'He's a huge player' - Materazzi not surprised by Coutinho's massive transfer fee

The former Liverpool star's eye-watering price tag did not come as a shock for his ex-Inter colleague




And with Paris Saint-Germain having smashed the world transfer record to poach Neymar from Camp Nou for €222m in August, the amounts now being paid to secure the game's top talents are of little concern to Materazzi.  

Speaking to Omnisport about Coutinho, the former Italy international said: "I've been lucky enough to play alongside with him when he was just 15 years old and he was doing his first trial for Inter.

"I can tell you he [is a] huge player.

"Prices always depend [on] the offer and the request. If there's a team asking that much and there's another willing to pay that amount, it's not Marco Materazzi's problem."

Materazzi also welcomed Inter's signing of Lisandro Lopez, and backed the defender to make an impact.


And Materazzi feels the Argentina international could prove to be an effective acquisition as Luciano Spalletti's team, third in Serie A, seek to qualify for the Champions League.

"We are talking about a player with experience, he is a player already made and not a young talent coming out from favelas," Materazzi said.

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