Philippe Coutinho turned down a loan move to Tottenham because of his personal affection for Liverpool, according to reports in Spain.
The Barcelona midfielder, who left Liverpool for the Camp Nou in January last year, has not settled in Spain and was linked with an exit in the days leading up to the English transfer deadline.
Arsenal were initially said to be leading the race for Coutinho’s signature, but Spurs suddenly emerged as the favourites to sign the Brazilian on loan. However, a deal failed to materialise.
Now, Spanish outlet Sport (via Sport Witness) has revealed some of the details around Tottenham’s failed swoop.
It is believed Mauricio Pochettino personally called Coutinho in attempt to convince him to join Spurs until the end of the season. Ultimately, the 27-year-old turned down the Londoners as he did not want to play for one of Liverpool’s Premier League rivals.
Coutinho spent five years at Anfield, scoring 54 goals in 201 appearances. Tottenham ended up signing Giovanni Lo Celso in a deal that may have gone through regardless of whether Coutinho joined.
It will be interesting to see if Spurs revive their interest at a later date, although the Spanish reports suggest Coutinho is more likely to join Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich or Juventus.
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