Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho as Jurgen Klopp searches for Gini Wijnaldum's heir.

What's the story?

According to Mundo Deportivo journalist Francesc Aguilar, the Reds are keen on re-signing the 29-year-old magician this summer.

The Spanish reporter has claimed that the player’s agent is attempting to secure a move back to the Premier League for his client, with Wolves and Everton also credited with an interest in Coutinho, but Liverpool are believed to be the ‘most determined’ to sign the Brazil international.

Fans will be excited

Coutinho left Anfield back in January 2018 to sign for La Liga giants Barca in a mega-money deal, potentially rising to an astronomical £142m. However, things haven't worked out for the diminutive South American in Catalonia, and after failing to impress in his first 18 months with the Blaugrana, he was shipped out on loan to Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga champions saw improved performances from Coutinho, with the creative talent bagging 11 goals and providing nine assists in 38 appearances for Bayern, helping them secure the treble along the way.

Upon his return to Barcelona, though, Coutinho's poor luck returned. A serious knee injury ended his season in December after just 14 uninspiring appearances under Ronald Koeman, resulting in his potential exit over the coming months.

With Barca experiencing severe financial difficulties, the club's hierarchy are determined to shift several high-earning fringe players ahead of the upcoming campaign, so the Camp Nou could be the perfect place to pick up a bargain.

Although Coutinho hasn't been at his scintillating best for a few years now, he is undoubtedly a world-class operator on his day and he produced some of his best form during his time at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.

Therefore, it's easy to understand why the German may be tempted to bring the 29-year-old back to Anfield following Wijnaldum's exit. The Dutch international has left a significant hole in the club's engine room, but Coutinho has the ability to fill it and would provide a new element to the Reds' attack.

Klopp arguably never directly replaced Coutinho in his first-team squad, with a glaring lack of goals from midfield last term, and the duo could reunite this summer, helping each other return to the top of their games, catapulting Liverpool back to the summit of English football as a result.

It's a prospect which could have large sections of the club's supporters excited as one of their most talented exports potentially embarks upon a return to his former stomping ground.

In other news... Fabrizio Romano drops transfer update on £10.5m LFC flop, Klopp surely on cloud nine