Football Transfer Rumors: Brazil legend Ronaldo wants Philippe Coutinho to ditch Liverpool for Real Madrid

By Raymund Tamayo / Oct 19, 2016 04:02 AM EDT
(Photo : Getty Images) Brazilian football legend Ronaldo recently voiced out his desire for countryman Philippe Coutinho to leave English Premier League club Liverpool and move to La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid.

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo recently voiced out his desire for countryman Philippe Coutinho to leave English Premier League club Liverpool and move to La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid.

Ronaldo, who played for Real Madrid from 2002 to 2007, was asked "which one player he would like to see join" Los Blancos in the future and his answer was the 24-year-old Coutinho, as reported by Daily Mail Online.

Coutinho, who like Ronaldo also hails from Rio de Janeiro, was Liverpool's Player of the Year last season and is part of Red manager Jürgen Klopp's core group this season. He still has four years left in his contract at the Anfield, but he has been targeted by Real in the past couple of transfer windows.

Ronaldo said that he hopes Coutinho will consider a move to Madrid "at some point in the future".

"I would love to see Coutinho at Real Madrid," said Ronaldo, via SkySports. "Spanish football is, without doubt, the best in history. It has always bought the best (players) and produced the most beautiful football."

The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year also gave his opinion on who are the best football players in the world right now.

Ronaldo said that Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Neymar are the three best footballers at the moment, but he added Messi and Neymar's Barça teammate Luis Suárez as a fourth one in the said category.

"I would also include Luis Suárez as he is playing very well. This is the most common question in all interviews - I don't know if it is just for me, or for everyone, but when we ask this question we forget that they are three great players," Ronaldo said about the Barça trio.

However, he chose his namesake Ronaldo as the number one footballer for him since the Portuguese captain is playing for Real.

"It is so difficult to choose just one as the best. They are very, very good. At the moment I will choose Cristiano as he is playing for Real Madrid, but we cannot forget how good Messi and Neymar are, and we must respect these players for the entertainment they bring us," Ronaldo added.