Coutinho: "It Would Be Nice" To Play With Neymar
Philippe Coutinho says "it would be nice" to play alongside Brazil teammate Neymar at the club level
GOAL- Chris Burton
Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has fuelled the transfer talk surrounding both him and fellow Brazilian Neymar with an admission on his future plans.
After a little over a year at Camp Nou, 26-year-old playmaker Coutinho is already sparking exit speculation.
A return to the Premier League has been mooted for the former Liverpool star, with Manchester United and Chelsea said to be among his suitors.
Coutinho has, however, offered no indication that he is looking for a move in the summer window.
An iconic countryman has also been forced to fend off similar rumours over recent months, with Neymar continuing to see his time at Paris Saint-Germain called into question.
He has been linked with a return to Barcelona, although both sides of that gossip have been eager to distance themselves from the reports.
A switch could happen at some stage, though, with Coutinho revealing that he is hoping to one day turn out alongside Neymar at club level.
He has told De Sola: “It's always a pleasure to play with him, it's a crack. We played a lot of time in Brazilian youth teams, [Neymar] became a special player.
“Playing at his side is always a pleasure, even though I haven't had any luck at the club level yet. It would be nice to play with him in a club."
Coutinho has stopped short of speculating on whether he sees himself working alongside Neymar in France or Catalunya.
As things stand, his focus remains locked on silencing the critics who continue to write him off in Barcelona.
A stunning strike in a recent Champions League quarter-final clash with Manchester United helped him to prove his point, with a controversial celebration accompanying that goal.
Coutinho put his fingers in his ears when crashing past David de Gea, with the South American eager to point out that he will continue to ignore those who doubt him.
He added: “I've always been a person with respect to everyone and the truth is that this is for people to see that many times I have to cover my ears to keep the focus on the game or my work to prevent me from [being] affected.
“And, well, here [in Barcelona], for much of the press, I do not have this respect, as work and as I dedicate myself to matches and training.”
