PHILIPPE COUTINHO

Who is he? Where does he play?

If you haven't been living under a rock for the past week or so and have managed to catch a glimpse at the back page of any tabloid, you wouldn't need to answer that question. He is of course, Inter Milan's attacking midfielder who Liverpool have taken an interest in, having made a bid, seen it rejected, then decided to go back in for another bid.

Interesting... you wanna tell us more?

Definitely. Coutinho is a 20 year old Brazilian who can operate in behind the striker and having flirted with a cheeky move for Turkey-bound Wesley Sneijder, the Rodgers revolution sees the youngster as the perfect fit for the mould of exciting technical talent that is now the Anfield idyll. Rodgers went in with an initial £6 million bid which was knocked back by Inter and, like a persistent squirrel jumping for an out of reach nut, has bought the big guns out of the accountant to the tune of £8 million.

£8 million? Rodgers is a bit of a big spender.

Shirley Bassey wasn't singing about the Anfield boss but he is certainly becoming flash with the cash having already snaffled Daniel Sturridge earlier this month for £12 million. There is no doubting Coutinho is worth it though, Inter president Massimo Moratti said he was the "future of Inter" after joining from Vasco De Gama aged 18. He has gone on to become one of the most highly rated youngsters in Serie A and a full Brazilian international.

Good player then?

You can say that yes, Coutinho is two-footed, dangerous in a variety of attacking positions, able to play left, right or through the middle and his adaptability and movement makes him as difficult to mark as one of the FBI's most wanted. His intelligent positioning and high-work rate allows for some good pressing on opposition defenders in order for his team to win the ball back high up the field.

Can he play in the Premier League?

His creative quality in the final third will suit Rodgers's attacking, ball-friendly philosophy at Liverpool, but a lot of injuries has interrupted his development somewhat as Inter have done a lot of fitness work in order to bolster the player's physical strength to cope with the rigours of Serie A. He has built into a strong, tricky midfielder however but work needs to still be done on unconvincing finishing and sometimes dribbles that have no end-product. 

You can read more about Coutinho's development and current ability here