Philippe Coutinho has appeared to rule out a move to one of Liverpool's Premier League rivals after his agent revealed the Anfield club still 'lies very, very deeply' in the Brazilian star's heart.
Coutinho left Liverpool to join Barcelona in 2018 for an eye-watering £145million - becoming the third most expensive player in the world behind PSG duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
The move has however not worked out as planned. Coutinho has scored 24 goals in 90 games and the Spanish side are reportedly looking to sell him in order to lower their crippled wage bill.
Recent reports in Spain have suggested that Coutinho could be on his way back to England but, according to his agent Kia Joorabchian, this may not be a possibility.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: 'I think Liverpool lies very, very deeply in his heart, he was a big fan of them throughout the campaign (last season).
'He was wishing for them to win the title and he has a very strong affinity there so I think it will be very difficult for him to go to a direct competitor of Liverpool from a personal standpoint.'
Jurgen Klopp has previously ruled out Coutinho's return to Liverpool and unless there's been a dramatic turnaround, a return to the club looks unlikely for the 29-year-old.
Speaking on Pure Football Podcast in April 2020, the German said: 'I really respected Phil's switch from the first second.
'Not that I do that all the time but it felt "oh wow that could be difficult" (Coutinho returning to Liverpool).'
During his time at Liverpool, Coutinho became a fans' favourite - scoring 54 goals and assisting 43 in 201 games.