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The scout reports...
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Philippe Coutinho is one of the latest footballing talents to emerge from Brazil and he is rated as among the best of his generation.
Coutinho has already been snapped up by one of Europe's elite as he is currently with Inter Milan.
Coutinho has long been tipped to be a star of the future since his early teens when he was quickly picked out by numerous scouts.
Blessed with wonderfully quick feet and majestic skill, Coutinho loves to cut inside from the flanks and if nothing else he is a crowd pleaser.
He is one of those players that when he picks up the ball, the crowd gets to their feet and is often not disappointed.
After witnessing his skills, Inter moved quickly to strike a £4million deal when he was just in 16, and as part of that they agreed to let him stay in Brazil for at least two seasons.
And Inter's decision to allow Coutinho to stay in South America to develop has proved a very astute one.
Coutinho emerged into a first-team regular in the season before his exit to Italy and it was his form for Vasco that persuaded Inter he was ready to make the switch.
He linked up with Inter last summer and was their only major signing, and not many expected him to see much action and indeed he was linked with a loan switch to other Italian clubs.
But Coutinho has not taken long to settle into life in Italy and is already a regular in the first-team.
He has found himself playing on the wing for Inter, which is no hardship as he loves taking on defenders, although he is perhaps guilty of one trick too often, which could be put down to youthful exuberance.
Many see Coutinho's long-term future in a Lionel Messi-type role as he is more than just a winger, given his excellent eye for a pass and vision to open up the opposition.
Coutinho's progress has also been rewarded with a call-up to the national side and in October he made his senior debut against Iran. |
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