Philippe Coutinho finally got his wish on Saturday when Barcelona agreed to sign the Brazilian star from Liverpool for 160 million euros (192 million US dollars) in the most expensive deal ever for the Spanish giants.

Barca will hope the Brazilian attacking midfielder will allow them to move on from the bitter experience of losing his compatriot Neymar last summer and be a good investment from the 222 million euros (267 million US dollars) they got from Paris Saint-Germain for the Brazil captain.

Coutinho will sign a contract for the rest of the La Liga season and five more years with a release clause of 400 million euros (481 million US dollars) according to a Barcelona statement. The 25-year-old native of Rio de Janeiro arrived at Liverpool from Inter Milan for 11.5 million US dollars in January 2013 and scored 54 goals for the club in all competitions, although he won no silverware during his five-year stay.

Barcelona had tried but failed to sign Coutinho in the summer, and his departure is a blow to Liverpool as the playmaker has just returned to top form after an injury-hit start to the season. He scored six goals in the last seven games of 2017, helping to put the Reds firmly in the Premier League's much coveted top four.

Coutinho stayed in Liverpool on Saturday while his teammates jetted off to Dubai for warm-weather training, fueling speculation that he was set to leave the club. He was then photographed giving a thumbs-up as he left London for Spain accompanied by his wife Aine.

Coutinho is expected to watch Barcelona host Levante on Sunday afternoon at Camp Nou. A video posted on the club website showed that a locker bearing his name had already been reserved for their new recruit.