Philippe Coutinho Completes £142 Million Barcelona Transfer

Philippe Coutinho has finally completed his transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona, it was confirmed on Saturday.

Barca's official website announced the Brazilian penned a five-and-a-half-year deal at the Camp Nou.

Liverpool released a statement on the sale via their official website, which read: "The player now has permission to complete the usual formalities to conclude the transfer immediately."

Melissa Ready of Goal.com passed along comments from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: 

The Times' Paul Joyce reported earlier on Saturday that a deal had been struck for £142 million, adding confirmation was shortly expected.

Coutinho heads to Barcelona after a sustained pursuit from the Blaugrana, who will be delighted to finally get their man.

Barcelona had three bids rejected for the player in the summer, per the BBC's Phil McNulty, and Coutinho submitted a transfer request to the Merseyside outfit.

The move brings an end to five successful years on Merseyside for Coutinho, during which time he has built a reputation as one of the game's most exciting attacking midfielders.

Coutinho arrived at Liverpool in January 2013 as a young player with heaps of potential. Last season he was the heartbeat of the Liverpool attack and altered the course of many contests with one moment of magic; he's continued that form this term.

Journalist Joel Rabinowitz believes Barcelona are getting a player in the best form of his career:

With that in mind, Liverpool's legendary defender Jamie Carragher isn't convinced the Reds should have let Coutinho move:

The challenge for the former Inter Milan man now will be continuing that development at the Camp Nou.

That may not be straightforward. At Liverpool, he took on a lot of the attacking responsibility and was consistently the man the Reds looked for in the final third. With Barcelona, most attacks are channelled through Lionel Messi, meaning Coutinho will have to play a supplementary role.

There will also be a much greater pressure to perform. Blaugrana players, particularly attackers, are held to high standards, and the massive fee gives a sense his honeymoon period will be short.

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However, it's a signing that makes a lot of sense for Barcelona. As good as Messi, Suarez and Andres Iniesta are, they are approaching the twilight of their careers. Securing a player who is at the beginning of his peak years ensures Barca's attack is in great shape for a long time yet.

It'll be fascinating to see exactly how Ernesto Valverde slots Coutinho into this side, especially with Ousmane Dembele set to return. Although based on his technical ability, flair and penchant for the spectacular, the Brazilian should blossom at his new home.