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Ex-Inter Milan director tips Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona… and brags about bargain price
PHILIPPE COUTINHO will be the biggest transfer of the January market, says the former Inter Milan director who bought him for a bargain.
Philippe Coutinho joined Liverpool from Inter Milan in 2013
Barcelona want to sign Liverpool star Coutinho in a deal worth upwards of £125million.
Express Sport understands talks between Barcelona and Liverpool are set to get underway this week.
Liverpool would prefer to keep their playmaker, who remains one of their biggest assets after reaching his top form at Anfield.
The Reds rejected three £100m+ deals for Coutinho last summer.
They initially spent £8.5m on the Brazilian when he joined from Inter in 2013.
I remember when I took him to Inter for just €4m
But the Serie A club’s former director Marco Branca has bragged that he got the player for even cheaper.
Asked by Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport about his former charge, Branca said: "The January tip? Coutinho from Liverpool to Barcelona.
“Now he will go for a huge amount.
“I remember when I took him to Inter for just €4m.”
Coutinho joined Inter from Brazilian youth side Vasco da Gama back in 2008, although the transfer didn’t fully go through until he turned 18 two years later.
Philippe Coutinho was sold by Inter Milan for £8.5m
Marca Branca was a director at Inter Milan when Philippe Coutinho joined
He spent three seasons at Inter before being snapped up by Liverpool midway through the 2012/13 campaign.
There are reports in Spain that Coutinho has now gone on strike in an attempt to force his switch to Barcelona before the January window closes.
Coutinho refused to play at the start of the campaign but returned to the Reds first team when his hopes of a deadline-day move were scrapped.
He was not included in yesterday’s clash at Burnley, with Jurgen Klopp insisting he had a thigh injury.