Philippe Coutinho has become Brendan Rodgers’ second signing of the season after completing his £8.5 million move from Serie A giants Inter Milan.
The 20-year-old signed a long term contract at the club after successfully completing his medical yesterday at the club’s Melwood training ground.
The player expressed his unbridled joy said as quoted in the club’s official website:
“I’m feeling very happy, it’s a very important step in my career and I’m expecting to come here and play good football to give my contribution on the pitch.
“Liverpool is a great club with great players. We’ve always heard about Liverpool’s history in Brazil.
They are the club that have been interested in me and that have showed this interest so I know they believe in me and my football.”
Premier League outfit Southampton were also interested for the youngster and tabled up a bid of £10.2 million, more than what Liverpool offered to the player. However, the Brazilian was keen to join the Anfield club from the beginning and after Inter accepted the offer submitted by the Reds, the rest became a formality.
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti gave his blessings ahead of the move. He said as quoted in the press:
“There are opportunities there to be seized. Sometimes certain players need the chance to play more.
“And that’s why I think this could be a great opportunity for a Coutinho, and a deal that could go very well for us too.”
The highly talented midfielder joined Internazionale at the tender age of 16, signed by then manager Jose Mourinho, after coming through the youth ranks of Vasco da Gama in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
He was frustrated with the lack of first team opportunities at Inter and was loaned out to La Liga outfit Espanyol last season where he blossomed.
In the second half of the season, he scored five goals for the Catalan club where he worked with the new Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino. However, upon returning back to his parent club, his total appearances have been restricted to only eleven games this season.
Pochettino was recently appointed by the Saints that led to speculation that the midfielder might join the south-coast club in the January transfer window. But Coutinho became the second recruit of Liverpool in the winter transfer window, after the Reds captured Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea earlier this month.
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