Philippe Coutinho

[baitman]

We need to give tex more minutes to get him up to speed.
maybe it'll be an.offer at end of this year and we hold him for another year and only sell if the release clause of 50 gazillion is met.

[dww]

I don't think he influences enough of the game (yet) for him to attract the real elite teams at the minute. It will happen though.

[Maxiedge]

It's just scary how well he holds onto the ball in tight situations and how easily he can skip past his man.

What a player

[Roboklopp]

'amazing watermelon art', courtesy of the Guardian.

Looks more like Stefan Maierhofer with that neck.

[RichC]

I don't think he influences enough of the game (yet) for him to attract the real elite teams at the minute. It will happen though.

I'd agree with that he's not quite there in terms of that but as you say I think this is just a matter of time.

[BigChief]

Genius.

[Lecter]

Hes our most creative player and at the moment looks our most attacking / biggest goal threat

[Bender]

You can actually see the progression over the last 2 seasons...br good to get Sturridge back as these two had a great understanding

[baronvonskidmark]

It's felt obvious to me for a while. He's that good and he's an obvious replacement for Iniesta - can play wide (ish) and in a front 3 or the middle 3, but better centrally. We seem to lose our best player every summer now. Don't want to be negative about it but he's that good it feels inevitable.

You could definitely see an offer for him coming in if he continues to improve.

And this is where we need to be strong. We all know that continually selling our best players sends out the wrong message. We have to draw a line in the sand at some point and say that you can offer whatever you want, he is our player, under contract and we're not gonna sell. End of. Just because it's Barca or whoever we don't need to roll over. Even if that player is unhappy - they'd have to get over it. I'd rather risk having an unhappy player in the short term and sending out a clear message than the far greater risk of having to find a replacement of equal quality.

Coutinho would be as good a place to start as any. He doesn't seem like a billy big bollocks and if we make him feel valued enough, we can build with him and be successful which would him less likely to leave.

I know he signed a new contract in Jan. Does anyone know how much he earns?

[redmike65]

I think he is on about 80k a week (Balo money!), the thing about Coutinho is that is really seems happy at the club, even as the **** was pouring in last season he signed a contract without any apparent hesitation. He may feel he actually owes Liverpool something for rescuing him from a dysfunctional Inter so if Liverpool get back into the CL I think he will stay. Obviously at some point he would have to consider his options should the club fall short again.

[ronanm]

Great player but infuriatingly wasteful with chances at times.

[Roboklopp]

He's only teeny weeny young though. And his lack of clinically is emphasised by the lack of clinicality in the rest of the team:

[kev776]

Buying a house in Spain I hear.

[gratziani]

I like how he seems to get on the same wavelength as Chris in no time at all.

He done the same with Suarez and Sturridge .

Genuinely am excited about the front three / four again once we get up to speed, loads of options again compared to last years drear.

[Fosterbloke]

Buying a house in Spain I hear.

Lots of people buy houses in Spain. Would make more sense to buy in Portugal though?