:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/6779907/156980444.0.jpg)
Seemingly out of thin air, Liverpool appear to have made a bid for Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho, who first emerged in the first-team at Inter under Rafa Benitez but has struggled to make a lasting impact. He had a reasonably successful loan spell in the second half of the 2011-2012 season at Espanyol, scoring five goals while getting regular appearances in the starting eleven after he arrived in February.
Nothing much had been heard concerning a link to the player until a Guardian article reporting on a formal £8m bid appeared, soon followed by a tweet from Tony Barrett in which he confirmed Liverpool's interest:
@jipmac82 Yes mate. Offer made tonight and rejected.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) January 18, 2013
It's since spread everywhere, and most outlets are reporting that further efforts to sign the 20-year-old Brazilian playmaker will be made. I don't know much about Coutinho other than what I've mentioned above, and that it seems his development at Inter has been more stop than start since Rafa left. No clue if that valuation is good/bad, no clue what he'd bring to Liverpool as far as instant impact, and no clue if he's someone who'd fit into what Brendan Rodgers is trying to build at the club.
But it's something concrete in the transfer window, and if reports are to be believed about Liverpool's interest then it at least serves as a starting point.