Neymar ramps up Barcelona’s interest in Premier League ace

Barcelona have showed no sign of relenting in their pursuit of Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho after Neymar revealed if it was up to him then he would sign his international compatriot.

Liverpool would have hoped speculation linking Barcelona for their talisman would subside when Coutinho put questions about his future to bed by signing a new long-term deal with the club in January but the Spanish giants haven’t given up.

Coutinho is currently on international duty with Brazil and was pictured after their 4-1 win speaking with former Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez and Neymar, sparking fears the trio were potentially discussing all things Barcelona.

However, Neymar has now taken things one step further by revealing he would sign Coutinho for Barcelona if he was in charge of transfers at the club.

“I would sign him [Coutinho],” Neymar told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, via Liverpool Echo. “He’s the player I see playing in Barcelona."

Coutinho has struggled to rediscover his best form for Liverpool since coming back from a serious ankle injury that left him sidelined for nearly two months over the Christmas period.

In the 13 matches since he marked his return against Southampton in January, Coutinho has only completed 90 minutes on two occasions and has only scored or assisted two goals in that time.

For more stats on Philippe Coutinho, click here to visit his WhoScored player page