Luis Suarez made it a personal mission to make Philippe Coutinho’s transition from Liverpool to Barcelona as painless as possible.
Former teammates at the Reds, Suarez and Coutinho are set for a reunion under Ernesto Valverde after a deal was agreed to see the Brazilian midfielder become one of the most expensive players of all time with a £142 million switch to the Camp Nou.
Pending a medical, Coutinho will be confirmed as a Barcelona player on Monday afternoon and he could make his debut as soon as Thursday, when Barca take on Celta Vigo in the second leg of their Copa del Rey tie.
The 25-year-old will prove a pivotal part of Barcelona’s attack for years to come and Suarez went out of his way to make Coutinho feel comfortable in the past week, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
As club president Josep Maria Bartomeu looked to organise a temporary hotel for Coutinho, Suarez revealed that he’d already sorted out accommodation for the Brazilian.
Suarez said: “No, presidente, there is no need for a hotel. I already have a house for him…”
The Uruguay international apparently set Coutinho up with a place in the Bellemar neighbourhood of Castelldefels, the neighbourhood which both Suarez and Lionel Messi call home.
With a fruitful combination expected on the pitch between Coutinho, Suarez and Messi, it turns out that they’ll all be neighbours too.
“He saw that a house next to his became available,” Coutinho explained. “He didn’t know I was coming for certain but he liked the idea. It’s a kind gesture.
“We’ve seen the pictures, the views look amazing. We are in touch all the time and I look forward to seeing the property with my family. I know Luis will help us to feel at home.”
