Coutinho’s agent drops hint regarding possible move: “He is a big fan”

Even as Philippe Coutinho closes in on a return to first-team action for Barcelona, contrasting reports continue to emerge over his future.

The Brazilian has been out with an injury for almost nine months now but is on the verge of making a comeback. Speculations over his standing at Barca, however, continue to do the rounds, given the club’s poor financial health.

It is no secret that the Catalans had been trying to offload Coutinho for the most part of the summer transfer window. However, their stance seems to have softened a bit now, especially after the departure of Lionel Messi to PSG, coupled with the fact that there have not been any acceptable offers for the Brazilian playmaker.

Coutinho was said to attracting major interest from the Premier League. However, his agent, Kia Joorabchian, has now revealed that the 29-year-old turned down offers from England as he could not imagine himself playing for any other Premier League club other than former side Liverpool.

“I think that Liverpool is deeply rooted in his heart. He was an avid follower during last season and he wanted them to win the title. He is a big fan of the club. Philippe would find it very difficult to play for one of Liverpool’s rivals,” he said (h/t SPORT).

Coutinho spent five years at Liverpool, having signed from Inter Milan in January 2013, before moving to Barcelona in January 2018. During his time at Anfield, the Brazilian established himself as one of the best creative midfielders in Europe.

However, fans at Barcelona never got to see that version of Coutinho. Ronald Koeman & co. will be hoping that will change this season, with the Blaugrana ready to give the Brazilian international one more shot at coming good at Camp Nou.

Coutinho is expected to make the squad for Barcelona’s fixture against Getafe this weekend.