Barcelona star Coutinho compared to Ronaldo, Figo and Zidane by Tottenham boss Pochettino
PHILIPPE COUTINHO has been put in the same bracket as some of the world’s greatest player by Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The former Liverpool star was sold to Barcelona for £142million and he penned a five-and-a-half year deal at the Nou Camp.
The sale is the highest ever transfer fee involving a British club and Pochettino understands why the Reds cashed in on their playmaker.
He compared the incident to the time Manchester Untied sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2009, along with the sales of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane to Barcelona and Juventus, respectively.
The primary factor in all of the aforementioned moves is player power, according to the Tottenham manager.
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Look what happened with Cristiano Ronaldo with Manchester [United], Zidane with Juventus, Figo with Barcelona.
“With Coutinho, I think Liverpool wanted to keep him but it is difficult to keep him,” Pochettino said.
“Look what happened with Cristiano Ronaldo with Manchester [United], Zidane with Juventus, Figo with Barcelona.
“It is a lot of example that it is so, so, so tough for everyone to keep your best player if the player in some moment turns their mind and says ‘now I want to leave’.
“Look, that is a good point to assess, to talk, but today when the player decides to leave...look what happens.
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“If another club pay the type of money they pay, like it was with Barcelona and Liverpool, how you stop [the player from leaving].
“Look, I hear what clubs say and it is so difficult, it is so difficult our job.”
Pochettino was speaking after Tottenham beat AFC Wimbledon 3-0 in the FA Cup third round.
They will find out their fourth round opponent when the draw is made on Monday.
