[ad_1]
Former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho continues to be linked with a return to the Premier League.
Coutinho has become a key player for the Reds after joining the club from Inter Milan for £ 8.5million in January 2013.
The Brazilian playmaker went on to make 201 appearances in a Liverpool jersey in all competitions, scoring 54 goals and providing 43 assists. He left Anfield in January 2018 to sign for Barcelona in a record-breaking £ 142million deal.
The move didn’t quite go according to plan, with Coutinho having been loaned to Bayern Munich last season after failing to establish himself at Camp Nou.
The 28-year-old has been tipped for a move during the summer transfer window with Arsenal and Chelsea saying they are interested.
However, Coutinho ended up staying put and was part of Barcelona’s plans under new boss Ronald Koeman.
Speculation over his future remained, however, with Barca struggling financially and with news emerging on Tuesday that Liverpool had finally received the full £ 142million transfer fee for the playmaker.
A return to Liverpool seems unlikely but here is what Coutinho has said about his former club, the Premier League and his own situation since leaving Merseyside.
Arrival in Barcelona and difficulties
Upon signing for Barcelona, he said: “I want to thank the president and everyone who made the signing possible.
“I am very happy, it is a dream come true and I hope to meet all expectations on the pitch.”
A month later Coutinho told Spanish TV channel 8TV: “Everyone knows I wanted to come to Barcelona. It wasn’t possible in summer, but we worked to make it happen in winter.
“I really want to win big titles, that’s one of the reasons I signed for the club. I want to win as much as I can, I have no preferences.”
After his first season with Barcelona, Coutinho opened up about how life after Liverpool had not gone the way he had hoped.
“I haven’t had a good season,” he admitted to Marca. “My performances were much worse than I expected.
“The only way to improve and gain confidence is to work hard, and I have worked hard.”
Tribute to Thiago
During his loan at Bayern last term, Coutinho paid tribute to teammate Thiago Alcantara – now with Liverpool.
He told Bundesliga.com: “Thiago helped me a lot with the language. He helped me every day on and off the pitch. Everyone made us feel welcome – the people inside the club , the fans, the players and the staff, everyone gave us a warm welcome.
“It was exactly the same experience for Ivan (Perisic) and Mica (Cuisance). We felt very welcome here. In return, it makes us very comfortable. I think that’s the principle of the club. We feel like family. “
In the same interview he said of the German top flight: “I think the Bundesliga is very similar to the Premier League in terms of game intensity.
“The matches are always very regular. Each team fights until the very end, for each ball. Every ball is war. It makes the matches very intense. There is not much room to think or hesitate. on the ball, whereas in La En Liga, the teams tend to play more defensively against Barcelona.
“They gave us more room to play, but it was difficult to break the defense. Those are the main differences I have experienced. I think the Bundesliga is very similar to the Premier League in terms of intensity . “
Klopp’s influence
And asked how important Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been in his development as a player, Coutinho replied: “Klopp – I have no words to say. He’s a great coach and he’s exceptional at what he does.
“I had a very pleasant time of my life with him and I was able to learn a lot.
“He always pays attention to very fine details. But his main strength is that he is extremely focused and has been able to transform the club he is with today.” It’s all about mentality and always staying focused. It’s something that I will always carry with me. It was very important.
Receive all the latest news from Liverpool and the squad as Klopp faces a selection dilemma, plus breaking news and analysis of what’s to come for the Reds.
You’ll also get the latest transfer discussions and analytics straight to your inbox every day through our FREE email newsletter.
Register here – it only takes seconds!
Return to the Premier League?
In one of his last interviews, Coutinho did not rule out the possibility of one day playing in the Premier League again.
“The Premier League is one of the most exciting leagues in the world and having the chance to play there with a team like Liverpool will always be something I will be grateful for,” he told World Soccer.
“It’s impossible to say what might or might not happen in the future – but what I do know is that at the moment my only goal is to be successful with Barcelona.”
Coutinho also reflected on his loan to Bayern and explained his focus on Barcelona this season.
“I’ve won three trophies, including the Bundesliga and the Champions League, so I don’t think (his time at Bayern) could be anything but a success,” he added.
“Winning the Champions League has always been a big ambition for me and winning it with Bayern was a big thing. Now my ambition is to win it with Barcelona. I will always remember and be grateful for my time and success there down, but I’m back with Barcelona now and that’s where I’m focusing.
[ad_2]
Source link
