- Barcelona hold photo shoot with Coutinho ahead of official unveiling
- £142m signing looked delighted to finally be a Barca player after drawn-out saga
- “It’s a dream come true”, he states in a short video posted on the club’s Twitter page
- READ MORE: Philippe Coutinho could follow footsteps of Barcelona legends after possible shirt number revealed following announcement of transfer
Philippe Coutinho will be officially paraded as a Barcelona player on Monday, but we got our first look at the Brazilian at the Nou Camp on Sunday night.
The 25-year-old has joined the Catalan giants in a £142m move from Liverpool, as per BBC Sport, while he is set to pen a five-and-a-half year deal with the La Liga outfit.
In turn, he was seen going through a photo shoot at the Nou Camp after his new club’s 3-0 win over Levante which leaves them nine points clear at the top of the table.
Given Coutinho will be cup-tied in the Champions League for the second half of the campaign, he’ll be fully focused on helping Barca lift the league title this season, and they’re certainly in a strong position to do so.
Meanwhile, he looked absolutely delighted on Sunday, as he was pictured in some more casual Barcelona gear, and he spoke briefly in a video message to the club’s supporters, as seen below.
Coutinho noted that “it’s a dream come true” for him to be a Barca player, but the pressure will certainly be on his shoulders moving forward to live up to his price-tag and to also be a fundamental piece in the club’s future success.
It’s a crucial signing in that Andres Iniesta continues to edge closer to the end of his playing career, and Coutinho seems perfectly suited to filling that creative role in the long-term while he’ll look to settle and become a key figure in the months ahead before his responsibility grows.
For now though, he looks like he’s soaking up every minute as he prepares to be handed a warm welcome from the fans on Monday…
? Barça fans – @Phil_Coutinho has something to say! ?
Find out more about #CoutinhoDay: https://t.co/344oHdw9AB pic.twitter.com/yEORWXMllE— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 7, 2018
The Barça badge suits you, @Phil_Coutinho! ?
?? #CoutinhoDay pic.twitter.com/Scu0bGbG2n— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 7, 2018
? @Phil_Coutinho ?
??? #CoutinhoDay pic.twitter.com/D0iLOjPprU— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 7, 2018