On This Day: Philippe Coutinho signs for Liverpool

| 30 January 2021

On This Day: Philippe Coutinho signs for Liverpool

The Brazil international moved to Anfield from Inter Milan.

Liverpool sealed the £8.5million signing of Brazil forward Philippe Coutinho on this day in 2013.

The Reds completed the 20-year-old’s move from Inter Milan, with the Home Office granting a work permit for the one-cap star.

“Liverpool is a great club with great players,” said Coutinho at the time.

Liverpool today confirmed the signing of Philippe Coutinho from Inter Milan. Visit http://t.co/0OodcL9l for more details.

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 30, 2013

“We’ve always heard about Liverpool’s history in Brazil; I know they believe in me and my football.”

Coutinho had emerged from Vasco Da Gama’s youth system, signing for Inter aged 16 in 2008 but loaned back to the Brazilian club until he was 18.

The playmaker struggled to break through at Inter however, with his Liverpool move coming off the back of a loan switch to Spain’s Espanyol.

Philippe Coutinho (right) joined Barcelona from Liverpool in 2018 — Philippe Coutinho joined Barcelona from Liverpool for £142million in 2018 (Nick Potts/PA)

Coutinho thrived in his five years at Liverpool, eventually sealing a £142million move to Barcelona in 2018 – one of the most expensive transfers of all time.

Now 28, Coutinho is still trying to make a success of his Nou Camp move.

The richly-talented creative player spent the 2019/20 campaign on loan at Bayern Munich, coming off the bench in the Champions League final as the German giants beat Paris St Germain 1-0.