Philippe Coutinho posts message for Liverpool fans on Instagram after Barcelona move
The 25-year-old on Monday was officially unveiled as Barcelona’s record signing.
SNS | New Delhi | January 9, 2018 10:48 am
A vast majority of Liverpool fans may be disgruntled over the way Philippe Coutinho forced his way into a €160 million move to Catalan giants Barcelona, but the Brazilian has shown he’s willing to let bygones be bygones with a detailed thank you message posted on Instagram.
Coutinho on Monday became Barcelona’s record signing, shattering the record previously held by winger Ousmane Dembele (€140 million, including add-ons).
The Coutinho saga, which started in the summer of 2017, culminated with Barcelona finally nabbing their man early on in the January transfer window.
Signed by Liverpool in January 2015 for a now-paltry sum of £8.5 million from Serie A side Inter Milan, Coutinho slowly but surely, established himself as one of the Premier League’s most influential midfielders.
Possessing a thunderous shot and trademark Brazilian flair to go along with it, Coutinho scored many golazos during his time in the English top-flight and along with Tottenham Hotspur man Christian Eriksen and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, was regarded as the best No.10 in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old’s skills certainly lit up games and he was considered a fan favourite at Anfield but got his head turned when Barcelona sought to replace his compatriot Neymar (who moved to Paris Saint-Germain for a world record €222 million) with him and Dembele in the summer.
While Barcelona persuaded Borussia Dortmund to part with the French winger, Liverpool were adamant that they would not sell their prized asset.
Considering La Blaugrana had raided Liverpool for Luis Suarez in 2014, the Reds were understandably wary and rejected several offers, with the last one said to be in the region of €105 million.
What irked Liverpool fans even more was the fact that Coutinho didn’t play till the transfer window remained open, with a suspect back injury preventing him from featuring. To complicate matters, the Brazilian national team’s doctor stated that he was fit and the twinkle-toed midfielder did start for his country in the international break, which left many to suggest he was feigning injury in order to force a move.
And the fact that the 25-year-old was sidelined with a thigh injury the moment the transfer window opened on January 1 had many fans braced for an exit and true to form, the midfielder got his way in the end. Some Liverpool fans torched his jersey, while others understood the player’s ambition to move to one of the biggest clubs in world football and wished him well.
However, Barcelona have stated that Coutinho is actually suffering from a muscular injury this time and is not ready to make his debut yet. He is expected to be fit for their January 28 La Liga tie against Alaves.
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