Philippe Coutinho Rumoured to Make €150 Million Barcelona Transfer in January

Barcelona have reportedly struck an agreement with Liverpool to bring Philippe Coutinho to the Camp Nou in January for a fee of €150 million (£132 million).

According to Sport (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness), the Blaugrana will pay Coutinho an annual salary of €12 million (£10.6 million) and the deal is now in the "final straight."

Here is a look at how the Catalan newspaper covered the story on Wednesday:

Barcelona courted Coutinho in the summer to no avail. The Brazilian lodged a transfer request, and the La Liga side made three offers to Liverpool in an attempt to bring him to the club.

While the speculation surrounding Coutinho was incessant in the summer, he's been able to settle back into a brilliant run of form for the Reds. As noted by the UEFA Champions League Twitter account following Liverpool's 4-0 win over Bournemouth, the midfielder has been sensational in front of goal as of late:

"

Coutinho last 14 games 

⚽️ 10
️ 7#UCL pic.twitter.com/N4wO92qR9N

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 18, 2017"

Barcelona's interest will not have been lessened by the displays Coutinho has turned in this season, and if reports are to be believed, they are ready to go all-out in January to secure the player.

Coutinho has so many attributes you'd associate with a Blaugrana footballer, too. His composure on the ball, dribbling skill and ability to conjure spectacular moments makes him a force to be reckoned with when he's in form.

At Barca it'd be easy to see the Brazilian slotting in on the left flank or even dropping into a deeper midfield berth to dictate matters—roles he has fulfilled with distinction for Liverpool.

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

However, the Reds will surely be keen to keep hold of one of the brightest talents in the Premier League. Rob Gutmann of The Anfield Wrap isn't sure the La Liga side have enough money to prise Coutinho away at this point:

Liverpool have plenty to play for in the second half of the season, as they remain in contention for a top-four spot in the Premier League and the FA Cup. They also progressed into the last 16 of the Champions League and have a winnable tie against Porto to come.

If the campaign is going to be a successful one for Liverpool, Coutinho seems to be vital to that success. Under Jurgen Klopp he's discovered a consistency in terms of his general play and ability to influence the biggest matches; there are many of those to come between now and the end of 2017-18.

It's why, despite the certainty in the initial report, it's difficult to see this transfer being quite so far along. Liverpool were so reluctant to do business ahead of the season for their No. 10 to ensure he was still at Anfield; deciding to sell in January, regardless of the price, would undermine that work.