Philippe Coutinho ends five years with Liverpool as he is set to finalise his move to Barcelona, in club-record deal.
The Brazil international will become the La Liga giants’ most expensive signing after a deal worth €160 million was agreed with Liverpool, which is the new British transfer record.
Barca, according to Goal, will part with €120m as a guaranteed base fee, with another €40m in performance and appearance-related add-ons that are expected to be triggered.
Liverpool Football Club today issued the following statement regarding the future of Philippe Coutinho: https://t.co/MCZf1piCY6 pic.twitter.com/AczMi4oUC1
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 6, 2018
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder who can also be deployed as a winger will move ahead of Ousmane Dembele as Barca’s highest-cost recruit, also smashing Manchester United’s Paul Pogba as the biggest player trade involving an English club.
The Merseyside failed in their exhaustive efforts to tie Coutinho down, who did not travel with the squad to a warm-weather camp in Dubai, to remain on Merseyside until the end of the season at the very least.
Coutinho declined their proposed incentives and offer of a higher wage, repeating his intention to join Barca with immediate effect.
Having approached Liverpool on July 20 with their first of three rejected summer bids bloated by improbable clauses, the La Liga giants finally succeeded in their bid to sign the playmaker on Saturday.
Liverpool were firm in their stance that he will not be sole at any price in the summer, rejecting his transfer request in the process, but with their No. 10 maintaining his desire to depart and Barca finally tabling an acceptable package for his services, Jurgen Klopp agreed to sanction his sale.
Philippe Coutinho made 201 appearances and netted 54 goals for Liverpool after joining the club in January 2013 from Inter Milan for just £8.5m.
Coutinho is now the third most expensive footballer in the world, ranking behind Paris Saint-Germain pair Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.