Liverpool reportedly requested that Philippe Coutinho was loaned back to them from Barcelona for the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign.
Barca finally completed a £142million deal for Coutinho after months of speculation and the 25-year-old midfielder was unveiled to the media at the Nou Camp following the side’s 3-0 defeat of Levante on Sunday evening.
Jurgen Klopp was desperate to keep hold of Coutinho until the summer but the Brazilian’s absence in recent weeks hinted that a move to Catalonia was imminent.
The Daily Mail suggests that Liverpool’s owners asked for the playmaker to be loaned back to Anfield as part of the deal.
Liverpool were confident that an agreement could be reached, as the Brazil international will be unavailable for Barca in the Champions League this term, but the Catalan giants were not keen.
Speaking ahead of his transfer to Barcelona, Coutinho explained: ‘This is not about money.
‘It’s about the chance to play for Barcelona, to live in Barcelona.’
Barca boss Ernesto Valverde is confident the midfielder will be a hit at the Nou Camp.
‘I think he [Coutinho] can bring a lot to the team,’ Valverde said after the victory over Levante.
‘He scores and sets up goals, and going forward he can help us a lot as he can play both inside and out wide.
‘He is versatile and we can take advantage of his versatility.’
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