Barcelona players inform Josep Maria Bartomeu to complete signing of Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho

Barcelona players are reportedly confident that Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho will complete a switch to Camp Nou in the January transfer window.

According to Spanish publication Sport, Ernesto Valverde's men are delighted the Catalan club are further strengthening the squad for the second half of the 2017/18 season by adding the former Inter Milan man.

The heavyweights inside the Camp Nou dressing room have already made their decision known to the La Liga giants' president Josep Maria Bartomeu. They want Barcelona to secure the services of Coutinho after last summer's disappointment.

Liverpool star has been a transfer target for the Spanish outfit even before the season started. Barcelona's multiple approaches were turned down by the Merseyside club, with their last bid believed to be around £118m ($160.4m) and included add-ons worth £36m ($48.9m).

The 25-year-old also handed in a transfer request to leave the club, but his request to leave Anfield was rejected by the Reds. He was then promised by Liverpool that he will be allowed to complete his dream move to Barcelona.

Liverpool's league win over Leicester City is believed to be Coutinho's last match for the Premier League outfit, reports The Times. He missed the tie against Burnley due to a minor thigh injury and is expected to miss the derby clash against Everton in the third round of the FA Cup.

Barcelona believe they are closer than ever in completing a deal for the Liverpool star. Their players are also behind the club's attempts in bringing Coutinho to the club and are ready to welcome him with open arms.

The former Athletic Bilbao boss has identified him as a priority transfer target in the summer and he has still managed to remain a No.1 target for Barcelona manager. However, he refused to discuss about the recent reports from Spain and England suggesting the Brazilian is edging closer towards a switch to Barcelona.

"[Coutinho] is a player for another team. He is a great player, of course. I don't know what will happen in the future but I like mine much more. We will see what happen if something happens," Valverde explained.

Even though Barcelona manager has publicly decided against speaking about the possibility of signing Coutinho, Valverde is already delighted about the prospect of coaching the versatile star in the second half of this campaign.

Should he complete a switch from Anfield to Camp Nou, Coutinho will be able to feature in the Champions League this term. Valverde is planning on using him in place of Andres Iniesta in the league matches, which will provide the latter with much needed rest for the European fixtures.