Philippe Coutinho admits he wanted to join Barcelona but insists “it’s a great honour” to play for Liverpool.
Breaking his silence after his failed move to Barca over the summer, Coutinho confessed he would have joined the Catalans had a bid been accepted but assured “I’ve always respected Liverpool”.
“What happened is that I received an offer, and in life sometimes you’re interested and sometimes you’re not, but in my case, as everyone knows, I was interested and so was my family,” the attacking midfielder told ESPN Brasil.
"It was a difficult month for me, but now it’s all over and I must focus on having a good season, helping my team, thinking about Liverpool and the national team.
“I’ve always respected Liverpool, the fans, the players and their board members.
“It’s a great honour to receive an offer from a great club, but so is being here. Liverpool are a great club.”