Gary Neville has hit out at Chelsea for their reported attempts to sign Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho.
The Brazilian has struggled to make an impression at the Nou Camp since he signed from Liverpool for £105m in 2018, and he has spent this season on loan at Bayern Munich, where he has again not been able to find his best form.
The La Liga club are said to be desperate to sell the player to free up funds for future signings, and Chelsea are among the clubs thought to be considering a bid over the coming months.
But speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said he cannot fathom how the Blues are considering spending up to £75m on a player while they are having to cut current players' wages due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
"It’s like a parallel universe," Neville said. "[Blues captain] Cesar Azpilicueta has apparently been in talks with the Chelsea board over the past three weeks as they’re looking for a 10/15 per cent pay cut.
"For the Chelsea players to hear in the next breath that the club are looking to buy Philippe Coutinho for £75m… it’s like, 'what one is it?'
"If I was a player now I’d be looking at a wage deferral that potentially turns into a cut at a certain point in time. But if the club increase their budget or sign a player for £75m, you have to pay our money first.
"I’d say 'you can’t go and sign a player for £75m and then say you can’t pay us fully'. It’s just illogical, it doesn’t make sense."
Coutinho has also been linked with the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United, and it will be intriguing to see if he can resurrect his career following his recent tough time.
