What's the story?
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed he told Philippe Coutinho that he would be a "good fit" for Bayern Munich, following the Brazilian's move to the Bundesliga giants in the summer.
In case you didn't know...
Since leaving Liverpool for Barcelona in January 2018, Coutinho has struggled to live up to expectations at the Camp Nou, scoring just 21 goals in 18 months with the Catalan giants.
The Brazil international's future was the subject of repeated speculation in the recently-concluded summer transfer window, with the player even included in the Blaugrana's reported swap deals in their pursuit for Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar's signature.
The 27-year-old star eventually made his way to Bayern Munich on a season-long deal in an attempt to revive his career.
The German powerhouse, who will pay €8.5 million and Coutinho’s wages until the end of the season, have the option of signing him permanently for €120 million next summer.
The heart of the matter
Klopp has now revealed that he told Coutinho he would be a "good fit" at Bayern Munich.
Speaking to Bild, the German said via The Mirror,
"Amazing player, we really didn’t want to let him go. Barca forced us financially. World class player, really good transfer for Bayern and the Bundesliga.
"I thought it’s a good fit for both when I first heard about it. It may sound strange, but we didn’t have enough money to get him. We’d already spent all the money we got for him. I have already told him in person that he and Bayern will be a good fit."
Klopp, who formerly managed Borussia Dortmund, feels that the move will, however, put his former club at a disadvantage. He said,
"Not so good for Dortmund, I hope Dortmund will win the title again because it’s getting boring with Bayern winning every year. But Dortmund have an amazing team. Other teams like Leverkusen and Gladbach/ Leipzig are also interesting teams and a lot can happen."
What's next?
Bayern Munich will return to action when they face RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday.