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Coutinho in Barcelona to tie up third-richest transfer

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Barcelona: Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho is expected in Barcelona Sunday to tie up a 160-million-euro ($192 million) move from Liverpool, the third-richest deal of all time. “Bem-vindo! Welcome! Benvingut! ¡Bienvenido!” Barca tweeted to Coutinho along with a waving hand sign and a video showing a shirt bearing his name in a locker. Spanish league leaders Barca host Levante on Sunday at Camp Nou, with Coutinho expected to be in the stands.


The swoop for the 25-year-old attacking midfielder — which contains a 400-million-euro release clause — is the third biggest transfer in football.


It is outranked only by Paris Saint-Germain’s world record 222m-euro signing of Neymar from Barcelona last year, and PSG’s capture of French striker Kylian Mbappe for a deal that will eventually be worth 180 million euros.


Rio-born Coutinho arrived at Liverpool from Inter Milan for a mere £8.5 million in January 2013 and scored 54 goals for the club in all competitions, although he won no silverware during his five-year stay at Anfield.


Barcelona had tried to sign him in the summer and his departure now is a blow to Liverpool as the playmaker has just returned to top form after an injury-hit start to the season, scoring six goals in the last seven games of 2017 to put his side firmly in the Champions League places.


“It is with great reluctance that we — as a team and club — prepare to say farewell to a good friend, a wonderful person and a fantastic player in Philippe Coutinho,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.


“It is no secret that Philippe has wanted this move to happen since July, when Barcelona first made their interest known.


“Philippe was insistent with me, the owners and even his teammates this was a move he was desperate to make happen.” — AFP


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