Liverpool: Dani Alves urges Philippe Coutinho to consider joining Barcelona

Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho should consider leaving Anfield to join a "top" Champions League club like Barcelona, his Brazilian compatriot Dani Alves has said. Coutinho, 23, has thrived under the leadership of Jurgen Klopp at Merseyside, scoring eight goals in 26 league appearances for the Reds in the 2015/16 season.

But Liverpool's eighth-placed league finish means they will miss out on the Champions League once again next season, and Alves feels his compatriot is too good a player to not be involved in the most prestigious competition in European football.

"Football is about living the moment," the full-back was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. "Liverpool have history but you should consider playing for top UCL sides. He has the quality to play for Barcelona."

Coutinho started alongside Alves as Brazil played out a goalless draw with Ecuador in their Copa America Centenario opener at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles on 4 June.

He has made 107 league appearances for Liverpool since arriving from Inter Milan in 2013 and is contracted to the Reds until 2020.

Paris Saint-Germain link

In September last year, Alves's Barcelona teammate Neymar suggested that Coutinho was good enough to play for the Catalan giants. "I think there are many players with great qualities that could be playing for Barcelona," he was quoted as saying.

"One of them is Coutinho. He is a great player and his style suits Barcelona."

Coutinho has also been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, with Le 10 Sport claiming that the French champions had made contact with the player's representatives. Daily Mirror journalist Andy Dunn told the BBC that Klopp could be tempted to let Coutinho leave Liverpool if he feels the Brazilian is not fully committed to the club.

"I think Jurgen Klopp will be trying to find out whether Coutinho, even if there's a hint, would want to go to a different club, I think Klopp would sell him," he said and added, "He wants all of them to be behind Klopp's project and if he gets a hint that Coutinho is not 100% behind that, I think he'd sell him, I really do."