Philippe Coutinho can fulfil all his football ambitions with Liverpool, says former coach
Sunday 13 November 2016 16:11, UK
Philippe Coutinho is happy to ignore overtures from Barcelona and help Liverpool win trophies, according to his former mentor in Brazil.
The former Inter Milan player, who has become one of the key components in Jurgen Klopp's Anfield regime, has been linked with a move to the Nou Camp where he could link up with compatriot Neymar.
"His ambition is to be in the list of the top 10 players [in the world]," Rodney Goncalves, Coutinho's former youth coach at Vasco da Gama, told the Daily Telegraph.
"Whenever we speak, he always says that he is very happy at Liverpool and his biggest challenge is to win the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool.
"He knows that if he continues to give great performances for Liverpool, he will always be selected for Brazil.
"Coutinho can be compared to Neymar, but Coutinho is Coutinho. He can become a very popular in Brazil and around the world like Neymar, he just needs to get a sequence of games in the Brazilian squad.
"There is pressure on him but it is not a problem. He plays at a big club and plays in the most important league in the world."
Coutinho has made an impressive start to the season, scoring six goals and enjoying as many assists in 12 games for Liverpool.
The 24-year-old, who is under contract until 2020, moved to Mereseyside in a £8.5m deal in 2013. Coutinho made his senior debut for Brazil in 2010 aged 17 and has gone on to make 22 appearances for his country.
