Sneaked over too an Inter Milan forum, thought I'd take a peak. They seem to be quite upset that Coutinho is going (Well more because they'll have lost both Sneijder and Coutinho)
Seems they really want Paulinho from Corinthians and need to raise the cash. Good for us! Now can we get banega from Valencia please?
Coutinho to Liverpool with medical on Monday but initial fee much less than the €13m being reported - €10m. From the Sunday Times
I think another good thing with Coutinho is that South American connection that will make those players a bit more happy. Lucas, Suarez, Coates, Coutinho. Throw in that he can speak Italian with Borini will help and will probably link with the Spanish contingent as well from his time at Espanyol. Ultimate team Chemistry went up +10
What's new. Reported figures at time were 13 mill for Henderson and 16 for downing on bbc but the media keep referring to them as 20 million pound men. Most media like to exaggerate.
Everything I've heard from people related to Inter Milan about Coutinho has got me excited about this signing. I watched Inter a few times under Rafa and he looked like a very classy player. Not sure that he'll have an immedaite impact but he's got the potential be a star player at Liverpool. I think he will start off as a winger because he's got lightning pace and insane dribbling skills, but he is a bit lightweight physically so it might take a while before he can succeed in his natural No. 10 position.
Fingers crossed he's a good un looks nifty enough. I know the arguments against just having potential but so far we've got one in for the first team (Sturridge) and one who could be good enough to be in and around the first team straight away. Maybe he'll work out, maybe he won't but at least we're trying to improve the attacking options where we know we weren't good enough squad wise. Looking forward to watching him in a Red shirt (subject to medical etc). Could be an absolute bargain in the end.
Look at this on the Saints board... they call us deluded http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/192525-Are-we-competing-with-Liverpool
Sometimes a transfer is more than just a transfer. After the Summer, I'm sure FSG would of wanted to send out a message to the fans, and £20m worth of investment thus far on 2 good players who will improve the squad speaks volumes. If BR is to succeed, then the owners need to back him. 12m for Sturridge, 8.5m for Coutinho (subject to a medical), 12m for Borini and 15m for Allen.. They certainly are backing him. Our squad right now looks much better than it was in October.
Liverpool agree a deal for Inter Milan's Philipe Coutinho By Ben Smith BBC Sport Liverpool have agreed an £8.5m deal for Inter Milan's Brazilian midfielder Philipe Coutinho. The 20-year-old is expected to travel to Merseyside early next week for a medical and Liverpool will need to apply for a work permit before the deal can be completed. Liverpool had two bids turned down for him last week, while Southampton are also interested in signing the player. But it is understood that Coutinho expressed a preference for Anfield. Who is Coutinho? He came through Vasco da Gama's youth system and was bought by Italian Serie A giants Internazionale in 2008, at the age of 16, for â¬4 million. He linked up with the club on his 18 birthday. He won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2009 The Supercoppa Italiana: in 2010 The FIFA Club World Cup in 2010 Coppa Italia 2011 That is despite having worked with new Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino, while on loan at Espanyol last season. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers revealed on Friday that he was determined to bolster his squad with more new players before the transfer window closes at the end of January. Midfielder Tom Ince, who came through the ranks at Anfield before being sold to Blackpool remains on his radar. Rodgers said: "We still need one or two additions. The club is doing everything it possibly can to assist me. "The real plans are for now. Short term we want to improve and develop. We have brought in Daniel [Sturridge] and he has been brilliant. If we can bring in one or two more, then great. If not the group has worked fantastically well and if we can support it now, then fantastic. It is very much about the now, we want to improve." Having lost out on signing Clint Dempsey on deadline day in August, Rodgers insists there are no such problems this time around. "The owners have been brilliant in supporting me," he added. "We were maybe a little bit short in the summer, but we all agreed this was a month that we would try and strengthen. "It was difficult all around in the summer. I was a new manager, we didn't have recruitment staff, I was busy in pre-season and the lines of communication maybe weren't there. âIt was difficult all around in the summer. I was a new manager, we didn't have recruitment staff, I was busy in pre-season and the lines of communication maybe weren't thereâ "But from that moment on, we got the recruitment team in, the lines of communication are very clear, every knows where they are at - there is a small group of us who communicate a lot and look at the players we want to bring in. It has worked very, very well and that relationship will only get better going forward. We are all very happy. " GKRK
I have a bad feeling about this Coutinho deal, we have been making quite astute signings under Brendan and I just feel this guy has all the skills but not the mentality. Hope im ridiculously wrong, just have a funny feeling this guy is going to be our Giovanni Dos Santos.
18.00 GMT: BREAKING: Liverpool have agreed a fee with Inter Milan for Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho, it is now official.
