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Ernesto Valverde: 'Philippe Coutinho can bring a lot to Barcelona'

Valverde: 'Coutinho can bring a lot to Barca'
Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde is looking ahead to working with imminent new signing Philippe Coutinho, believing that the Brazilian "can bring a lot to the team".

Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde has expressed his eagerness to work with Philippe Coutinho as the Brazil international prepares to arrive from Liverpool.

Coutinho is on the verge of a £142m switch to Camp Nou after both clubs announced that an agreement had been reached, making the 25-year-old the second-most expensive player of all time.

The Brazilian has agreed a contract through to 2023 with the Blaugrana, and Valverde is aiming to make the most of the attacker's adaptability and ability to play in a range of positions.

"I think he can bring a lot to the team. He scores and sets up goals, and going forward he can help us a lot as he can play both inside and out wide," Valverde told reporters after Barca's 3-0 win over Levante on Sunday. "He is versatile and we can take advantage of his versatility.

"It is a signing that has been talked about for a long time, although it was not something I was keen to discuss. He is here now, and good luck to him, because if he has luck then it will be good for us.

"We will wait until I have seen him train for a day at least until we talk about [how Coutinho will fit into the team], it is true that I have seen videos of him playing in different positions, for Liverpool and for his country. But let's wait and see. I hope he adapts quickly, although good players adapt quickly to any circumstances."

Coutinho made 201 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, scoring 54 goals during his five-year stay.

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Giuseppe Labellarte
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Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho pictured in front of the Anfield faithful on October 14, 2017
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