Harry Brent

Southampton came close to signing Philippe Coutinho from Inter Milan for £500,000 in 2012, but chairman Nicola Cortese rejected the deal in favor of Gaston Ramirez. Liverpool then signed Coutinho for £8.5 million in January 2013 and sold him to Barcelona five years later for an eventual £142 million. The proceeds helped Liverpool sign key players including Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Fabinho, contributing to the team’s domestic and European dominance and making Southampton’s abandoned deal a major turning point in both clubs’ histories.

Liverpool have had a quiet summer transfer window after spending £89.5m on Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet, but new head coach Andoni Iraola is expected to seek further reinforcements. Bradley Barcola is identified as the primary attacking target, with a potential deal worth about £120m, while Aston Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa and Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo are also being considered at around £60m each. The proposed moves would address the departures of Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold, while providing cover during Hugo Ekitike's recovery from injury.