Coutinho has moved to Germany with Bayern Munich for a loan fee of €8.5m with the Bavarians holding an option to buy him for €120m.

He was linked with a return to Liverpool over the summer as well and, according to The Athletic, Klopp and Edwards did discuss the possibility.
 


But the option was quickly discarded for financial and sporting reasons as the pair decided it made no sense for Liverpool to try and sign him again.



The Liverpool manager and the sporting director quickly concluded that Coutinho would not improve their starting eleven instantly.

And even without the option to buy, Liverpool would have had to commit £21m in wages and loan fees to have the 27-year-old for only nine months.
 

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The Liverpool hierarchy also believed that given how Coutinho has struggled since he left Anfield, the big money cost could not be justified.