Marseille’s Maxime Lopez has claimed Liverpool approached him to join the club as Philippe Coutinho’s long-term successor.

The 19-year-old midfielder, who was reportedly subject to interest from the Reds last year, says he travelled to Anfield to attend a match and even met Steven Gerrard before being told “in five years you will be playing in place of Coutinho”.

Lopez has also been linked to Arsenal but turned down interest from the Premier League in favour of signing a new contract at Marseille. The youngster penned a new deal with the French outfit last month, tying him to the club until the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

Speaking to L’Equipe, Lopez said: “They even told me: ‘In 5 years, you will be playing in place of Coutinho!’

“They really smooth-talked me well. I even met Steven Gerrard, at the stadium, after the match. I wanted to go, but I also wanted to stay at Marseille.

“To leave like that, at that age and even with my family accompanying me, it is very tough. I realised they had about 30 young players who were professional, without including the starting players.

“You really have to be ready mentally.”

Lopez has scored once and provided seven assists in 26 games for Marseille so far this season.

Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings simon-mignolet.jpg Sprinted out of goal on several occasions to punch the ball to safety – decision making was on point. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings nathaniel-clyne.jpg Defended well, but looked more dangerous going forward. He was charging down the wings relentlessly. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings joel-matip.jpg Held the shape well at the back and read the game well. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings ragnar-klavan.jpg Was getting aggravated by Barnes and this was dragging him out of position. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings james-milner.jpg He patrolled up and down the pitch, passing the ball well and starting some great moves. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings emre-can.jpg Battled relentlessly and his goal capped the Liverpool win. It was a sublime strike. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings georginio-wijnaldum.jpg His goal levelled scoring and gave Liverpool a lifeline. He ran the middle of the park today. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings adam-lallana1.jpg His vision created a number of moves for Liverpool and caused problems for Burnley’s back four. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings sadio-mane.jpg Was Liverpool’s main prospect going forward in the first half, but failed to test Heaton. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings philippe-coutinho.jpg It was a quiet display by a man of his ability and reputation – just did not get involved. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings divock-origi.jpg His positioning was spot on, but he did not have enough time on the ball to make an impact. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings tom-heaton.jpg Made a handful of saves, but it was not enough to keep his side in it. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings mathew-lowton.jpg His assist for the first goal was simply sublime. Continued to pump balls up to the strikers. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings michael-keane.jpg Failed to make an impact on the game – did not see a lot of the ball. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings ben-mee-pa.jpg Made a number of unnecessary fouls, to give Liverpool free kicks out of nowhere. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings stephen-ward.jpg Played it safe at the back and made a number of vital clearances and interceptions. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings george-boyd.jpg Boyd was oozing with confidence today and it reflected In his performance. He was going for goal and running at players. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings joey-barton.jpg Aside from being at the heart of the controversy, he did not do a lot. He gave away too many fouls. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings jeff-hendrick.jpg Looked encouraging when he picked up the ball and sprinted at the Liverpool players. Should have seen more of it. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings scott-arfield.jpg Was marked out of the game at times by the Liverpool midfield. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings ashley-barnes.jpg His goal opened the scoring and he continued to cause a nuisance of himself all afternoon. Getty Liverpool vs Burnley player ratings andre-gray.jpg He held the ball up well and worked well with Barnes, but he needed to show more confidence in front of goal. Getty

Marseille president Jacques Henri Eyraud recently praised the youngster for his talent and insisted his new contract deal marked a “strong” moment for the club.

“Maxime Lopez’s extension is a strong symbol for all of us,” Eyraud explained.

“He is a young, talented player who is very appreciated by the fans, and to whom we want to give a chance to develop into a man at the foundation of our sporting project.

“Beyond that, the message we want to send to the young Marseille players is that everything is possible with Marseille.”