Liverpool legend Phil Thompson says he would bring Philippe Coutinho back to Anfield "in a heartbeat".

The 26-year-old left the Reds for Barcelona last January in a deal worth £146m.

Coutinho has failed to live up to expectations at the Camp Nou, and Thompson thinks Jurgen Klopp could bring him back for half the price he sold him for.

"I would take him back in a heartbeat, but it would have to be now," Thompson told Sky Sports News. "You don't want to leave it another 12 months, I think he still has the ability.

"He's suffered at Barcelona. We've seen him playing out wide on the left, but he's not Neymar.

"He likes to be in the middle where he can pull strings and is getting on the ball to hurt teams.

"He doesn't do that and he's not a left-winger and that's where he's playing at Barcelona; they don't love him like Liverpool loved him.

He added: "Knowing our club, we've been very shrewd, maybe there's a buy-back clause in there for maybe less than half what we sold him."