The long and arduous Coutinho transfer is finally done and dusted. After over a year of speculation, the Brazilian Maestro has completed his sensational £140 million move to Barcelona.

This transfer occurred at a point where the dark ages were nearly over, with light at the end of the tunnel for Liverpool. Since 2009 the team has struggled — only achieving a Champions League place twice.

Liverpool, under dynamic coach Jurgen Klopp, are finally becoming an exciting side. With key signings such as Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Mohammed Salah — Liverpool could be back on top. However, Coutinho is an essential cog in the midfield and the final third of the pitch — losing him is a huge blow for Liverpool. He brought a sense of balance to the midfield alongside crucial goals, assists and screaming free kicks.

Liverpool’s attacking prowess has skyrocketed over the last two seasons, the only aspect of their game that lets them down is their defence. This season they have blitzed though teams in the Premier League and Champions League, but have dropped points due to their defensive record. With the likes of Vigil van Dyke and Naby Keita joining soon, with a few more signings, Liverpool could restore some balance to their back line and midfield — potentially becoming one of the biggest challengers to title race.

This is not the end of the world for Liverpool. In Coutinho they’ve lost one of the greatest playmakers in the world, but they could potentially gain a lot. They need to spend the money wisely unlike what they did previously with the Suarez money. They need to find his replacement and buy some quality players to improve the team.

This sentiment is also shared by ex-Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher who believes that Liverpool “need to use the money better than [they] did when Suarez left.”

Here are a list of players that Liverpool should consider:

David Luiz