Liverpool have announced that Brazilian forward Philippe Coutinho has signed a new five-year deal.
The new contact sees Coutinho become the club’s highest-paid player at a weekly wage of around £150,000.
Coutinho has scored 34 goals in 163 appearances after joining the Reds in January 2013 from Inter Milan for £8.5m.
That’s that, then… pic.twitter.com/KWm1u41l2P
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 25, 2017
This new deal, which will see him extend his stay at the club till 2022 and has effectively ended speculation linking him with Spanish giants Barcelona.
He told Liverpool’s website: ‘It is a club that I am very grateful to and this shows my happiness here.’
And added:
I signed this new contract to stay here for a few more years because it’s a great honour for me. It gives me great happiness because I was welcomed here with open arms by everyone at the club and the supporters right from my first day. I am very thankful to this football club for everything.
Brought to Anfield by former manager Brendan Rodgers, Coutinho has established himself as a key player for the club over the last four years.
Coutinho has been instrumental for #LFC. More here: https://t.co/oOn4QtRByv #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/Q2FvChVpGF
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) January 25, 2017
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp hailed the new contact as ‘wonderful news’.
Coutinho recently made his comeback from an ankle injury, in the EFL Cup semi-final, first-leg clash defeat to Southampton on January 11, prior to which he had scored six goals in 14 appearances this season.
The second leg of the EFL semi-final takes place on Wednesday evening and Liverpool fans will be hoping that he can help turn around the tie, with them currently 1-0 down on aggregate.
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