Liverpool star coming of age but won’t move to Barcelona

Liverpool key man Philippe Coutinho won’t move to Barcelona despite reports suggesting the La Liga giants are interested in the Brazilian, at least according to the player’s former youth coach at Vasco da Gama Rodney Goncalves. 

Barcelona have been strongly linked with a move for Coutinho in recent weeks with the Brazil international excelling for the Reds this season, with his WhoScored rating (8.09) better than any other Premier League player this term, with the player coming of age. 

Goncalves has since told the Daily Telegraph: “His ambition is to be in the list of the top 10 players [in the world]. 

“The Brazil squad needed to renew itself after the World Cup and everybody expected that he would be selected. Now he is, and this moment is very special. With Neymar and Coutinho playing together again, they are seen as the couple that can give us a lot of titles.  

“They played together in the Brazilian youth teams and were the players who stood out when they played against each other in the youth sides for Vasco da Gama versus Santos. 

“Coutinho can be compared to Neymar, but Coutinho is Coutinho. He can become a very popular in Brazil and around the world like Neymar, he just needs to get a sequence of games in the Brazilian squad. 

“There is pressure on him but it is not a problem. He plays at a big club and plays in the most important league in the world.” 

A stunning strike against Argentina in midweek prompted speculation linking Barcelona with a move for Coutinho, but Goncalves has eased Liverpool fans’ fears, adding: “Whenever we speak he always says that is very happy at Liverpool and his biggest challenge is to win the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool. 

“He knows that if he continues to give great performances for Liverpool, he will always be selected for Brazil.”

For more stats on Philippe Coutinho, click here to view his WhoScored player page