Guardian: Coutinho fee agreed

Liverpool have agreed to pay Internazionale £8.5m for the Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho.

The 20-year-old, who was also reported to have attracted interest from Southampton, is expected to travel to Anfield early this week for a medical and to complete other formalities. The club will also need to apply for a work permit.

Coutinho came through the youth system at Vasco da Gama before joining Inter at the age of 16. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Espanyol, where he worked with Mauricio Pochettino, now the Southampton manager.

Pochettino's appointment at Saints led to speculation linking Coutinho with the club but it is understood the player has expressed a preference for Anfield.

Brendan Rodgers had said on Friday he was still looking to add one or two players to his Liverpool squad before this Thursday's transfer deadline.

If the deal is completed, Coutinho would become the club's second signing of this transfer window following the £12m capture of Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea.

Rodgers said: "We hope to do some business between now and the end of the month. The owners have been brilliant in supporting me. We knew we were maybe a little bit short in the summer. We all agreed this was a month we would try to reinforce, if we could." 

Source: Guardian