Every time a player begins lighting up the Premier League, the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid begin circling around and the rumours start swirling. Mostly, these rumours don’t hold any water, but as we have seen in the past, the likes of Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and Luka Modric have switched the Premier League for the sunny shores of Spain after having phenomenal seasons.
Riyad Mahrez was most recently linked with Barcelona after Leicester’s incredible season and now it’s Liverpool star Phillipe Coutinho.
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According to various reports, the Brazilian ace has his heart set out on a move to Barcelona, with the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain also showing interest. His agents Kia Joorabchian and Giuliano Bertolucci had sounded out a potential move to Barcelona last summer, but the Catalan giants did not feel that Coutinho was a priority signing and were put off by Liverpool’s hefty price tag.
Coutinho is currently locked down on a contract at Anfield until 2020, but reports suggest that he would like to test himself at Barcelona. Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly willing to splurge the cash for him, while Real Madrid are maintaining an interest too, despite their current transfer ban. Liverpool are already being linked to replacements, with Napoli’s unhappy forward, Lorenzo Insigne, touted to be one of them.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, however, has no intention of green-lighting any such move and is looking to squash any such rumours by offering him a second contract since February, 2015, which will improve his £70,000-a-week salary to something more substantial.
Coutinho, now 24, has been a major asset to Liverpool since his £8.5 million move from Inter Milan in January, 2013. The Brazilian has started the current season in blistering form, registering 4 goals and 4 assists in just 10 Premier League appearances.
With Liverpool having finished the last two Premier League seasons a lowly 6th and 8th, it can be understood why rumours of Coutinho leaving for greener pastures and competing for league titles and the Champions League have been gaining traction.
However, the likelihood of this happening is sure to decrease if they maintain their current form and fight it out at the top of the league.
The lure of the Catalans and the prospect of playing alongside good friend and Brazilian compatriot Neymar may be a pull for Coutinho, and Liverpool fans will breathe a sigh of relief if he does put pen to paper on the new contract.
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