Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer believes Philippe Coutinho should not return to Anfield, claiming Chelsea would be the perfect fit for him, as per Talksport.
The 27-year-old player joined Spanish giants Barcelona in 2018 after he remained five years with the Reds.
The Catalans splashed a record £142 million to bring him to Camp Nou, but the move did not quite work out as he struggled to make a good contribution to the team.
The Brazilian is currently serving a loan deal at German side Bayern Munich, with seven goals and eight assists to his name this season.
It is believed that he could be out of Quique Setién’s side this summer with several clubs reported to be interested in hiring his services.
According to McAteer, the former Inter Milan player should move to Chelsea to play under Frank Lampard.
McAteer said:
“Coutinho served a purpose at Liverpool and was a great player for a period of time – but that time has gone. Selling him was a superb piece of business for the club.
“He would still grace the top clubs in Europe, as he’s showed at Bayern Munich where he’s done okay – but he needs to be the centre of attention. That wasn’t the case at Liverpool and certainly wasn’t the case at Barcelona.
“I could see Philippe Coutinho slotting in perfectly at Chelsea, where Frank Lampard is doing unbelievable things trying to reboot the club using a lot of young talent bedding in alongside some experienced stars.
“Coutinho would feel really comfortable in the number ten role at Stamford Bridge with the protection of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho and an array of young frontmen around him who would thrive working off him.”
