Philippe Coutinho put the collective minds of Liverpool supporters at ease, last night, by signing a new, five-year contract with the club.
The Brazilian, who has quickly been taken into the hearts of Liverpool fans, is now contracted with the club until 2022. His weekly salary has gone up from £80,000 to £150,000.
The new deal ends speculation, for now, linking him with PSG and Barcelona.
Despite the pay bump and added security of a long-term deal, Coutinho had a big reason for staying on with the club. He told the Liverpool website:
“Ever since my arrival here, I was welcomed with open arms by the supporters – and everyone at this football club.
“This is an important factor that carries weight when you decide to remain here for a longer period – and this did have a lot of weight when I thought about the renewal of my contract.
“I can only thank every supporter for their faith in me. I really hope to repay them. I will do my very best on the pitch to create assists for my teammates and score goals for us to try and win trophies and titles.
“It’s not just me – since me and my family arrived here we have been welcomed with open arms by everyone. We feel at home in this city, we feel a part of this city. It is a very important day for me, my wife and my daughter. I am happy – and everyone is happy at home.”
The third key component in Coutinho’s decision – along with money and the supporters – was the opportunity to stay on and work with Jurgen Klopp.
“We all can see how much he has changed here since he arrived,” said the 24-year-old, “and how much he will change in future.”
