Former Barcelona midfielder, Xavi Hernandez, has suggested that former Inter starlet, Philippe Coutinho, is one of the very few players in the world that could improve Barcelona. Speaking to Goal, the current Al Sadd player heaped praises on the Liverpool midfielder.
Indeed, Xavi said that he always believed that Coutinho is a special player and has gone up a level by playing under Jurgen Klopp.
Also read: 5 reasons Philippe Coutinho is perfect for Barcelona
“Coutinho is a player I have always thought is special - but under [Liverpool coach Jurgen] Klopp he has gone up another level. On form, there are not any better midfield players in Europe.”
While the talent of the Brazilian midfielder was always apparent, Xavi believes that his new found consistency for Liverpool is what holds the key to their surge for the Premier League title.
“He has always shown quality but now he is consistently playing well and that is good news for Liverpool if they want to really challenge for the title.”
Praise for Jurgen Klopp
The legendary midfielder then went on to confess that former Borussia Dortmund manager, Jurgen Klopp, is among the best coaches in the world who has experience at improving players and is a great fit for the Merseyside club.
“He is playing under one of the most intelligent coaches in Europe. Klopp has a lot of experience at developing world-class players, so it is a good club for him to be at.”
With great form comes rumours linking a player with great teams. Such has been the case for Coutinho as he is being linked with a plethora of superpower clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Words of wisdom
However, Xavi has advised the youngster to keep his head away from such talks and focus on winning titles at Anfield instead, before insisting that he is one of the few players that would improve Barcelona and would be a perfect fit for the Catalan club’s system.
“When you play at the level he is there is always going to be talk, but for now he needs to ignore all that and stay focused because I think Liverpool have a real chance this season.
Also read: EPL 2016/17: Philippe Coutinho not looking to leave Liverpool says former coach and close friend
“There are not many players that can improve Barcelona, but if you are asking me if he is one of them, on this form, I think he is. Technically he is very good. He would suit Barcelona's philosophy well,” the Spaniard added.
Liverpool are currently the leaders of the Premier League after 11 rounds of matches with 26 points to their name.
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