Phillippe Coutinho has been unveiled as Barcelona’s latest star recruit on Monday with coach Ernesto Valverde predicting the world’s third most expensive footballer will comfortably fit into a team already containing global superstar Lionel Messi.
The Brazilian playmaker was in the Spanish city on Sunday to tie up his 160-million-euro ($245 million) move from Liverpool.
“Coutinho is a player who I think can bring a lot to us,” said Valverde. “He’s an important signing.”
Valverde admitted that it will be a challenge shoehorning the 25-year-old into a team which boasts the talents of Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta
“We’ll wait until I see him train at least a day until we talk about all this. It’s true I have seen him play in various positions — on the right, the left, or in the middle, on the wings.
“We will evaluate all of this…but, of course, I don’t think he will play as a goalkeeper.”
Spanish league leaders Barca beat Levante 3-0 on Sunday at the Camp Nou, but Coutinho was not in the stands with the club wanting attention turned solely on the match and not their new recruit.
But they still highlighted his arrival.
“Bem-vindo! Welcome! Benvingut! ¡Bienvenido!” Barca tweeted to Coutinho along with a waving hand sign and a video showing a shirt bearing his name in a locker.
The swoop for Coutinho — which contains a 400-million-euro release clause — is the third biggest transfer in football.
It is outranked only by Paris Saint-Germain’s world record 222m-euro signing of Neymar from Barcelona last year, and PSG’s capture of French striker Kylian Mbappe for a deal that will eventually be worth 180 million euros.
Rio-born Coutinho arrived at Liverpool from Inter Milan for a mere £8.5 million in January 2013 and scored 54 goals for the club in all competitions, although he won no silverware during his five-year stay at Anfield.
One of the first Barcelona players to welcome the new recruit was compatriot Paulinho, who scored in Sunday’s win.
“He’s a great player, a magnificent player,” said 29-year-old Paulinho. “I am certain he will be a great help for Barcelona to reach their objectives.
“We hope to see him play with us as soon as possible.”
Barcelona had tried to sign Coutinho last summer and his departure is a blow to Liverpool as he had just returned to top form after an injury-hit start to the season, scoring seven goals in the last eight games of 2017 to put his side firmly in the Champions League places.
“It is no secret that Philippe has wanted this move to happen since July, when Barcelona first made their interest known,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
“Philippe was insistent with me, the owners and even his teammates this was a move he was desperate to make happen.”
Source:FOX
