Philippe Coutinho's Agent Admits Liverpool Still Lies 'Very Deeply' in Brazilian's Heart

Philippe Coutinho's agent Kia Joorabchian has suggested that the Barcelona midfielder would not consider moving to a direct rival of Liverpool, due to the

Philippe Coutinho's agent Kia Joorabchian has suggested that the Barcelona midfielder would not consider moving to a direct rival of Liverpool, due to the affinity he holds with the Reds.

After a stellar five-year spell on Merseyside, Coutinho joined Barcelona in 2018 for £142m, but is yet to make much of an impression at Camp Nou. During 2018/19, he was only able to register five goals and three assists in La Liga, which has led to resentment amongst Barcelona supporters, who have not been convinced by the Brazilian's performances.

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Unsurprisingly, Coutinho has been heavily linked with a move away from Barcelona this summer, with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea both being touted as potential candidates to land his signature.

However, during an interview with Sky Sports, Joorabchian stated that there is very little chance he will return to the Premier League to play for anyone other than Liverpool.

"I think Liverpool lies very, very deeply in his heart," he said. "He was a big fan of them throughout the campaign [last season].

"He was wishing for them to win the title and he has a very strong affinity there so I think it will be very difficult for him to go to a direct competitor of Liverpool from a personal standpoint."

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Joorabchian has also claimed that the majority of rumours concerning Coutinho are simply not true and that he isn't necessarily trying to force through a move this summer.

Barcelona may well have been encouraged by what they saw this summer, as Coutinho played a starring role in Brazil's Copa America success, netting two goals in the process.