It frees up the money to buy Keita, keeping the net spend low. Certainly like that way!
I don't think so mate. Keita was known to be a target of ours well before any speculation about Coutinho started. I still don't think there's any chance of Phil going anywhere this summer, and how long he stays for depends on whether we start challenging for trophies this season. If we don't, then he could well go next year. If you think that's true then it's pretty unlikely Keita's purchase would have to wait on us selling Couts, especially considering we supposedly bid for him several times before Barca even enquired about Phil.
At the start of the window I thought we needed first team quality in all three areas of the pitch, but particularly in the forward line (not necessarily a "proper striker", but a forward), a CM and a CB. We also desperately needed backup/competition for Milner at LB. We've signed Salah, who looks to be a great buy and allows us much more flexibility up front. Like Mane he can play anywhere along the front three. Solanke is a good one for the future, and a great opportunistic buy I think. Jury's out on Robertson and whether or not he's got what it takes to be a long term first team LB, but decent competition for now.
That leaves the CM and the CB, arguably two of the most important positions to reinforce considering injury problems last year. Matip and Lovren were both intermittent with their fitness, and obviously Henderson struggled most of the year. Looking at our squad now, with the addition of Salah in particular, there's an argument to be made that we could survive without another CM. Coutinho is clearly being earmarked to play deeper this year, with a starting front three of Mane, Salah and Firmino. If you include Lallana as a CM/CAM, then we actually have a lot of competition for those places. The only worry is that Lallana and Couts are both very attacking and definitely need someone like Henderson or Can to bring some balance to that midfield 3. You then have Gini who isn't as strong defensively as either of those two, but is better going forward. Perhaps Grujic will kick on this year too.
In conclusion I think the CB is the single most important thing we can get now. Matip and Lovren had a good partnership last year, and I thought they played well together (when they were both fit...) but it'll be such a risk to go into this season with those two, Klavan and Gomez. Klavan is okay back up at best, and although I really like Gomez and hope he shrugs off his injuries and kicks on, he is completely untested at CB (at this level) and I can see Klopp using him as a RB more often than not this season.
If we don't sign another centre back I'll be worried, as we'd be relying on being lucky with injuries, something I don't think we can afford this season back in the CL. Having said that I'll be surprised if we don't bring anyone else in this summer and I hope VVD forces Southampton's hand and we can get him in. If (and yes, that's a big IF at the moment) that does happen I'd say it's been a good window despite missing out on Keita. Unfortunately for us we'll just have to wait and see, and judge this window on its own merit once September 1st rolls around.
