Ronaldinho claims Barcelona are keeping tabs on Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho

Former Barcelona and Selecao talisman Ronaldinho has reportedly claimed that Barcelona are paying close attention to Philippe Coutinho, and have ‘a lot of admiration’ for the Liverpool man.

It’s that time of the year when the rumour mills are in full force and Coutinho has been repeatedly linked with the current La Liga champions these past few months following his exploits for the Merseyside club this season.

Ronaldinho, a longtime fan of Coutinho, has backed him to pick up from where he left off when he does return, and believes that the Blaugrana will continue to keep tabs on him as long as he keeps impressing.

“I hope when he returns from injury that he will continue the form he has been showing all season with Liverpool," the 36-year-old told the Sun.

“He has been one of the stand out players in Europe this season – and I know there is a lot of admiration of him at Barcelona.

“Liverpool will want to keep him; they have built the team around him. But when you play at that level then there is always interest,” said the former Barcelona star

Ronaldinho – who turned out for the Blaugrana between 2003 and 2008 – is currently the club ambassador for Barcelona and believes that Luis Enrique is interested in signing the talented Brazilian to mount a sustained challenge on all fronts at the business end of the season.

Coutinho profile

Coutinho moved to Liverpool from Inter Milan in January 2013 for what was believed to be a measly sum of £8.5 million and has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best players in the league, becoming an integral member of the team that’s currently sitting 2^nd in the standings.

The 24-year-old – currently sidelined following an ankle injury against Sunderland in November – is under contract until 2020, but that will not put off Barcelona’s pursuit of the Brazilian.

Expected to return to light training soon and possibly be fit enough for the bench for the crunch clash against Manchester City on December 31^st, he had been in excellent form for Klopp’s side before his injury, scoring 5 and assisting a further 5 in 13 league appearances this season.

Coutinho will likely find the lure of Barcelona very enticing; with the worry being that he might follow the steps of former teammate Luis Suarez to the Nou Camp. A potential move is also helped by the fact that his close friend and Brazilian compatriot Neymar also plays for the Catalan giants.

Barcelona legend Xavi has also previously indicated that Coutinho has Barcelona DNA.

Even if a move were on the cards, it seems highly unlikely that Coutinho will be sold midway through a season that sees Liverpool challenging for the title, with the Catalans probably having to wait till the summer for any sort of deal.

(Video Courtesy: gElement YouTube Channel)

“I hope when he returns from injury that he will continue the form he has been showing all season with Liverpool," the 36-year-old told the Sun.

“He has been one of the stand out players in Europe this season – and I know there is a lot of admiration of him at Barcelona.

“Liverpool will want to keep him; they have built the team around him.

“But when you play at that level then there is always interest.”