Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool Agree on New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

Liverpool have announced that the club and midfielder Philippe Coutinho have agreed terms on a new "long-term" contract.

The club’s official Twitter account confirmed the news:

Coutinho was clearly delighted to stay at Anfield:

His manager, Brendan Rodgers, was also thrilled that Coutinho has decided to commit his future to the Reds, per Phil Reade of the club's official website:

"

He deserves all the credit in the world for the attitude he has shown since coming to Liverpool. He arrived as a young man, in a country he'd never lived in before and joined a club where expectations are high. He has shown a willingness to listen, learn and improve.

He has shown resilience in adapting to the environment and has embraced everything we have asked of him. I love working with players like Philippe; he has an attitude to match his talent, but underlying all of that is a humble approach to his work and his life.

"

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The Brazilian international is enjoying a wonderful spell of form for the Reds, and Rodgers paid tribute to his quality prior to the aforementioned announcement, per Andy Hunter of The Guardian:

"

We have seen young Phil come into his own over the last couple of months purely because of the movement up front.

...

He is playing a lot of games and we are trying to manage him but his performances are at a really high level which is great to see because he’s a little magician with the ball. His courage and bravery to get on the ball is fantastic.

If he can continue to improve, and there are areas where he can improve like his goalscoring, then he can get into that bracket of being world class.

"

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Coutinho also spoke about committing to Liverpool, via the club website:

"

I'm really happy. I've been made to feel very welcome here ever since I first arrived at Liverpool. It's a dream come true playing for this great club and being part of this squad. Today I've committed my future to the club and for this I'm feeling very pleased.

(...)

This club is great and the fans have always supported me, so I've been eager to sign this new deal since conversations on my future here started. Today is a very happy day.

"

Indeed, Coutinho has arguably been Liverpool’s standout player since the turn of the year. A new role as part of a fluid front three has brought out the best of the former Internazionale man, and his linkup with the likes of Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge in the second half of the season represents a tantalising prospect for the Anfield crowd.

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But in truth, since Rodgers plucked Coutinho out from his Nerazzurri obscurity in January 2013, he’s been a creative force of nature for this Liverpool team:

As noted by Rodgers, there are areas in which he can improve. In the advanced role he’s been deployed in recently, Coutinho needs to get more goals, and there are times when Liverpool are playing away from home that the mercurial Brazilian can occasionally go missing.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher agreed that he needs to add a clinical edge in front of goal to his vast skill set:

He has scored some big goals for the club, though, including the winner in that enthralling 3-2 victory over Manchester City last season.

Clint Hughes/Associated Press

It’ll be intriguing to see where his future lies in terms of his position on the field too. During the previous campaign, he excelled as an orthodox central midfielder; in the past, he’s flourished as a No. 10; and this season, he’s been at his best when one of a duo of attacking midfielders is behind the striker. Nailing down a regular position will only serve to enhance his game.

But it’s worth remembering Coutinho is just 22 years old, which is pretty remarkable when you consider how long he seems to have been on the scene. Encouragingly for Liverpool, the Brazilian thinks Anfield is the ideal place for him to make these subtle refinements, which will allow him to fulfil the lofty expectations of his manager.