Liverpool looked to be “breaking up” when Philippe Coutinho left for Barcelona, says Diego Simeone, but the Atletico Madrid boss admits they have become “even stronger” without the Brazilian.
Those at Anfield granted a South American playmaker his transfer wish in the winter window of 2018, with a big-money agreement reached with Barcelona.
A highly-rated creative influence was allowed to leave Merseyside with no obvious like-for-like replacement brought in.
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Funds were invested elsewhere, though, with Jurgen Klopp spending heavily on Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.