Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Philippe Coutinho has signed a record-breaking deal with Liverpool to keep him out of Barcelona's clutches.

World-rated Coutinho has agreed a five-and-a-half year contract that will make him the Reds' highest-paid current player — and could even, including add-ons, match the £200,000-plus a week pact with Luis Suarez that was the richest in Anfield history.

Crucially, there is NO buy-out clause in it as the brilliant Brazilian commits himself long term to the Merseyside club - dashing any hopes Spanish giants Barca have of tempting him away.

The Catalans had made the 24-year-old their number one target , and were expected to make a massive bid in the summer to try to reunite him with former Liverpool team-mate Suarez.

(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty) (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty)

But the Anfield board have headed off any possibility of losing their best and most-loved player with the new contract. Ongoing talks have been completed shortly after Wednesday night’s EFL Cup semi-final decider at home to Southampton.

The man himself is delighted to have committed his future to the club.

“I would like to thank everybody at the club, first of all," he told Liverpool's website.

“I am very happy to sign a new contract here. It is a club that I am very grateful to and this shows my happiness here. I will work much harder to repay the belief shown in me.

(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty) (Image: Getty)

“I signed this new contract to stay here for a few more years because it’s a great honour for me. It gives me great happiness because I was welcomed here with open arms by everyone at the club and the supporters right from my first day. I am very thankful to this football club for everything.”

Coutinho has indicated he wants to stay at Anfield for the long haul and try to win the top trophies under Jurgen Klopp, who he rates as the best manager in the business.

The extension will effectively keep a man signed from Inter Milan for £8.5million under Brendan Rodgers four years ago at the club until summer 2022.

The news will delight Liverpool fans who feared their biggest idol will be tempted away by Barca, just as Suarez was in 2014.

And it is good news for Klopp, who has indicated he wants to build a young side around Coutinho and develop it into Premier League champions.

The boss had made clear how much he wanted the Brazilian to stay, and now the board have backed their manager’s judgement by giving the player a record breaking contract.

Watch — Video emerges of a young Coutinho BOSSING IT at futsal:

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

Coutinho will start against Southampton and is likely to get a hero’s reception from the fans following the news that he sees his future at Liverpool, in pursuit of honours.

The Reds have already given new contracts to some of their best young stars, including Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

After finalising Coutinho’s deal, they will also look to wrap up long-term agreements with other players who have many years of football ahead of them, such as Emre Can, Divock Origi and Joe Gomez.