Liverpool make £8m bid for Internazionale's Philippe Coutinho

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/18/liverpool-bid-internazionale-philippe-coutinho

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Liverpool have made their second move of the January transfer window with an £8m bid for the Internazionale midfielder Philippe Coutinho, though they may have to improve their offer to tempt the Italian club to sell.

Brendan Rodgers has turned his attentions to the 20-year-old, who has one senior cap for Brazil, having grown frustrated with Liverpool's prolonged attempts to agree a fee with Blackpool for Tom Ince. Inter have rejected Liverpool's opening offer for Coutinho but negotiations are expected to continue.

The Brazilian emerged amid much fanfare at Vasco da Gama and signed for Inter for €4m aged 16, though he remained in Brazil on loan until 2010. Coutinho has made only 28 league appearances for Inter, however, and spent the second half of last season on loan at Espanyol.

He has become frustrated with a lack of opportunity at San Siro and Liverpool are hopeful of adding the talented midfielder to the £12m signing of Daniel Sturridge before the end of the transfer window.