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Barcelona made Philippe Coutinho the most expensive signing in their history when they paid a whopping €160 million to lure him from Liverpool. The Brazilian arrived at Camp Nou with much fanfare in January 2018 and was heavily tipped to mark the start of another successful era at the club.
Unfortunately, Philippe Coutinho has so far failed to live up to expectations at Barcelona. The playmaker couldn't nail a spot for himself in the team under Ernesto Valverde and was loaned to Bayern Munich for the 2019-20 campaign as a result. He returned ahead of last season but an injury crisis kept him out of action for most of the term.
As the Brazilian's struggles continue, one can't help but imagine if Blaugrana had spent that money on another player instead. In fact, Barcelona had many decent options on the table before deciding to settle for the Brazilian. In this piece, we'll be taking a look at five of their alternative options at the time.
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#5 Paul Pogba
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is one of the few players Barcelona could've signed instead of Philippe Coutinho. The Frenchman had been on Blaugrana's radar since his spectacular performance against them in the 2015 Champions League final.
There's no doubt Pogba has been one of the finest midfielders in Europe over the last couple of years. His ability to step up in big games, just as we witnessed in his performances for France at the World Cup in 2018, makes him a decent addition to any club.
The Frenchman would have probably cost Barcelona around the same figure that was paid to sign Philippe Coutinho, but would almost certainly have been a wiser investment. Besides being a world-class player, the Manchester United superstar can adapt to different teams and systems.
#4 Riyad Mahrez
Barcelona were linked with a swoop for Riyad Mahrez prior to their acquisition of Philippe Coutinho in January 2018. The Algerian winger was said to be keen on the move but the Catalan giants failed to make it happen.
Mahrez joined Manchester City instead in the summer of 2018 and went on to take his game to a whole new level at the Etihad Stadium. He's bagged an impressive 43 goals and 39 assists for the Cityzens in 151 appearances across all competitions so far. He has also started the current campaign on the front foot, finding the back of the net four times and setting up another two for Pep Guardiola's side.
#3 Bruno Fernandes
The midfielder was busy taking down opposition teams in the Portuguese league at the time Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho. In fact, rumors linked both parties over a potential transfer but nothing developed.
Bruno Fernandes continued firing on all cylinders and it was only a matter of time before Manchester United snapped him up. The midfielder has been a huge force to reckon with since switching to the Premier League, scoring and setting up goals consistently for the Red Devils.
Fernandes recorded a whopping 28 goals and 17 assists to his name in 58 games for the English outfit last season, making him the most prolific midfielder in Europe. That beats Philippe Coutinho's record of 23 goals and 14 assists for Barcelona in over three years.
#2 Thiago Alcantara
It was almost a case of choosing between Philippe Coutinho and Thiago Alcantara when Barcelona tried to sign a replacement for Andres Iniesta in 2018. The club ended up giving Coutinho the nod and it has proved to be a catastrophic decision.
From many angles, it would've made more sense to secure the services of Thiago. The midfielder is a product of Barcelona's famous academy La Masia and has an in-depth knowledge of the club's style of play.
It would've also been a great move from an economic point of view. Thiago would've cost the Catalan giants around €70 million, which is less than half of what they paid for Philippe Coutinho.
#1 Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen was one of the top-rated midfielders in Europe in 2018. The Dane was firing on all cylinders for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, with his ability to score and create earning him numerous suitors. He was untouchable in the 2017-18 campaign, recording 14 goals and 13 assists to his name for Spurs across all competitions.
The midfielder was reportedly keen to leave the Premier League at the time and Barcelona were said to have made an enquiry over his availability. However, for reasons unknown to the public, the Catalan giants decided to pull out of the deal and signed Philippe Coutinho instead.
Christian Eriksen continued at White Hart Lane for two more years before joining Inter Milan in January 2020. He played an influential role in the Nerazzurri's Serie A triumph last season, contributing three goals in 26 games.
